Yesterday was my 29th Wedding Anniversary.  And the only thing I did for it was make my hubby and me a cake.  But what a cake it was.

With so many Facebook requests for the recipe, I've decided to post it here and share with my circle of interested friends.

This is a recipe from Joy Wilson, aka Joy the Baker. She just published her first cookbook, Joy the Baker Cookbook. You can read her blog at joythebaker.com

Chocolate Beet Cake with beet cream cheese frosting

Cake:

      2         medium beets, unpeeled

      1         tsp. vegetable oil

      6         oz (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing to pans

      1         cup packed brown sugar

   3/4         cup granulated sugar

      2         large eggs

      1         tsp. pure vanilla extract

      2         cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans

   2/3         cup unsweetened cocoa powder

      1         tsp. baking soda

   1/2         tsp. baking powder

      1         tsp. salt

1 1/4         cups buttermilk

Frosting:

      8        oz. (1 brick) cream cheese softened

      1        cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

      2        Tbsp. finely grated beets, mashed with a fork

   4-5        cups powdered sugar, sifted

      1        tsp. pure vanilla extract

   1-2        tsp. milk, depending on desired consistency

   1/2        tsp. fresh lemon juice

                pinch of salt

Prep:

             

Butter two 8- or 9-inch round baking pans. Cut out a circle of parchment paper to fit bottom of pan; place in pan. Butter parchment paper. Dust pans with flour; set aside

Roasting The Beets:

           

Place a rack in the center and upper third of the oven. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Place beets on a piece of foil. Drizzle with vegetable oil. Seal foil. Roast beets on a baking sheet for about 1 hours or until tender when pierced with a knife. Remove beets from oven. Open foil; allow beets to cool. Use a paring knife to peel beets; finely grate. Measure 3/4 cup of grated beets for cake and 2 Tbsp. for frosting. Set aside.

Beating The Batter:

           

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars (or use an electric hand mixer). Beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stop mixer and scrape down sides as necessary. Beat in beets and vanilla until thoroughly combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add half the dry ingredients to mixer. Beat on low, slowly adding buttermilk. Once it is just incorporated, add remaining dry. Beat on medium until just incorporated. Cake batter should bethick (not pourable).

Divide batter between prepared cake pans. Bake at 350º for 23-25 minutes (9-inch pan) or 30-32 minutes (8-inch pan). Cake is done when a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cakes from oven; allow to rest 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto a cooling rack to cool

completely.

 Whipping Up Pink Frosting:

To make the frosting, beat cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or use an electric hand mixer) for 30 seconds, until pliable and smooth. Add butter; beat for 30 seconds, until well combined. Beat in beets. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, lemon juice and salt. Beat on medium until smooth and silky. For a deeper pink color add leftover beet "juice" or up to 1 extra Tbsp. of grated beets. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before frosting.

Icing The Cake:

To assemble the cake, place on layer on a cake stand or cake plate. Top with a generous amount of frosting. Spread evenly.  Top with second cake, then frosting. Work frosting down sides of cake. You will probably have extra frosting left over. Refrigerate for an hour before serving (it will make cake easier to slice). Cake will last, well wrapped in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days. Makes one 8- or 9-inch layer cake. Serves 12.