Fudgy Chocolate Beet Cake with Chocolate Avocado Frosting

(recipe from coffeeandquinoa.com)

For the cake:
2 medium beets
2 cups plain unsweetened almond milk
1 Tbsp. cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups raw turbinado sugar
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups oat flour
3/4 cup almond meal
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
pinch of kosher salt

For the frosting:
2 ripe avocados, halved and pitted
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Few pinches kosher salt
2 Tbsp. strong brewed coffee (optional)

To roast the beets:
Preheat the oven to 400F.  Chop the stems off your beets, as well as the tips if they are long.  Scrub clean.  Wrap in foil and roast until a fork slides easily to the center of the beet, 60-75 minutes.  Remove, unwrap, and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Once cooled, peel the beets by pushing the skins off with the back of a knife.  They should slide off easily.  Cut the beets into chunks and place in the bowl of a food processor.  Puree, scraping down the sides as necessary.  You may have to add a bit of water to encourage the beets to puree.  Scoop out 1 cup of puree for this recipe - the rest is leftover.

To make the cake:
Lower the oven temp to 350F.  Coat two 8-inch cake pans (or one 9-inch cake pan) with cooking spray.  Line with parchment paper (trace the bottom of the tin onto parchment paper and cut out so it just fits in the bottom) and spray again.  Set aside.

Whisk together almond milk and cream of tartar in a large bowl.  Let sit about 5 minutes to curdle.

To the almond milk mixture, add 1 cup of beet puree, sugar, coconut oil, and vanilla extract.  With a hand mixer, beat until foamy.  (This is important so that the coconut oil does not separate and solidify.)

Sift in remaining dry ingredients.  Beat again to incorporate.

Divide between the cake pans.  Bake at 350 until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with fudgy crumbs, 30-35 minutes.

Remove and cool completely in the pans on wire racks.  Then, if time allows, transfer pans to the fridge to cool further.  Run a knife around the edge of the cake pan before inverting the cake and peeling off the parchment paper.  (Be sure to allow the cakes to cool completely before removing, or they will not hold together!)

To make the frosting:
Scoop out the flesh of the avocados and place in the bowl of a food processor.  Puree until smooth.  Add remaining ingredients and puree again, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

To assemble the cake:
Place the first layer on your cake stand or serving plate.  If the top is uneven, carefully even it off with a knife.  Smooth on about half of the frosting, and top with the second cake layer.  Smooth on remaining frosting and add any decorations you like.  (If you made one 9-inch layer, you will have enough frosting to coat the sides, if you want.)

Refrigerate before serving.  The cake can be served immediately, but I like it best after being refrigerated overnight.

(I made this cake for Ashley's 40th birthday, at her request.  It's actually very good, and easy to make, and keeps well in the fridge overnight so it can be made well ahead.  I added more sweetener to the frosting - a bit more maple syrup and a little bit of sugar - to make it more to my taste.  I also baked my cakes a little longer than stated, about 10-15 more minutes.  The finished cake is moist and dense.  Easy to follow instructions and a somewhat healthy cake!)