Chocolate-Beet Cake

Directions

1. 1
   Peel the beets and slice them about 1/8 inch thick.
2. 2
   A vegetable slicer or mandoline works well for this.
3. 3
   Bring the simple syrup to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat.
4. 4
   Add the beets and bring to a simmer.
5. 5
   Reduce the heat and simmer the beets gently until theyre translucent, about 1 hour.
6. 6
   Keep the heat low, so the beets dont curl as you cook them.
7. 7
   Let cool completely in the syrup.
8. 8
   Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment.
9. 9
   Drain the beets gently, so they dont break, and dredge them in sugar.
10. 10
    Arrange on the baking sheet and place in a cold oven overnight to dry.
11. 11
    Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
12. 12
    Heat the oven to 425F or 400F on convection.
13. 13
    Trim the tops from the beets, leaving about 1 inch of the stems.
14. 14
    Tear off a large piece of aluminum foil and make a bed of coarse salt in the center.
15. 15
    Set the beets on the salt, wrap the foil to make a tight package, and roast the beets until very tender, about 1 hour.
16. 16
    Let the beets cool.
17. 17
    Peel them and cut them into chunks.
18. 18
    Put them in a food processor and process to a very fine puree.
19. 19
    Strain and measure out 1/2 cup.
20. 20
    Reserve the rest for the sauce.
21. 21
    Heat the oven to 350F or 325F on convection.
22. 22
    Butter and sugar a 9-inch square baking pan.
23. 23
    Melt the chocolate in the microwave, in 30-second bursts, stirring after each burst.
24. 24
    Whisk the flour, baking soda, and 1/8 teaspoon salt together in a bowl.
25. 25
    Put the sugar, egg, and oil in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk.
26. 26
    Whisk for 2 minutes at medium-high speed, until pale and light.
27. 27
    Beat in the vanilla extract, then the dry ingredients, then the chocolate, then the beet puree, mixing well after each addition.
28. 28
    Scrape the batter into the pan and rap it on the counter to remove air bubbles.
29. 29
    Bake until a knife comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the pan after 10 minutes.
30. 30
    Let cool completely before removing the cake from the pan
31. 31
    Cut the cake into cubes.
32. 32
    Dip one cube in the raspberry-beet sauce, coating it completely.
33. 33
    Pair it with a plain piece of cake on a dessert plate and garnish with a few candied beets, crumbling some of the beets if you want, and a spoonful of sauce.
34. 34
    You could skip the candied beets if need be.
35. 35
    As an act of desperation, you could substitute a store-bought chocolate cake for the cake here.