Harvard Beet Cake Recipes

CHOCOLATE BEET CAKE

Steps:

• Cover beets with 2 inches water in a pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until very tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp paring knife, about 30 minutes. Drain. Puree beets in a food processor until smooth.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk in eggs, water, oil, vanilla, and 1 1/4 cups beet puree (reserve remaining puree for another use).
• Coat a 9-inch round cake pan (3 inches deep) with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment, and coat with spray. Pour batter into pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Turn out cake from pan, and discard parchment. Let cool completely, right side up.
• Trim top of cake using a serrated knife to create a level surface. Transfer cake, cut side down, to a platter. Pour chocolate glaze over the top, and let set, about 30 minutes. Garnish with beet chips.

QUICK HARVARD BEETS

Steps:

• In a saucepan, place raw beets and enough water to cover. Cook until tender, 15-20 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup liquid. (If using canned beets, drain and reserve 1/4 cup juice.) , In another saucepan, combine sugar, flour, vinegar and reserved beet juice. Cook over low heat until thickened. Stir in beets, salt and butter. Simmer for 10 minutes.

BEET CAKE

Steps:

• In a microwave, melt chocolate and 1/4 cup butter; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, cream the remaining butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs., In a small bowl, combine the chocolate mixture, beets and vanilla. , Beat into creamed mixture (mixture will appear separated). Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. , Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 375° for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Before serving, dust with confectioners' sugar.

BEET RED VELVET CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Wash beets and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake until the tip of a knife slides easily into the largest beet, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool until beets can be handled, then peel. (This may be done up to a day ahead.)
• Butter two 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment and then butter again.
• In a food processor, chop beets to pieces about the size of finely diced onions. Measure 1 cup and set aside (remaining beets can be reserved for another purpose). Return cup of beets to the food processor. Purée with buttermilk, lemon juice, vinegar and vanilla until smooth.
• Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter until soft. Slowly add sugar and beat until creamy. Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
• Alternate adding flour mixture and beet mixture to butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, and beating for 10 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the bowl after each addition of the wet ingredients.
• Divide batter between prepared cake pans, smoothing the tops. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the cake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove pans from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.
• To assemble, remove one cake from its pan and peel away parchment. Place flat side down on a serving platter. Drop about 1 cup of icing onto cake and, using a flat spatula, spread evenly over top. Remove the second cake from its pan and remove parchment. Place flat side down on top of first layer. Use remaining frosting to cover top and sides of cake.

CLASSIC HARVARD BEETS

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• To make with fresh beets, wash the beets and leave an inch of stem and root end on them.
• Put the beets in a saucepan, cover with water, and add about 1 teaspoon of salt per quart of water and bring the water to a boil.
• Reduce the heat, cover the pan, and boil for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the beets are tender.
• Drain the beets and let them cool.
• Then slip off the skins.
• Slice the beets to your desired size.
• Combine the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan.
• Whisk in the vinegar and water and cook over medium heat, stirring, until thickened.
• Add the sliced cooked beets and the salt and freshly ground black pepper and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Stir the butter into the beets and serve them hot.
• Enjoy!

GRANDMA'S HARVARD BEETS

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, vinegar and water. Bring to a boil, and cook for 5 minute. Add the beets to the liquid, and simmer for 30 minutes over low heat. Stir in butter, salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Serve warm or chilled.

HARVARD BEET CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Blend oil, eggs and sugar. Beat well or stir well
• 2. Sift dry ingredients: flour,salt, baking soda, cinnamon. Add to 1st mixture. Then add rest of ingredients. Stir well.
• 3. Grease & flour 9 x 13 inch pan. I use parchment paper. Bake 350 degrees 45 to 50 minutes. Cool and frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.
• 4. Cream Cheese frosting: 3/4 cup or 6 oz. cream cheese 3/4 cup butter, softened 1 tsp vanilla 2 cups powdered sugar. Beat all together and spread on cooled cake.

HARVARD BEETS

Steps:

• Drain the beet liquid into a medium saucepan. To the liquid add vinegar, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; stir in beets and cook until heated through.

HARVARD BEET SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-cup tube or Bundt pan very well. Set aside. Puree beets in blender or food processor until smooth: set aside. Cream butter in bowl of an electric standing mixer. Add sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at time. In separate bowl, mix remaining dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients, alternately with beets to butter mixture, mixing well after each addition. Fold in walnuts. Turn batter into prepared pan; shake to level batter.
• 2. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cake tests done. Cool on rack for 30 minutes before removing from pan. Sift confectioners' sugar over top of cooled cake, if desired.

HARVARD BEETS

Steps:

• Using a medium size saucepan combine the sugar, cornstarch, vinegar and beet juice. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Add the sliced beets and continue to cook until beets are heated through. Add the butter, continue until cook until butter is melted. Sat and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.