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chocolate velvet cheesecake swirl cake with fudgy buttercream
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Beets offer color and a soft, fudgy texture to a rich cake rippled with strawberry cheesecake spirals and topped with plenty of chocolate-hinted buttercream.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 12 slices

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, soft
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 1/4 cups beet puree
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 6 oz cream cheese, soft
  • 2 tbsp strawberry puree
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar

fudgy buttercream

  • 4 oz cream cheese, soft
  • 8 tbsp butter (1 stick), soft
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 2 tbsp full fat coconut milk or heavy cream

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x9 inch cake pan with parchment with some paper overlapping the borders.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer/whisk, whip sugar and coconut oil until combined. Beat in 2 of the eggs one at a time, then vanilla, milk, and beet puree. The beets will look like they're separating from the rest of the liquid - this is normal!
  • In a separate bowl, baking soda, baking powder, flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Blend into wet ingredients until no streaks of flour remain, but take care not to overmix.
  • For the cheesecake filling, whirl cream cheese, strawberry puree, powdered sugar, and the final egg until smooth. You may need a bit more strawberry puree if you'd like a stronger berry flavor or if the mix seems too thick.
  • Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Dollop cheesecake filling overtop and swirl with a rubber spatula. Bake 35-40 minutes until center is set and a toothpick inserted into the center removes clean. Cool cake for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack for 30 minutes or more until fully cooled.
  • When the cake is ready, prepare the buttercream. Whip cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and coconut milk until smooth and creamy. Pour onto the center of the cake with a spatula or frosting knife and spread evenly across the top. You may not need all of it - I reserved about 1/3 cup and refrigerated it for future use. Slice into 12 pieces and serve!