Sometimes a cake is just a cake. Well, this isn’t just any ordinary cake. Why? For one, it only shows up on special occasions, be it birthdays, anniversaries, or graduations. It made its first appearance (for me, anyway) on my first birthday. As the name of the cake implies, my Mom made it. And it was delicious – I think! I can’t be sure because pictures seem to show that I got more chocolate on me than in me. 

In the years since then, she's been making it for different occasions, and each iteration seemingly better than the last. In a way, each cake is imbued with the joyful memories of celebrations past. It gets better every year!

The cake is deceptively simple. The layers resemble a fairly classic devil’s food cake. It’s moist and chocolatey – not too sweet. The twist? It incorporates beets, which seem to lend it a deeper and more lasting moistness. In between the cake layers, there is a generous spread of apricot preserves. Add on a splash of Kirschwasser and you’ve got a delightfully fruity cake filling. On top and on the sides is a rich and heavenly chocolate ganache. And when spread over the cake, it adds a delicate and velvety burst of intense chocolate flavor. 

Mom's Chocolate Cake

THE CAKE

First things first, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Next, grease the bottom and sides of a cake. Now, here's a nice little trick to getting the cake out of the pan easier. 

Take a sheet of baking paper and lay it flat on the counter. Take your cake pan and put it on top of the baking sheet. 

Trace a line around the pan on the baking paper. Then cut out the baking paper and put it inside your greased cake pan.

Next, dust with flour and shake out the excess. 

Next, melt the chocolate for the cake in a double boiler over hot water - or - in a microwave. Set that aside to cool slightly.

Next, take your can of julienne beets. Now, they used to sell 8 1/4 ounce-cans of beets. But now that size is impossible to find. So you'll need to weigh out the correct quantity of beets from a full-size 16-ounce can.

You can do two things here: (1) Drain the beet juice into a small bowl. Then place the beets onto a cutting board and chop into small pieces. Add the reserved beet juices and set aside. (2) Put the correct quantity of beets into a food processor and give it a whirl. 

Now, prepare your stand mixer. 

Beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until very fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping sides occasionally. 

Fluffy!

Now, reduce the speed to low and beat in the melted chocolate. 

In another bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on low speed, alternate between beating in flour in fourths and buttermilk in thirds into the chocolate mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. 

Mix until incorporated, about 1 minute. Add beets and juice and mix on medium speed until blended, about 1 minute. 

The batter will be thin and you will see pieces of beets. 

Divide the batter equally between the 2 prepared pans. 

Bake in the 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. The top of the cake should spring back lightly when pressed with fingertips. 

Careful not to over bake or the cake will be dry. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. 

Run a spatula around the sides to loosen the cake. 

Then invert onto racks.

THE FROSTING

Heat cream in a medium-size saucepan just until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate and vanilla, stirring until mixture is smooth and chocolate is melted. 

Transfer the mixture to a plastic or glass bowl (metal causes the sides to get too cold and set up too quickly).

Refrigerate, stirring every 10 minutes until mixture is as thick as pudding, at most 50 - 60 minutes. 

At this point, the frosting will begin to set up very quickly. Leave in refrigerator and stir every 5 minutes until frosting is as thick as fudge. 

If the frosting gets too thick to spread, you can save it by zapping it in the microwave to loosen it up. 

THE ASSEMBLY

Place one cake layer top-side down on serving platter. Spread about 2 (or more to taste) teaspoons of Kirschwasser on the top of the bottom layer. 

Then, spread on a thick layer of apricot preserves. I prefer Bonne Maman, because it has good sized and recognizable pieces of fruit. But use whatever brand you prefer. 

Top with the second layer of cake.

Spread frosting over top and sides. Start at the top, applying an even layer. Then spread along the sides. Continue to spread the frosting evenly throughout. 

Once frosted, let stand at room temperature for frosting to set. 

The frosted cake may be held at room temperature, uncovered, overnight, or refrigerated up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before serving. 

Dig in! I'm sure you'll have a blast!

INGREDIENTS (CAKE)

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 can (8 1/4 ounces) julienne beets 

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/2 cups firmly packed golden brown sugar 

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

INGREDIENTS (GANACHE)

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 pound semisweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

BAKING PAN

Two 9 x 1 1/2-inch or 9 x 2-inch round layer-cake pans. 

CHOCOLATE NOTES

It's important to use good chocolate. It's the star of the show, and you don't want a B-list celebrity. In terms of availability and price, Scharffen Berger is quite nice. Trader Joe's also distributes a very good semi-sweet baking chocolate.