The. Bar. Is. Over. I don’t care if I don’t pass; I never, EVER want to take that thing again. That’s all.
On a bright note, everything after taking the bar exam seems relatively easier. I was delayed at Laguardia for 9 hours on Sunday before flying to Michigan. But I relaxed in that tiny, little Delta terminal as if it were Bora Bora, with not a care in the world (um, OK…I may be exaggerating a bit here. I did start to get a little cranky around hour 5). If it doesn’t involve sitting on a hard chair for 7 hours spewing out what’s remembered of the 165,000 laws once crammed through your brain, I’m a happy camper — even if that means a happy camper camping out at an airport filled with unhappy campers and crappy airport food.
But the best part of being done is that I can finally cook again!!!!! Toward the last hour of the exam, ideas started swirling in my head of all the different recipes I wanted to try. Raw oatmeal cookies. Baba Ganoush. Dandelion Pesto. Focus Beth, you still have 15 questions to go! That’s how much I’d been missing my tiny, little New York kitchen. My version of a therapists’ couch.
Now that I’m back living with my parents for a few weeks before the wedding (to start, rather than finish, my involvement in the planning process) my options are limited to what they have in the fridge, since I don’t have a car here. Two beautiful, cooked beets later, I came up with this moist, delicious and rather healthy cake. So no, I haven’t gotten to the raw oatmeal cookies or the Dandelion pesto (I did make a really nice eggplant dip last night that I’d love to post soon), but I was pleasantly surprised with this yummy cake.
I tried to make this one as low in fat as possible. But I figured a little coconut oil never hurt anyone. This one’s also sweetened only with stevia. It’s actually on the not-so-sweet side, almost like a muffin sweetness-wise but with the texture of a fudgy chocolate cake. For those with sweeter sweet tooths, please feel free to add a few (maybe about 5) more drops of stevia. On that note, I’m adamant about using NuNaturals Vanilla Stevia. It has a wonderful flavor and never gives off that dreaded, bitter taste. You could certainly make a nice frosting for this one, but I think it’s perfect with a scoop of Purely Decadent Vanilla Ice Cream. Pure Heaven — and that’s not just my post-bar bliss talking.
Chocolate Beet Cake:
2 medium-sized beets, boiled and peeled, chopped
1/2 cup water
1 cup applesauce
1/2 cup light coconut milk (shaken)
1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified
1 teaspoon plus 5 drops NuNaturals liquid vanilla stevia (plus another 5-10 drops for a sweeter cake)
1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Garbanzo-Fava Bean Flour
1/2 cup potato starch (not flour!)
1/2 cup good quality cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. In a blender or food processor, puree beets with water until smooth, like the texture of a really thin applesauce. Measure out 1 cup of the beet mixture and add to a mixing bowl. Whisk in the applesauce, coconut milk, coconut oil and liquid stevia. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining (dry) ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until everything is just incorporated.
4. Grease a 9 x 1 1/2″ round cake pan with a little coconut oil. Pour in batter and spread until smooth on top. Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for about 15 minutes before slicing.
I have to fly today and I’m dreading it. I’ll be dreaming about getting home and making this yummy sounding cake though and digging in to a pint of Purely Decadent vanilla bean coconut milk ice cream. Thank you for giving me something delicious to focus on today as I crammed between two large people on an overbooked flight for four hours.
Congrats on being completing your bar exam! I love your cake idea, I have always wanted to try baking something with beets in it.
How wonderfully creative! You inspire me to keep trying new wheat-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, egg-free treats. I can’t wait to make it.
Congratulations on finishing your exam! That looks like a wonderful reward and quite creative with a limited cupboard of food!
I can’t wait to try this. I do use eggs usually (farm fresh from my mother-in-law). Is there something I could leave out and replace with eggs, or is this recipe really tastier as is? I love how you offer sugar free, gluten free, and dairy free. It’s really hard to find recipes. I’m excited about the beats too. I can’t remember the last time I ate one, but I love them, unlike most of my family.
Sarah — I think it’s tasty as is, but I think the applesauce could be swapped out for eggs. I heard somewhere that it’s something like 1/4 cup applesauce to 1 egg, which would mean 4 eggs…does that sound right??
I love beets, too!! I think everyone has a love/hate with those. I am far into the love category : )
Beth
Just came across your blog and so glad we did!! Love it and love this cake. You bake the same way we do
Looks great!!!!
Hi Twins — I’m so glad you did, too! I love your site! Was especially excited about the Barcelona posts considering I’ll be there in less than a month for the honeymoon!!
Wow yum! Boy, how busy you are! The Bar, wedding, it never stops!
Hey there! Hope all is well. I am so glad you posted this. I have been curious about blending beat into a cake with chocolate. Wondered if you’d get a red velvet? Enjoy the rest of your summer!
I mean “beet”, not “beat” : )
Hey Beth,
Sorry I’m late at getting around to letting you know this, but I added this to my favorite top ten recipes from last week.
I love anything with beets!
~Aubree Cherie
I can’t find any bean flour. What can I use as a replacement? Coconut? Gram flour? Thanks!
Hi Zoe — Sorry for the late response! I have been a little proccupied with the wedding and then the honeymoon, so please forgive!!! For future reference, I would say definitely not coconut flour as a substitute (it can be very tricky to work with). Perhaps Gram flour would work, though. Also, you could try this recipe with regular garbanzo bean flour if you can find that!
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