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