Shredded beets bring a stunning color and flavor to this moist tender beet cake. The beets caramelize in the baking process bringing a rich sweetness to the cake. A sweet tart lemon cream cheese frosting is the perfect complement to the vibrant beets. Lemon juice preserves the natural purple red color of the beets and adds a bright note to the cake. Once the beets are shredded, it’s a simple stir-together cake that doesn’t require a lot of fuss.
I made this cake for my mom for her birthday. Mom loves beets. When I was little, mom used to grow beets and pickle them. She hasn’t done that for so many years, but I still remember. When she saw the beet cake, she exclaimed, “oh I LOVE beets!”
My sister initially thought a beet cake didn’t sound good, but once she saw it, she changed her mind. My nephew even had seconds!
I found this recipe from Del’s Cooking Twist. Her beet cake turned out a bright red color, like red velvet (without the chocolate). Mine is a pretty orangey sunset pink with specks of bright red. Like a confetti cake. It’s so pretty!
Instead of the vanilla frosting, I decided this cake needed a lemon cream cheese frosting to complement the lemon in the cake. It’s just delightful.
Adapted slightly from Del’s Cooking Twist
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Beautiful Beet Cake
- Yield: 16 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 1/2 cups (225 g) shredded beets
- 1 – 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 3/4 cups avocado oil (or other neutral flavored oil)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (or muscavado sugar)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking power
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the frosting:
- 4 oz. light cream cheese (Neufchatel)
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a 9x9x2 inch pan with parchment paper.
- Peel the beets, then shred them finely with a box grater, putting the shredded beets in a bowl and tossing them with lemon juice. Let sit for 5 minutes or so, then wrap the beets in a paper towel and squeeze gently to remove excess moisture.
- Mix the oil with the sugars, then add the vanilla and eggs and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle the dry ingredients on top, then stir until everything is fully mixed. Pour the batter into the pan, then bake at 350 F. for about 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.
- Cream together the cream cheese and butter, then stir in the lemon zest and powdered sugar. When the cake is completely cool, frost the cake. Refrigerating the cake and using room temp frosting will make spreading the frosting much easier. Cut and enjoy!
Notes
RECIPE SOURCE: Sumptuous Spoonfuls – https://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/ … © Copyright 2026, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. This recipe was made by a REAL person with REAL ingredients. The photos are real photos taken by me personally. There is nothing AI here. This is real food made by real people for real people. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece of cake
- Calories: 220
Nutrition facts are an estimate based on ingredients for 16 servings per cake. Your results may vary.
