Secret Chocolate Cake

Be sure to make this cake for your friends and have them take a bite before guessing the secret ingredient!  They will never guess and will be completely surprised by your answer (and the delicious cake).

Secret Chocolate Cake

courtesy of: Simply in Season

2 cups beets, cooked, peeled, and chopped (remove stems and boil beets 1 hour. rinse and remove skin)
1/2 cup plain applesauce
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 eggs

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1 1/2 tsps. vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsps. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1.  Puree beets and applesauce in blender until smooth.  Set aside.

2.  Combine sugar, oil, yogurt, and eggs in a large mixing bowl.  Beat with mixer 2 minutes.

3.  Add, with beet mixture, the cocoa and vanilla to the yogurt mixture and beat another 90 seconds.

4.  Combine the remaining dry ingredients, except the chocolate chips, in a small bowl and slowly add to beet mixture, stirring only until blended.

5.  Pour half of batter into greased bundt pan, sprinkle with chocolate chips, then top with remaining batter.

6.  Bake 40-50 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.