I've never made it because of the large amount of food coloring. I went looking for an alternative: Red Devil's Food Cake Made With Beets 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1 8 1/4 ounce can beets 2 1/4 cups allpurpose flour 1/3 cup cocoa powder 2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened 1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 3 large eggs 2 tsp. vanilla 2/3 cup buttermilk 2 tsp. cider vinegar Frosting: 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar 1 tsp. cream of tartar Pinch of salt 6 large egg whites 1/4 cup cold water 2 tbs. vanilla Preheat oven to 350 ° F. Butter and flour two 9 by 2 inch cake pans. Melt chocolate in double boiler and set aside to cool. Drain beets and puree in a blender or food processor; you should have 1 cup. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate. With mixer on low alternately beat in flour mixture (in fourths) and buttermilk mixed with vinegar (in thirds), beginning and ending with flour. Beat until incorporated. Add pureed beets and mix on medium until blended. Divide the batter between the pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean and top of cake springs back when lightly pressed. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes and invert onto racks to cool completely. Make frosting: In a bowl set over a large saucepan of simmering water beat sugar, cream of tartar, salt, egg whites and water with mixer for 5 to 7 minutes, or until mixture holds stiff peaks. Remove bowl from pan and beat icing for 3 minutes more. Beat in vanilla. To assemble cake: On serving plate spread one cake layer with a third of frosting and top with second layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides. Yield: 9 inch Layer Cake, 8 to 10 servings _________________________________________________________ Unique Red Velvet Cake Beet juice is the secret ingredient that substitutes for red food color in this traditional Southern specialty cake. Some people prefer a boiled white frosting, but I cannot imagine this cake without cream cheese frosting. Make this cake when you want to dazzle people -- or when you want superb taste. This is the kind of cake to take to a party. CAKE 4-1/2 C cake flour, sifted 1-1/2 t salt 4 T Cocoa 4 oz. beet juice (drain from one 15 oz. can of beets - add water to make 4 oz., if needed) 1 C vegetable shortening 2-3/4 C sugar 4 large eggs 2 C buttermilk 1-1/2 T vanilla extract 2 T white vinegar 2 t baking soda Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Remember to use glass and metal utensils to avoid beet-juice stains. Add salt and cocoa to sifted flour and sift again. With mixer on medium, cream together vegetable shortening and sugar for at least five minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating at least one minute after each addition. Add beet juice and vanilla to buttermilk. Alternate adding these liquids and the flour-salt-cocoa mixture to the shortening/sugar. Use a spatula or put your mixer on low -- don't overbeat. Put white vinegar in a small bowl and add baking SODA (not powder). It will foam up briefly. Fold into the cake batter -- DO NOT BEAT. Batter should be somewhat thick, but add water, if needed, to make a pourable batter. Pour batter into prepared cake tins and bake for approximately 30 minutes in a 350 oven. Allow layers to cool for 10 minutes before removing from cake tins. Cool cake completely before frosting. Cut each layer in half to create a four-layer cake. CREAM CHEESE FROSTING 2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened (Neufchatel tastes great, too, and has less fat -- as if that mattered given the rest of the recipe) 2 sticks butter or margarine 2 T vanilla 4 C powdered sugar water or milk to thin, if needed

How hard do you want to work? We went to a fundraiser that involved a chocolate contest...everyone got to sample and vote. I'm sure this is the cake that won, although I don't know if the lady who won would admit it was this easy. (Next year I'm taking my chocolate mascarpone tart). The zucchini cake is a great traveler...moist and not-too-sweet. * Exported from MasterCook * Chocolate Cherry Cake With Variations Recipe By : Katie Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 package chocolate cake mix -- * see note 1 can cherry pie filling -- * see note 1 teaspoon vanilla extract -- or almond extract 2 eggs 1 cup sugar 5 tablespoons butter 1/3 cup milk 1 cup chocolate chips -- * see note Beat together cake mix, pie filling, flavoring and eggs with electric mixer until very well mixed. Pour into a greased 13"x9" pan and bake @ 350° for 25-30 minutes. Touch lightly in center to test for doneness. Frost when partially cooled. For frosting: Boil together for one minute the sugar, butter, and milk. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour over partially cooled cake. Source: adapted from Seasoned With Love - Priest Lake Community Cookbook - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : You can use any cake mix and pie filling combination that sounds good...white cake and any fruit pie filling, spice cake and apple pie filling, lemon cake and lemon filling, etc. You can also use white chocolate chips in the frosting. Wait until the sugar mixture is almost cool before stirring in chips. White chocolate will seize very easily. * Exported from MasterCook * Christie's Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe By : Katie Serving Size : 16 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1/2 c soft butter 1 c oil 1 3/4 c sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 c sour milk or buttermilk OR use 1/2 c milk = 1/2 tsp. lemon juice 5 tbsp cocoa 2 1/2 c flour 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp salt 2 c finely grated zucchini 1/2 c chopped nuts 1/2 c chocolate chips Blend all together (except nuts and chocolate chips)and pour into two 9" square (or one 13 x 9) ungreased pan. Sprinkle with 1/2 c. chopped nuts and 1/2 c. chocolate chips. Bake 40-45 minutes at 325F. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTES : Good served warm. Freezes well.

How about one with chocolate chips mixed with a cinnamon and sugar mixture? We're out of town now, but a friend makes a great bundt cake with that mixture marbled throughout. I'm sure you could do it with a yellow cake mix the requisite 4 eggs and oil and the instant pudding mixed in the batter. Put 1/2 of the batter in the pan, add the cinnamon, chocolate & sugar mixture and pour the remainder of the batter on top. Bake for 50 min until a knife or a probe comes out clean when inserted in the cake. I think you at least grease the pan, probably safe to grease and flour it. Sorry it's the best that I can do from memory! I'll be back in a couple of days.

Is your oven temperature uneven (hot spots?)or not the right temp? Test the cake with a tester or toothpick near the center 5-10 minutes earlier than a recipe calls for. It should come out clean without crumbs sticking to it. You can use a regular chocolate frosting with this if you prefer as I do: DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE W/WHITE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING 2 cups flour 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 4 squares (4 oz) unsweetened chocolate 1/2 lb unsalted butter, softened 1 3/4 cups sugar 4 eggs 1 1/3 cups buttermilk 1 tsp vanilla Preheat oven to 325° with the shelf positioned in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Line two 9" lightly greased & floured cake pans w/circles of parchment. (You can dust the pans w/cocoa instead if you like.) Whisk together the flour, salt, nutmeg & baking soda & set aside. Melt the choclate in the top of a double boiler over hot, not boiling water. Remove the chocolate from the heat & stir until smooth. Let cool. Cream the butter & sugar until light & fluffy, stopping the mixer to scrape the bowl & beaters several times. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Add the flour mixture & buttermilk alternated to the batter, beginning & ending w/the flour mixture & mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla & cooled chocolate, blending just until the color is even. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Smooth the batter level, then spread it slightly from the center toward the edges of the pan so that the cake will rise evenly. Bake 35-45 minutes or until the top is lightly springy to the touch & a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the layers from the pan & cool completely on wire racks. Prepare the frosting. Center 1 of the cake layers on a serving plate & cover w/frosting. Place the 2nd later on top & frost the top & sides of the cake w/the remaining frosting. (Put the top of the layers upside down on the platter so the bottom is on top in case the cake "domes" a bit. You'll have a nice flat surface that way.)~~ WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM 6 TBL heavy cream 4 oz white chocolate, chopped fine 1/4 cup creme de cacao 1/2 lb unsalted butter, softened 1 lb confectioners' sugar (4 cups) Cream the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour the hot cream over the chopped white chocolate & stir until completely smooth. Stir creme de cacao into the white chocolate into the white chocolate mixture. Col, stirring occasionally. Cream the butter in a large bowl. Add the confectioners' sugar & beat 5 minutes until light & fluffy. Add the white chocolate mixture to the butter mixture gradually, beating at low speed until the desired ocnsistency is reached. Decorate with dark chocolate shavings.~~Save the Brandywine Valley