all time favorite chocolate cake

again, from Jessica Seinfeld!  it is scrumptious!  even better if you refrigerate it up to 3 or 4 days. it just tastes yummier by the day.

Chocolate Cake (with beets)

BATTER

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 c firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/4 c canola oil
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg whites
• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1/2 c beet puree
• 1/2 c lowfat (1%) buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 c all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 1 (8-ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese
• 3/4 c confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a 9" baking pan with cooking spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your mixer, beat the brown sugar with the oil until creamy. Add the whole egg and egg whites. Beat in the melted chocolate, beet puree, buttermilk and vanilla.

3. Add the flour, baking soda, and slat, and beat until smooth.

4. To really beat it, you must jam out to Michael Jackson's "Beat It". There is no other way!

5. Pour the batter into the pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the cake cool 5 minutes or so, in the pan before turning it out onto the rack to cool.

6. Meanwhile, make the frosting. Beat the cream cheese with the confectioners' sugar ("Beat It" should still be playing in the background), cocoa powder, and vanilla until smooth. Slice the cake in half horizontally. Spread the frosting over the top and between the layers of the cooled cake.

7. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

*NOTE - If you are as inpatient as my family is, you will most likely taste the cake before storing it in the fridge. WARNING! You will taste the cocoa, it will be rich and perfect for coffee drinkers, but might be too rich for the kiddies. It tastes a lot better after being refrigerated. Each day it taste better and better.