Beet Zucchini & Carrot Naked Layer Cake

If you add veggies to cake then that makes it healthy - right? 

If so I have the healthiest cake ever for you.  Its got all these cool vegetables in it: 

beets, carrots AND zucchini

It's pretty much like carrot cake but swap out the carrots and add in either shredded zucchini or beets.  You could add them all into the same layer cake too - but I wanted separate layers.

Why you ask?!! Well since you asked:

1) I wanted to see if you can taste a difference in the veggie layers (you can!)

and 

2) I wanted to have distinct layers and colors when you slice into the cake (because I thought it would look pretty and it does!)

Also I wanted to do one of those minimally frosted naked cakes so you could see some of the layers through the frosting.  I used my new Russian piping tips to add some cream cheese frosting flowers on top.  Nice and simple.

I love these tips!! 

I did another post on them here raving about how easy it is to pipe flowers with them.

I love how the layers came out and that you can see the different veggie layers.  The cake was also so dang tasty.  I made it as a birthday cake for my sister - you know a much more grown up cake now that we're both 40+, I mean 29).  And it's healthy because duh, veggies! 

At least that's what we told ourselves as we ate another slice or 3.  And since its September its a great way to use up all your overflowing zucchini if you grow them - or they are super cheap right now in food stores locally.  

I'm not going to moan about how I can't believe summer is over already since I do that every year but I guess bring on the pumpkin! Actually pumpkin may be another neat layer to add to this cake too!

Beet Zucchini and Carrot Layer Cake

by Michelle Clausen July-24-2016

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups of flour
• 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup shredded beets
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1-2 drops of orange and green food gel (optional to give the carrot and zucchini layers a little more color)
• 2-3 cups cream cheese frosting

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat sugar, oil, and eggs in mixer.
3. Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, vanilla, and salt.
4. Separate equal amounts of batter into 3 separate bowls.
5. Stir in shredded vegetables into each of the bowls and mix until just combined.  Add any extra food color to each bowl (optional).
6. Spray 6 inch baking pans with floured non-stick spray and pour batter into each pan.
7. Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Let cool.
8. Trim layers until they are even and same sized layers.
9. Frost with cream cheese icing.
10. Pipe flowers on top with icing.

Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 60 mins Yield: 1 - 3 layer 6 inch cake