Chocolate Beet Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Thanks to FarmShare staffer, Sarah Humm, for baking up an intriguingly delicious batch of Chocolate Beet Cupcakes for FarmShare delivery day last week. Now that you've tasted how yummy they are, you can bake up a batch of your own with fresh locally grown beets from Blissful Acres included in this week's FarmShare.
Chocolate Beet Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes or 24 mini cupcakes.
2 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup cake flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup raw cane sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup beet purée (about 4 small)
Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake papers. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place the chopped chocolate and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a microwavable bowl and microwave on low, at 30 second intervals, until ingredients are melted. Stir often during the melting process. Stir until smooth and set aside to cool slightly.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat remaining butter and sugar together until well combined. Scrape down the sides often. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in beet purée, followed by melted chocolate mixture.
Remove paddle attachment, and using a sturdy spatula, fold in flour mixture by hand. Do not over mix.
Using a lever ice cream scoop to make the job easier and mess-free, divide cupcake batter among muffin cups.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in tins for a few minutes, then cool cupcakes completely on a wire rack.
Use a spatula or piping bag to frost cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below).
Beet Puree:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Tightly wrap beets in heavy aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet and bake until beets are slightly soft to the touch, about an hour. Remove from oven, open packages and cool beets slightly, then trim ends and rub skins off. Slice into quarters. Beets can now be refrigerated for up to two days or until ready to use. Peel and roughly chop beets. Transfer to a food processor and whiz until finely chopped, but not totally smooth. It’s better to still have some texture. Beet purée is now ready to use.
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:
This rich frosting is the decadent touch that really puts these cupcakes over the top. If you don’t have maple syrup, a half a cup of powdered sugar and a few drops of milk will work as well.
1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp, plus 1 tsp pure maple syrup
pinch of salt
With an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add maple syrup and a pinch of salt and beat again until smooth.
Frost cupcakes as desired. Makes enough for twelve cupcakes.
Chocolate Beet Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes or 24 mini cupcakes.
2 oz dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup cake flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup raw cane sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup beet purée (about 4 small)
Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake papers. Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place the chopped chocolate and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a microwavable bowl and microwave on low, at 30 second intervals, until ingredients are melted. Stir often during the melting process. Stir until smooth and set aside to cool slightly.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat remaining butter and sugar together until well combined. Scrape down the sides often. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in beet purée, followed by melted chocolate mixture.
Remove paddle attachment, and using a sturdy spatula, fold in flour mixture by hand. Do not over mix.
Using a lever ice cream scoop to make the job easier and mess-free, divide cupcake batter among muffin cups.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in tins for a few minutes, then cool cupcakes completely on a wire rack.
Use a spatula or piping bag to frost cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe below).
Beet Puree:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Tightly wrap beets in heavy aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet and bake until beets are slightly soft to the touch, about an hour. Remove from oven, open packages and cool beets slightly, then trim ends and rub skins off. Slice into quarters. Beets can now be refrigerated for up to two days or until ready to use. Peel and roughly chop beets. Transfer to a food processor and whiz until finely chopped, but not totally smooth. It’s better to still have some texture. Beet purée is now ready to use.
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:
This rich frosting is the decadent touch that really puts these cupcakes over the top. If you don’t have maple syrup, a half a cup of powdered sugar and a few drops of milk will work as well.
1/2 cup cream cheese, room temperature
2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp, plus 1 tsp pure maple syrup
pinch of salt
With an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add maple syrup and a pinch of salt and beat again until smooth.
Frost cupcakes as desired. Makes enough for twelve cupcakes.