Beetroot Velvet Cupcakes

What can I say? That these are a real succes? That the cream cheese frosting is "the cherry on top"? I guess you have to make it yourself to see. :)

After ruining batches of cupcakes, I finally came up with this recipe that uses beetroot in the batter. Yes, heard me right: beetroot. This vegetable and its dark red colour adds moisture to the cupcake base and doesn`t affect the taste, because you have to use only the juice, which I`ll talk about in one minute.

 

See? It is just so pretty that eating one feels like a crime. I them to stay like this forever so I can keep them as a decoration in the kitchen. :) 

Now, back to the beetroot. So what you are actually doing is peel it and cut it in thin pieces (so the colour comes out too) and boil it in half a cup of water for 10 to 15 minutes or until the water is like blood. You discard the pieces and transfer the red water they`ve been boiling in, in a shallow bowl. Keep that bowl in the fridge until it is lukewarm or completely cool. This is your beetroot juice and you are ready to use it.

 

Another thing which adds moisture to the cupcakes is buttermilk. All the velvet cupcakes recipes out there require buttermilk because is also enhances colour. 

So what if you ran out of buttermilk and everything you have on hand is plain milk? You make your own!

Maybe you think I`m mad, but homemade buttermilk works just the same. 

Here`s how you do it:  

1 cup whole milk 

2 and 1/2 Tablespoons white vinegar

Add the vinegar to the milk and let it rest for 5 to 15 minutes. 

Just watch the magic happen: the milk will thicken and will have the same consistency as the store bought one. If you studied chemistry, you know that vinegar is acetic acid combined with water(usually between 3% and 18%). Also, the vinegar contains citric acid which curdles the milk, so don`t worry if your milk looks like that. 

Now...my favourite part: the cream cheese frosting! That smooth, glossy texture is just food porn. I mean, don`t you feel like licking the screen?

 

I`m warning you: these cupcakes are very high in calories because of the high fat content in the cream cheese (70% fat) and the butter (82% fat). So if you are on a diet, you might want to leave this page. :D There are no people who could resist the temptation of gobbling these up.

Ok, I`m done with introductions, so I`ll let you stare at them for a little while.

 

Ingredients:

Cupcake base

1 and 1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 and 1/2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup betroot juice 

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup oil

1 cup sugar

Cream cheese frosting:

50 grams butter at room temperature

110 grams cream cheese 

320 grams powder sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven at 375 degrees F/180 Celsius. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with muffin paper or spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, toss together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda. These are your dry ingredients.

3. In another bowl, beat the eggs and the sugar until pale in colour. Add the vanilla extract, oil, buttermilk and mix. Gently pour the cold beetroot juice and stir once more. These are your wet ingredients.

4. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined. Do NOT overmix or you will have a dense, tough cupcake. Please note this batter is quite runny, but it is all right to be like that.

5. With a spoon or an ice cream scoop, divide your batter into the muffin cups. Each one should be 3/4 full.

6. Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with tiny crumbs on it. Let them rest in the pan for 5 minutes. After such time, take them out and let them cool completely before frosting them. 

For the Cream Cheese frosting: 

 Beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and half of the amount of sugar and beat more with your mixer. Incorporate the rest of the sugar. 

Now have fun decorating!