Chocolate Beet Cupcakes With Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

KTM's Note:

Delish! Got these from a cooking light cookbook and they were quite a hit. I did of course change them to choc. So if you want the original recipe just omit the cocoa powder. Enjoy!

• Total Time: 40 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 24

Yield: 24.0 cupcakes

• 1 lb beet (about 2 med)
• cooking spray
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, substitue for 1 t flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk

Frosting

• 2 teaspoons grated orange rind
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (8 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, chilled
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Peel the beets with a vegetable peeler. Grate beets using lrg holes of grater (use gloves or beets will dye hands).
3. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray.
4. Combine sugars, oil, and eggs in lrg bowl, beat at med speed until well blended. Add beets and beat well.
5. In seperate lrg bowl add flour, and other dry ingredients and whisk together until mixed.
6. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with milk. Beginning and ending with flour mixture.
7. Pour batter into cupcake tins and tap on counter to remove air bubbles.
8. Bake at 350 for 20-30 min or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 mins on wire racks, remove from pans and cool completely.
9. Frosting:.
10. Beat rind, vanilla, and cream cheese with mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat at low speed until blended. (don not overbeat).
11. Frost cupcakes and sprinkle with walnuts if using.
12. Store in refrigerator.

Reviews

[Chef on the coast]

I doubled the recipe to use a 15 oz can of beets from the store. I pureed them and added to the batter. DH hates beets. He didn't even know they were in the cake! Neither do the kids. I did change the frosting to the icing from Lemon Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Icing - just omitting the lemon juice and subbing vanilla and milk instead. These will be made again.