Chocolate Beet Cupcakes

I sort of make it a point to try every chocolate layer cake I can find.

When eating out, when passing bakeries, when at someone's house.  If it's chocolate and layered I am going to try it.  It's become a sort of tradition, and I'm not even sure why.

But anyway, I've had so many cakes that I've started to rank them in my head.  There's the bronze, silver, and gold cake.  The gold cake has stayed gold for some time now, never to be beaten by anything else I've tried.

You know what's so special about it?  It was made with beets!

I had never heard of that before, but as soon as I tasted the cake, I knew it was something I had to replicate at home!

These cupcakes are about as close as I've gotten so far.  They're super chocolate-y and have a light texture just like the #1 cake I tried.  The beets not only help to create the perfect texture, but also add an earthiness that's pairs perfectly with the chocolate flavor.

Whether you're doubtful or not, you've got to try them.

Chocolate Beet Cupcakes

For cake (makes 18 cupcakes):

• 260 g beets, cut into very small pieces or grated
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup date paste
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (make your own by combining 1/2 cup milk with 1 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice or letting it it)
• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp spelt flour
• 1 scant tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot
• 1/3 cup extra dark cocoa powder

For Frosting:

• 2/3 cup 2% greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup date paste
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp egg whites

Preheat oven to 375F.  Combine first 6 ingredients for cake in a food processor and process until smooth.  In a large bowl, mix together remaining ingredients for cake.  Pour wet ingredients from food processor into dry ingredients.  Mix until well combined.  Scoop batter into paper lined or sprayed muffin tins.  Bake in preheated oven for 17-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
While cupcakes are baking, make your frosting.  To do this, mix together the yogurt, date paste, and milk called for in the frosting ingredients in a small bowl.  Slowly stir in the cocoa powder until combined.  Mix in egg whites.  When cupcakes are ready, place a large dollop of the frosting on each one.  Store cupcakes in fridge.

As for the making these cupcakes into a layer cake, I'm still working on that.  Though I think I've got the cake recipe down, I'm still trying to figure out a good frosting recipe.

The one used for these cupcakes is delicious, but not quite as thick and fudgy as I'd like.  Don't worry though, I will recreate that golden cake.

But in the meantime... Why don't you make some cupcakes?

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Single Serving Mocha Cake