Name: Beet-Chocolate Cupcakes
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: Makes 12 cupcakes
Ingredients: 12 ounces (340 grams) beets, trimmed, peeled, and quartered; 2 ounces (57 grams) 70 percent dark chocolate, chopped; ½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder; ⅓ cup expeller-pressed canola oil; ¾ cup (5¼ ounces/149 grams) sugar; 2 large organic eggs; 3 tablespoons organic 1 percent low-fat milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; ¾ cup (4⅛ ounces/117 grams) whole-wheat flour; 1 recipe Yogurt-Cream Cheese Frosting; 1 recipe Beet "Sprinkles"

Beet-Chocolate Cupcakes

By Afton Cyrus

Published on January 2, 2020

Time

1¼ hours, plus 1¼ hours cooling

Yield

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

12 ounces (340 grams) beets, trimmed, peeled, and quartered2 ounces (57 grams) 70 percent dark chocolate, chopped½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder⅓ cup expeller-pressed canola oil¾ cup (5¼ ounces/149 grams) sugar2 large organic eggs3 tablespoons organic 1 percent low-fat milk1 teaspoon vanilla extract½ teaspoon baking soda½ teaspoon salt¾ cup (4⅛ ounces/117 grams) whole-wheat flour1 recipe Yogurt-Cream Cheese Frosting1 recipe Beet "Sprinkles"

Before You Begin

Do not substitute natural cocoa powder. We prefer the flavor of 70 percent dark chocolate; we tested with higher percentages and found the cupcakes too bitter. These cupcakes are best eaten the day they're made. Once frosted, the cupcakes should be served immediately.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

Working in batches, use food processor fitted with shredding disk to process beets until shredded. Transfer to bowl and microwave, covered, until beets are tender and have released their juices, about 4 minutes, stirring halfway through microwaving. Fit now-empty processor with chopping blade and transfer cooked beets to processor.

Microwave chocolate in separate bowl at 50 percent power, stirring occasionally, until melted, about 2 minutes. Whisk in cocoa and oil until smooth and transfer chocolate mixture to food processor with beets; let cool slightly.

Process beets and chocolate mixture until smooth, about 45 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla, baking soda, and salt and process until sugar is mostly dissolved and mixture is emulsified, about 15 seconds. Add flour and pulse until just incorporated, about 5 pulses; do not overmix.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake cupcakes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes, rotating tin halfway through baking. Let cupcakes cool in muffin tin on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove cupcakes from muffin tin and let cool completely, about 1 hour.

Mound 1 tablespoon frosting in center of each cupcake. Using small icing spatula or butter knife, spread frosting to edge of cupcake, leaving slight mound in center. Top with sprinkles, if desired. Serve immediately.