All Natural Red Velvet Cupcakes
- 2 medium beets (yield 3/4 cup beet puree, directions follow)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature (8 tablespoons)
- 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (not bleached flour)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon natural cocoa powder (not Dutch Process, or dark cocoa powder)
- Roast the beets:
- Preheat oven to 400u0b0F. Fill a small roasting dish with 1/2 inch of water. Place beets in the water, and cover with a piece of parchment paper and a large piece of aluminum foil. Roast for 60-90 minutes, or until the beets are very tender to the point of a knife.
- When beets are cooled completely, peel, and cut into large chunks. Place in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process for 2 minutes, or until extremely smooth. If the beets need a little moisture to help them along, you can add the lemon juice and the vinegar from the recipe, and then just don't add it later.
- Make the batter:
- Preheat oven to 350u0b0F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper cupcake liners. Add vinegar and lemon juice to 3/4 cup beet puree; followed by all other ingredients. Scoop mixture evenly into cupcake liners.
- Bake for 18 minutes, or until the cupcakes in the center spring back up when touched. Remove cupcakes from the pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Frost with cream cheese or frosting of your choice.
beets, lemon juice, rice vinegar, sugar, butter, vanilla, kosher salt, baking powder, flour, eggs, buttermilk, natural cocoa
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/all-natural-red-velvet-cupcakes-498349 (may not work)