Velvety beet cupcakes with raspberry icing

By á-3243

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup frozen raspberries
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Fry's
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 398-mL can beets, rinsed, drained, patted dry
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup safflower oil
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 250-g block light cream cheese, cubed
• 1/2 cup icing sugar

Details

Servings 12
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 40mins

Preparation

Step 1

Measure out raspberries and leave on counter. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper cups or spray with oil. Stir flour with cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Purée beets in a blender or food processor. Beat sugar with oil in a medium-sized bowl, using an electric mixer, until combined, 2 min. Beat in egg, then beets and vanilla. Gradually beat in one-third of flour mixture just until blended, then half of buttermilk. Repeat additions, ending with flour mixture. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full.
Bake in centre of oven until a cake tester inserted in cupcakes comes out clean, 20 to 25 min. Cool in pan on a rack for 15 min, then remove cakes to a rack to cool completely before icing.
PUSH raspberries through a sieve into a bowl, using the bottom of a ladle. Discard seeds. Stir in cream cheese and icing sugar until evenly mixed. Spread over cooled cupcakes