Fall must be on the way, because I’m starting to feel the need to bake.
I don’t bake much anymore. That probably has something to do with the tiny man running around my house. I also don’t eat many baked goods these days, so it kind of works out. But after spending more than 15 years as a full-time cake decorator and baker, I do get the bug every once in a while. And since I have a huge crop of beets that just keeps on coming, what better to pair them with than chocolate, right? I’d like to thank Vegalicious.org for the inspiration for these chocolate beet cupcakes. Check out their original recipe here.
Chocolate Beet Cupcakes with Pom Blueberry Glaze
- Cake:
- 2 cups flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- pinch salt
- 3 eggs (or equivalent egg substitute for 3 eggs)
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- 1½ cups fresh beets, cooked and pureed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Glaze:
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 3-4 Tablespoons PomWonderful Pomegranate Blueberry Juice
- Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners. In a large bowl, sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, eggs/egg substitute and salt. Add the oil, sugar and vanilla; mix well. Add beet mixture; again, mix well.
- Fill cupcake liners until almost full (batter will not expand much.) Bake at 375º for approximately 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes, then remove from pan to wire rack to cool.
- Once cupcakes have cooled, mix Pom juice, one tablespoon at a time, with confectioners sugar, until desired glaze consistency is reached. Spread over tops of each cupcake and allow to set.
- (Makes about 16 cupcakes.)
One great aspect of this recipe is the easy adaptability for the vegan crowd. Just switch out the egg with your favorite egg substitute. Either way will work (I used eggs, but I plan to try the vegan version next time. I usually don’t have eggs in the house.)
I like to keep the mess to a minimum when I bake, so I pureed the beets ahead of time. I boiled a full pot of beets until fork-tender, leaving about 1″ of the stems attached so as not to let many of the nutrients seep out into the boiling water. Once cooked, I plunged them into cold water and the skins just slipped off. That amazes me every time. Then, I just piled them into the food processor and pureed until smooth. (I had extra puree, so I put it in the freezer for easy use next time.)
It’s hard to improve a chocolate cupcake, but the rich beet puree, the sweet glaze, and the blueberry flavor made all the difference. Yeeeeum!
I topped these lovelies off with a few dark, dark chocolate covered cacao nibs to further balance the sweetness of the glaze, and to add a fun crunch.
For those of you who don’t like beets, I promise you won’t even taste them. They add a lovely dark red tint, and lots of texture, but there isn’t even a hint of beet flavor! Of course, as usual, chocolate cupcakes should be enjoyed sparingly, but it never hurts to get an extra serving of veggies in!
Since I certainly don’t need more than one cupcake to myself, I’ll be taking these to the office tomorrow….do you think I should let them in on the secret? 😉
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Have you ever baked with beets? What’s your favorite “hide-the-veggie” recipe?
Our favorite was “chocolate zucchini cake”.
With beets it is “Beet Salad” german style.
Interested?
Sure! I think I’ve had your cake, and I think I remember loving it!
Beet salad sounds right up my alley…
Those sound great. I’m expecting some POM this week too, and can’t wait to use it. I like using zucchini as a secret ingredient, since it has such a mild flavor, but I also just love plain old zucchini muffins or loaf, without keeping it a secret.
Hi Lisa,
I agree…I asked about “hide the veggie” recipes, because those are very popular, but in our house we make no secret of the inclusion of vegetables. I’m not really a fan of keeping them a secret (although at work it’s tempting, just for fun…) I definitely want my son to know that the veggies are what make recipes good, and good for you!
Have fun with your Pom!
That looks fantastic. I love the idea of using the beets to color the cupcakes instead of food coloring. Going natural is always desirable. Great use of the POM too.
Those beets added more color than I expected! WAY better than using red food dye, to which a lot of people are very sensitive. Yay for Mother Nature, huh?
this is FABULOUS! i cant believe how perfect the icing looks, its almost fake looking because its made so beautifully! what a creative way to using beets too, and i bet you wouldnt even notice it was in there! these are dynamite! <3
Thanks, Kelsey! These were fun to make…
This look great! I was just sent some POM samples and I’m definitely going to make these.
Ooh, these look good…I really don’t like beets on their own, and never eat them, but this might be a good way to get them in my system. As for my favorite secret food to hide in other things? Pumpkin puree! It’s almost undetectable in pizza or pasta sauce ;D
Hello,
Can I use the gluten-free flour for this muffin?
Thank you! 🙂