Dark Chocolate Beet Cupcakes with Goat Cheese Cream Cheese Icing
I imagine this is what the original red velvet cake tasted & looked like. Beets & chocolate - who'd've thunk it?
Soft, not crumbly, subtle chocolate, earthy sweetness; topped with tart goat cheese & cream cheese icing. You'll have them begging for the recipe. As seen in the photo, this can also make a delightful small cake to serve for brunch or dinner.
This recipe comes from Marissa Lippert, a nutritionist and cafe owner in NYC. http://nourish-nyc.com/blog/index.php/blog/archive/2011/03
Yes, you really use beets in this recipe! I freeze the batter and icing in batches so I can make small cakes or small batches of cupcakes for myself at home. You can also freeze already-baked & iced cupcakes for more immediate gratification.
When in NYC, go to the West Village and visit Nourish Kitchen & Table to see what other goodies Marissa may be serving up!
INGREDIENTS
• 5 ounces good-quality dark chocolate (64% cacao or higher)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, divided
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups beet puree*
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
goat cheese-hazelnut frosting
• 5 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
• 8 ounces soft goat cheese (1 large log)
• 8 ounces Neufchatel cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons Frangelico liqueur (or substitute 1 teaspoon of almond extract)
*For the beet puree, trim roots and tips of 4 large beets and place in a large pot, cover with water. Simmer for about 40 minutes until tender. Drain water and allow beets to cool. Remove skin by rubbing off with your fingers or a paper towel. Cut beets into quarters, place in a food processor and blend until smooth.
OR purée two cans of sliced beets (no added salt, if possible)
Preparation - Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line mini muffin trays with mini paper liners. Melt dark chocolate and 4 tablespoons butter over a double boiler. Cream remaining butter with sugars in a large bowl with an electric beater or in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Add eggs one by one until well blended. Beat in chocolate, beet puree and vanilla. In a separate mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Stir flour mixture into batter and mix well. Spoon batter into cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 7 minutes and swap the position of trays in oven. Bake another 7 to 9 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool and transfer to a cooling rack.
Frosting - Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat until well-blended. Frost each cupcake using a knife or piping bag and tip for icing.
I'm a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and I help people eat more vegetables through my cooking companion videos. My goal is to make you feel more comfortable cooking, so I show you not only how a recipe works and looks, but I give techniques and suggestions for making it easy on beginner cooks.
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