Beetroot and chocolate cupcakes...

Chocolate cupcakes, I know I might not be very inventive here, but... how about chocolate cupcakes with an addition of beetroot? I promise you won't even know it's there! And how about sneaking that one of "five a day" to your children? Or maybe even yourself?

If I haven't baked those myself, I wouldn't have a faintest idea that there's anything unusual/different about them, that in fact, that there's a beetroot in my cake at all! The result is fantastic - moist, but not stodgy, slightly sweet, but not over chocolaty cupcake, with a nice crumb.

I hear you - "I don't want to cook and peel beetroots, it's a messy, messy job!". Yes, it is, but I'm not asking you to do all that. How about buying those funny looking, vacuum packs of pre-cooked, already peeled beetroots? I don't know, if that's the case in other countries (I presume it is), but in Ireland those are one of the cheapest vegetables you can buy. Half a kilo of beetroots already prepped for you! All you have to do is grate them, or even better - blitz, if you have means of doing so.

Those chocolate cupcakes are perfect not only for Halloween, but seeing as beetroot is that bloody red in colour and it's an Autumn veg, I believe it's a perfect match for that spooky holiday 🎃 Some cheap cupcake cases and few ghost cake decorations from Dollar store and you have yourself a brilliant idea for a Halloween party! But... it's so easy to make any other decoration on top, or simply sprinkle it with some icing sugar and it's the perfect afternoon treat for any day of the year.

How to make it...
Ingredients:
- 200 g self raising flour
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 180 g caster sugar
- 300 g cooked and peeled
- 3 flax eggs (3 tablespoons ground flax seeds plus 9 tablespoons water, whisked well together until thick and frothy)
- 150 ml sunflower oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Topping:
- 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate
- 1 tablespoon oat or soya milk
- 1/4 cup vegan white chocolate

Method: 

- Preheat the oven to 190 C and line 2 x 12-hole muffin tins with muffin cases.
- In a bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and the caster sugar.
- Using a food processor with the blade attachment, purée the beetroot until liquid and smooth, or you can grate it on the finest grater you have (which I have done myself using a microplane). 

- Transfer the beetroot to a stand mixer, or into a big bowl to use hand held electric whisk, add the flax egg mixture and mix well together.

- With the motor still running on the mixer, gradually pour in the oil and vanilla essence, mixing until fully combined. 

- Gradually start adding all the dry ingredients, mixing until all are well combined and the batter is smooth, around 5 minutes.
- Divide the batter between the muffin cases, filling each one up to two-thirds full. The recipe will make about 12-16 cupcakes. 

- Place in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the cupcakes are well risen and bounce back when you press them lightly. 

- Leave the cupcakes in the tins for a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely while you make the topping.
- Take a small microwave proof bowl and put your chocolate and milk in it.

- Place in the microwave and heat for 30 seconds. 

- Take out, stir well to make sure that all the chocolate is melted. If not put back in the microwave for another 15-30 seconds. 

- Pour about a teaspoon of melted chocolate mix on each cupcakes, enough to cover the top completely.
- Take another microwave safe bowl and in a similar way, melt the white chocolate. 

- Make a little cone out of a baking parchment (this will be your piping bag) and pipe circles on top of each cupcake. 

- Using a tooth pick/skewer, drag delicate lines starting from the centre, going out, to create a spider web effect.

✅ Decorate your cupcakes with chocolate only after they've completely cooled!


Smacznego!


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