While looking through Gorgeous Cakes over the weekend, I found the perfect Fall cake recipe that included one of my favorite root vegetables, beets. I love roasted beets in a salads, so why not experiment with them in baking?
The uncooked batter has a stunning magenta color that's unfortunately lost once baked. However, it turns to a lovely, golden-colored cake with delicious red speckles throughout.
The combination of beets and roasted hazelnuts results in a hearty cake with a delightfully light and airy texture. For extra zip, I added ruby red grapefruit zest to the luscious cream cheese frosting. To see the spectacular color of the batter and start baking your own cupcakes with this vegetable, read more.
Adapted from Gorgeous Cakes by Annie Bell
Ingredients
For the Cake
5 ounces raw beet, peeled and shredded (wear gloves and apron while shredding)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 medium eggs, separated
3 tablespoons 1 percent milk
1 cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
For the Frosting
2 teaspoon beets, shredded
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 cups lowfat cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ruby red grapefruit zest
Directions
- Preheat the oven 350°F. Place the hazelnuts on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. Be sure to check the hazelnuts frequently to ensure they do not burn. Once roasted place nuts on a kitchen towel. Cover the nuts with half of the kitchen towel and gently roll back and forth to remove the skins. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- Beat oil and sugar in large bowl, then beat in egg yolks and milk.
- Fold in beets and hazelnuts. Sift flour and baking powder together and stir into the batter. Add spices.
- Using a clean bowl and beater beat the egg whites until they are stiff and fold them into the batter in three stages.
- Fill cupcake liners and bake for 18-22 minutes or until an inserted knife or skewer comes out clean.
- For the frosting, cream butter, and powdered sugar using a hand mixer. Blend in the cream cheese, vanilla, and grapefruit zest until smooth.
- Place the 2 teaspoons of shredded beets in a cup with 2 teaspoons of boiling water. Let sit for a couple of minutes. The red liquid can be added to the frosting to make pink frosting without the aid of food coloring.
- Frost the cupcakes once cooled completely and enjoy.
Makes 18 cupcakes.
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Oh man those look yummy
1I really dislike the flavor of beets, so I'd be curious to see if the taste was still there after cooking. I love their color, and made the beet and cheddar risotto that was on the site a while ago, which had the color and a slightly earthy flavor, but no heavy beet-y taste.
2I love beets and can't wait to try this!
3I'm not a fan of beets so this wouldn't be at the top of my list to try. They look yummy, though!
4My family likes beets and those look AMAZING!!!! I can't wait to try this recipe!!!!
5I would absolutely love to make these with my Mom! I'm definitely bringing the recipe over the Christmas holidays -- when beets are a tradition in my family!
6i was going to ask the same thing about the flavor - does it really taste like beets or do the eggs and sugar take away some of the beet flavor?
7Beets, I love you
8Hey Everyone,
For everyone that doesn't like that super earthy beet flavor that you can typically taste if they are just roasted, these cupcakes don't really have it. Think of carrot cake, it doesn't really taste like carrots instead it tastes like sugar, butter, nuts and seasoning!
Trust me, if you love or hate beets, you will love these cupcakes! Absolutely delicious!!!!!
Let me know what you think, if you make them!
9I love carrot cake, and I've recently grown to love beets, so I think this is a fabulous idea. If you're gonna eat sweets, might as well get your veggies right?
10i like the way you think nancita.
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