Chocolate and Beet Cupcakes

Bet you didn't think you'd ever hear those two words together! Yes, chocolate and beets can indeed make a very tasty addition to the cupboard snacks. 
Here's the recipe:
1 1/2 lb fresh trimmed beets (about 2 large)
3 1/2 cups self-rising flour
2 tbsp. dutch process cocoa powder
1 cup superfine sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup buttermilk

Steam the beets for 5- minutes until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. When cool enough to handle, gently peel away the skin with your fingertips. You may need to wear latex gloves to avoid staining your hands purple. Place the peeled beets in a food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, and baking powder. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, oil, and buttermilk. Stir in the beets until well combined. Add the flour mixture, stirring until just combined. 

Spoon the batter in the muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cool for 5 minutes. Then remove the muffins and cool on a rack. 

Makes 2 dozen


Theirs:

Mine:

So I think mine actually turned out pretty well! They're very moist and thick, so if you're a fan of light fluffy cupcakes I suggest you make the vanilla ones below. 

My sister, who is NOT a fan of beets, tasted one of these and said she loved it. When I wouldn't tell her what was in it she took at least half an hour to guess the ingredients. And after she did, she scowled at me and ate another. 

While making these things, I did learn a lot about stamina. I hadn't really looked at the recipe before deciding to make them, and so when I found out I had to steam the beets I was a little overwhelmed. I'd never steamed anything, and I didn't think we had a steamer. So I made a makeshift one on my own and eventually ended up boiling them for twenty minutes. Then came the problems with the mixer. The beets were just not cut up small enough to be mixed properly, so I had to take each piece out of the beet muck and recut it several times. 

The entire process took about two hours, and it completely exhausted me. I can safely say I won't make these again, even if they are delicious!

(brought to you by 500 Cupcakes)