RED VELVET BEET CUPCAKES

MAKES 15 CUPCAKES HANDS-ON TIME 25 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 1½ HOURS

1 large beet

½ cup buttermilk

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp sifted cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 cup granulated sugar

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla

3 eggs liquid or paste red food colouring (optional) Vanilla Icing

2 cups icing sugar

⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened

3 tbsp 1% milk

1 tsp vanilla Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap beet in foil; place on baking sheet. Bake in centre of oven until tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool enough to handle; peel and chop coarsely.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 15 muffin cups with paper liners; set aside. In food processor or blender, purée roasted beet, buttermilk and lemon juice; set aside.

In bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In large bowl, whisk together sugar, oil and vanilla; add eggs, one at a time. Using wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture, alternating with beet purée, making three additions of flour mixture and two additions of beet purée, starting and ending with flour mixture. Stir in a few drops of food colouring (if using). Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

Bake until tester inserted in centre of cupcake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer muffins tins to rack; let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer cupcakes directly to rack; let cool completely.

Vanilla Icing Meanwhile, using electric mixer, beat icing sugar, butter, milk and vanilla until smooth and creamy (if necessary, add a little extra icing sugar or milk for desired consistency). Spread icing over cupcakes.

PER CUPCAKE about 270 cal, 4 g pro, 9 g total fat (3 g sat. fat), 43 g carb (1 g dietary fibre, 30 g sugar), 50 mg chol, 125 mg sodium, 1 mg iron.