Chocolate Beet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

1. To make the beet purée: Preheat your oven to 375ºF.
2. Wash the beets really well. Place the beets in foil paper and add 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil, rub the beets with the oil and then seal the foil so that the beets are well enclosed. Place them on a baking sheet and roast for approximately 45 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the beets, you know they are well cooked when you can easily pierce them with a knife. Remove from the oven, unwrap the beets and let them cool to room temperature before you peel them.

3. Purée the beets in your food processor and measure 3/4 cup of beet purée. Set aside. You will also need to set aside another 3 tablespoons of the purée for the cream cheese frosting. You can make the beet purée ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.

4. To make the cupcakes: Place a rack in the centre of your oven and preheat oven to 350ºF.
5. In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
6. In the bowl of your mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy about 3 minutes on medium speed.
7. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
8. Add the beet purée and the vanilla extract. Beat well and scrape the bowl at least a couple of times.
9. Add half of the flour mixture while beating on low-speed, then add all of the coffee and water. Add the rest of the flour mixture and beat the batter for a couple of minutes on medium speed.
10. Spoon the batter into the paper-lined muffin cups until 3/4 full.
11. Bake until a toothpick inserted in a cupcake comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it, about 18 minutes.
12. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes onto wire racks and let cool completely.

Cream cheese icing:

1. In a small bowl combine the beet purée with the lemon juice and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese with the butter on medium-high speed until smooth.
3. Beat in the vanilla.
4. Strain the beet purée and lemon juice mixture so that you are left with only the coloured liquid. Strain the liquid a second time and then add it to the cream cheese mixture and beat until it’s uniform in colour.
5. Beat in the icing sugar, one cup at a time until the icing is smooth.
6. Fill a piping bag fitted with a large tip of your choice and pipe the icing onto the tops of the cupcakes. Or you can just spread the icing on the cupcakes. If desired you can add sprinkles to the tops.