Velvety Beet Cupcakes With Raspberry Icing Food

VELVETY BEET CUPCAKES WITH RASPBERRY ICING

Steps:

• Measure out raspberries and leave on counter. Preheat oven to 350°F Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper cups or spray with oil.
• Stir flour with cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Puree beets in a blender or food processor. Beat sugar with oil in a medium-sized bowl, using an electric mixer, until combined, 2 minute Beat in egg, then beets and vanilla. Gradually beat in one-third of flour mixture just until blended, then half of buttermilk. Repeat additions, ending with flour mixture. Divide batter among muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full.
• Bake in centre of oven until a cake tester inserted in cupcakes comes out clean, 20 to 25 minute Cool in pan on a rack for 15 min, then remove cakes to a rack to cool completely before icing.
• PUSH raspberries through a sieve into a bowl, using the bottom of a ladle. Discard seeds. Stir in cream cheese and icing sugar until evenly mixed. Spread over cooled cupcakes.

RED VELVET CUPCAKES WITH FLUFFY MERINGUE ICING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the muffin tin with pink or white cupcake liners
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder and salt.
• In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Occasionally turn off mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Reduce the speed to low, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix until incorporated after each addition. Add the food coloring and vanilla and mix well.
• With the mixer on low, alternately add the flour mixture and sour cream in 3 additions, beginning and ending with the flour, waiting until each addition is well incorporated before adding the next. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and soda, and once fizzing has stopped, add to the batter and mix well.
• Divide the batter evenly in the tin, filling each liner about 3/4 full. Bake until cupcakes are set and spring back when touched, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For meringue icing: Bring a few inches of water to a gentle simmer in a saucepan large enough to hold a standing mixer bowl above the water. Whisk the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt together in the bowl until combined. Set the bowl over the simmering water and whisk constantly until sugar is completely dissolved and mixture is smooth and hot to the touch, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until meringue is cool and holds a soft peak, 4 to 5 minutes. With the speed on low, add the vanilla and almond extracts; increase speed to medium and continue whisking until mixture is glossy and holds a stiff peak, 1 to 2 minutes more.
• To decorate: Using a spoon or offset spatula, spread about 1/2 cup meringue over each cupcake and sprinkle with nonpareils. Cupcakes are best served the day they are made.
• Cook's Note: If you're unable to find gel food coloring, add drops of liquid food coloring until the desired shade of red is achieved.

BEET RED VELVET CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350º F and position a rack in the center of the oven. Prepare cupcake pan and line with cupcake liners.
• Add the uncooked beet, buttermilk, lemon juice, and extracts to a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until very smooth.
• Sift the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl. Beat the sugar, and butter together in a large bowl until creamy, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing for 30 seconds after each addition.
• Alternate adding the flour mixture and beet mixture to the bowl, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Divide between the cups and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Cool the cupcakes on a rack for 20 minutes then invert onto the rack to cool completely. Once cupcakes are cool, snip off the tip of the plastic bag and squeeze out icing onto the cupcakes.
• FROSTING.
• 10 ounces of cream cheese (such as Philadelphia), room temperature.
• ¼ cup of pure maple syrup.