All Natural Red Velvet Cupcakes

This is a natural, no red food dye, red velvet cupcake. I didn’t tell my test subjects (coworkers) that beets were in them and no one knew the wiser 🙂
All Natural Red Velvet Cupcakes
Makes approx. 24 cupcakes
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 package (8 oz) of cream cheese, softened
- 2 1/3 cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of cake flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- Beat Puree (Directions below)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans and place aside.
- In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and cream cheese. Pour in sugar and mix until smooth. Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing well until each is incorporated. Mix in vanilla.
- While ingredients are mixing, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder in a separate bowl. Slowly mix flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of the beet puree mixture, and fold into the cake batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake pan. Tap pans on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
- Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting
Beet Puree
- 2 large beets (3 medium size)(enough for 1 1/2 cups puree)
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place beets in a small baking dish and add a 1/2 cup of water. Cover with foil, and roast until quite tender, about 60-90 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
- Line cupcakes and place aside.
- Peel the beets and cut into large chunks. Place in a food processor with the lemon juice, and pulse until smooth and pureed (super fine). Stir in the vinegar.
Cream cheese frosting
- 2 packages cream cheese (8 oz), at room temperature
- 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 pound (4 cups) confectioner’s (powdered) sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
- Cream Butter and cream cheese together
- Add Powder sugar
- Combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Switch to the whisk attachment, and mix until smooth and slightly fluffy.