Red Velvet Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 0 Minutes Servings: 1 |
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These electric magenta cupcakes get their color not from the usual food coloring but from puréed roasted beets, which also add a subtle flavor. Don't use canned or packaged steamed beets-the cupcakes' color will be drab. Ingredients:
1 pound red beets (3 medium), scrubbed |
2 cups sifted cake flour |
1 teaspoon baking powder |
3/4 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt |
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon |
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. granulated sugar |
3 large eggs, beaten to blend |
2/3 cup canola oil |
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract |
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature |
2 cups powdered sugar |
1/2 teaspoon pure orange oil*, such as boyajian brand, or zest of 1 large orange |
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract |
Directions:
1. Make cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350°. Wrap each beet in foil, put on a rimmed baking sheet, and roast until tender when pierced, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Let cool. Peel, cut into chunks, and purée in a food processor. Measure 1 1/4 cups purée.
2. Line a 12-cup muffin pan (1/2-cup size) with paper liners. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
3. Whisk together beet purée, granulated sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl. With a plastic spatula, stir in flour mixture one-third at a time just until smooth.
4. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each almost to the top of the liner. Bake until cupcakes spring back when gently pressed and a toothpick inserted in center of one comes out with a couple of moist crumbs clinging, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely.
5. Make buttercream: Beat butter with a mixer on high speed until very smooth. Add powdered sugar, orange oil, and vanilla; beat on low speed to blend, then on medium until fluffy and smooth.
6. Spread a thick layer of buttercream on cupcakes, swirling it decoratively. Or pipe frosting from a pastry bag, using a star tip.
7. Make ahead: Up to 1 day, chilled.
8. *Find pure orange oil, an essential oil pressed from orange rind (and different from orange extract),
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