So around Christmas time I made red velvet cake balls and I was mortified by the amount of red food coloring that went into my cake batter just to make it red. We have all been hearing about how unhealthy red dye #40 is, how food coloring can be toxic and the links to various health issue due to food dyes.



The big concern is the connection between behavioral issues in children and red food coloring and well seriously let's be honest, my kids, just by the very fact that they will be my kids, will have enough hyperactivity, ADHD, behavioral issues, borderline little monster disorder, strong willed personality and precocious behaviors in and of itself. So I am trying to limit the amount of food coloring I use just to try and help the future of this planet so they don't have to deal with my future ancestry under the influence of red food coloring #40. You may think I am joking, but I am dead serious...I promise you that if I have children they will be entertaining to say the least because karma is well...karma is just a bitch...and my Mom knows I have it coming to me.

And I am not going to go so far as to say I won't use food coloring again because well that just would be a lie. However, I have been on a crazy beet kick lately and when I saw this recipe for red velvet cupcakes that were colored by beet puree I was all over that. Seriously how can you go wrong with "healthy cupcakes" right?

Since discovering this recipe and feeling all original, innovative and healthy, I have since learned that the original red velvet actually was colored with beet juice or beet puree. So come to find out our ancestors were actually pretty ahead of their time with their no additives, artificial coloring gig, ay.

Anyway I digress....this recipe was actually way easier than expected. Sure it does take more time to make, as it requires the roasting of beets for about 90 minutes and pureeing the beets, which is a little more time consuming than dumping in a giant bottle of red food coloring. However, I was impressed with the fact that the beets did not influence the flavor of the cupcakes at all. They did not create an earthy after taste and they did not detract from the "cupcakeness" of the cupcake in any way, shape or form.

The color was pretty close to being spot on. I did feel that my cupcakes were slightly more on the purple side, but considering the fact that beets are a little on the purple hue of red I was happy with the result.

Unfortunately I was dismayed with the texture of the cupcakes and I do not know if that was due to the recipe I chose or if the beets played a role in just drying my cupcakes out. The recipe I used did call for 2/3 cup of oil so I thought that was enough fat to make the cupcakes moist, but I cooked them for less time than the recipe and they still came out a little on the dry side for me. So all and all I will be honest and say that I will not make this particular red velvet beet cupcake recipe again, however I am still open to future beet puree cupcake experimentation.

So roast the beets in foil for 60-90 min in a 350 degree oven. Let the beets cool and then peel and puree in a food processor.

Mix all of the dry ingredients-cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

Whisk the wet ingredients together-sugar, oil, eggs, beet puree and vanilla. Add the the dry ingredients.


Place the mixture in cupcake pans and bake 25-30 min and cool.

The frosting is 1 cup butter, powdered sugar, orange zest or orange oil and vanilla.


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
ORANGE BUTTERCREAM
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
Preparation

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 puree in a food processor. Measure 1 1/4 cups puree.
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 puree, 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.
Make ahead: Up to 1 day, chilled.


I also have to say that I loved this recipe for the buttercream. It is just butter, powdered sugar and orange zest or orange oil. I couldn't find orange oil unless I ordered it on-line so I used orange zest and I loved the texture, the hint of orange flavor and the sweetness of the powdered sugar. This part of the recipe is definitely a keeper.