Beetroot and Chocolate Cupcakes

 Ingredients (makes 36 cupcakes)

180g plain flour

75g good quality cocoa powder (I used Green and Blacks)

2 tsp baking powder

240g caster sugar

260g cooked pealed beetroot 

3 large eggs

170ml sunflower or vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla essence

cupcake cases

roughly 3-5 tbsp icing sugar

20g dark or milk chocolate

water

1. Preheat the oven to 180°c and arrange the cupcake cases in cupcake tins or on a baking tray.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder into a bowl, then add the sugar and set to one side.

3. Purée the beetroot with a blender and then stir in the eggs one at a time. Then pour in the oil and essence. 

4. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and gently add the beetroot mixture whilst stirring.

5. Pour the mixture into the cupcake cases and bake for 15 minutes, until the top is firm when pressed with a finger.

6. Cool on a wire rack while you make the icing.

7. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over a saucepan filled with a little water. Once it has melted, turn off the heat and sift in the icing sugar. Gradually add the water until it becomes a good consistency for icing.

8. I decorated them with an almond flake, but anything goes!