Chocolate and Beetroot Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 90 g unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream (low-fat is fine)
• 60 g dark chocolate, chopped
• 2/3 cup self raising flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa, unsweetened
• 100 g beetroots, grated and cooked

Icing

• 14 g unsalted butter, melted
• 1 2/3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar
• 1 2/3 tablespoons hot water
• 8 hazelnuts (optional)

Directions

1. 1

   Melt the chocolate over a bain marie or on the lowest setting of your microwave and allow it to cool but not to re-set.

2. 2

   Beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer or by hand, until they are well-combined; add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each egg has been added; add the sour cream and cooled melted chocolate and mix to ensure that all the ingredients have been well-combined.

3. 3

   Fold in the flour and cocoa and then add the grated beetroot and mix all the ingredients so that they are well-combined.

4. 4

   Place spoonfuls of the mixture into muffin tin sized patty pans (placed in a muffin tin) and bake at 180°C/350°-375°F/4-5 gas mark for 15 minutes.

5. 5

   Icing: Mix the butter and cocoa together, add the icing sugar and water to combine and mix until the mixture has thickened.

6. 6

   Once the Chocolate and Beetroot Cupcakes have cooled, spread on the icing and place a hazelnut (if using) on top of the icing on each cupcake.