Gluten Free Dairy Free Chocolate Velvet Cupcakes

I love cupcakes, they are cute and pretty and really fun to make. I was looking online for red velvet cupcakes that use beets, I know this is a weird thing to be looking for but I was watching a show (remember I am a foodnetwork addict...) called "Eat your way thin" where they used beets! I've used zucchini so why not beets? I must tell you that these chocolaty treats are delicious, moist and contain beets!


Ingredients:
3/4 cup beet puree (I'm lazy and got an organic can of whole beets packed in water but if you're feeling up to it you can boil then peel some raw beets and puree them in a blender or "magic bullet")
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup Bob's gluten free bread flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup canola oil (in an effort to make things healthier I use Smart balance omega 3 canola oil)
1/4 cup almond milk
1 teaspoon plain toffuti supreme cream (sour cream substitute)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt (If you are using canned beets that were packed in salt and water DO NOT add salt)
2 eggs, at room temperature (for super moist and fluffy cupcakes this is an important step! Beat the eggs and almond milk together into a froth in your blender or magic bullet!)

Make things easy on yourself and pour from
a container with a pour spout instead
of spooning it in from the batter bowl.

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease or line 12 wells in a cupcake pan. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside. Mix together the oil, Toffuti supreme cream, beet puree, and vinegar first. Then add the frothy milk and eggs to retain the air pockets. Slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Fill the cupcake wells 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick in the center of the center cupcake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack before you ice them.

Traditional Roux frosting

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Almond milk
1/2 cup Dairy free/gluten free margarine (I use Earth balance)
1/2 cup powder sugar
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
1/8 teaspoon fine salt

Directions:


In a small bowl, whisk together the corn starch, salt and almond milk.  Cream together the butter, vanilla paste and sugar. Slowly add the almond milk mixture. Beat until it is creamy and smooth. It will take longer than you'd think. Frost on cooled cupcakes or cake. 

As far as the red dye free red velvet cupcakes go.. I'm working on it, my first attempt came out tasting like carrot cake and lost their vibrant beet red color as they baked.. delicious but not what I was aiming for,  so you will have to stay tuned for this. 


In the mean time if you're not wanting to make a traditional roux frosting then Trader Joes has an excellent frosting base that is delicious and super easy for little helpers to contribute.