Healthy Chocolate Cupcakes

 (with Beetroot and Cranberry)

This is a super delicious and indulgent tasting chocolate cup cake recipe but surprise, surprise....

       it’s actually quite healthy!! 

The inclusion of beetroot puree ensures an especially moist crumb to these cup cakes and the addition of cranberries gives an extra fruity note.

Beetroot boosts the fibre content, as does the cocoa and cranberries whilst adding antioxidants.  

If you are put off by the 'earthy' taste of beetroot, not to worry as this will be completely masked by the chocolatey cocoa taste!

Makes approximately 18 cakes,

200g self raising flour

250g granulated sugar

100g cocoa powder

75g margarine (room temperature)

250 ml milk

2 eggs (beaten)

250g beetroot (cooked and pureed)

50g dried cranberries

1 teaspoon Vanilla essence

If cooking beetroot from fresh, do not peel as all the colour will leach into the cooking water.  Merely scrub and boil whole, when cooked the skin will peel off very easily and all the beautiful colour will be retained.

Alternatively they can be bought whole and pre-cooked in vacuum packs.......however it is important to note, please do not be tempted to try the pickled variety! I cannot be held accountable for the results if you do.

Start by weighing and mixing all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Put the cranberries to soak in the milk.

Then in a separate bowl combine the beetroot, softened margarine, vanilla essence and the beaten eggs. 

This will no doubt look particularly horrific, never fear....

                  the beetroot was already dead and feels no further pain!

Next, make a well in the centre of the dry mix and pour in all the wet ingredients, including the cranberries and milk, then mix together.

Spoon the mixture into paper or silicone cup cake cases and place on a baking tray.

Depending on the size of the cup-cake cases, this will make somewhere between 12 and 18 cakes. I used standard cases and managed 18 however the larger muffin type will yield fewer and the temperature may need lowering to 160˚C to ensure the centre cooks through.

Otherwise.....

Cook at 180˚C for approximately 20-25 minutes.

Skewer through to the centre to check it is cooked.

Cool on a wire rack, when cool store in an airtight tin 

           (or alternatively lock oneself away and scoff immediately with a large mug of tea!)