Food and Recipes Desserts Cakes Beet Red Velvet Cupcakes Recipe 4.6 (5) 4 Reviews We use natural food coloring for these cupcakes. By Virginia Willis Virginia Willis Virginia Willis is a Food Network Kitchen chef and James Beard award-winning cookbook author. Her first cookbook, Bon Appetit, Y'all premiered in 2008 and since then, she's developed a stellar reputation for chef-inspired recipes for home cooks. She is has been featured in the NY Times, Washington Post, People Magazine, and USA Today. Fans love her knack for giving classic French dishes a down-home feel and reimagining Southern favorites. Beginning in 2019 she lost 65 pounds and has kept it off for well over a year. In 2022, her health journey was documented in Eating Well magazine as a weight loss success story. Virginia has embraced her new outlook on life and has become a cheerleader for those wanting to make their own life changes, "If a French-trained Southern chef can do it, you can, too!" Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on August 18, 2021 Print Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Victor Protasio Active Time: 25 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 35 mins Yield: 24 cupcakes Red velvet without the dye? You bet! Beets act as a natural food coloring in these moist, tender cupcakes topped with rich cream cheese frosting. Microwaving the beets and adding lemon juice for acidity helps retain their color, making the cupcakes even more red. No one will know there are any vegetables in there, so we won't tell if you don't! Ingredients 10 ounces red beets, well scrubbed 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon) ¾ cup canola oil ¾ cup whole buttermilk 4 large eggs 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 2 ½ cups granulated sugar 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch process) 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon fine sea salt ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened 1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup chopped toasted pecans (optional) Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap beets in parchment paper. Microwave on HIGH until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool beets wrapped in paper until just warm to the touch. Peel beets, and coarsely chop. Process chopped beets and lemon juice in a food processor until finely chopped, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add oil and buttermilk; process until smooth. Add eggs; process until completely combined. Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl; add beet mixture, and whisk just until combined. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with baking liners. Using an ice-cream scoop, a spoon, or a liquid measuring cup, fill liners two- thirds full with batter. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool in pans on wire racks 5 minutes. Remove from pans to racks, and cool completely, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or with a handheld mixer on medium speed until very smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating on low speed until blended and light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Spread frosting on cupcakes using an offset spatula. Or spoon frosting into a ziplock plastic freezer bag; snip 1 corner of bag to make a small hole, and pipe frosting on cupcakes. Sprinkle with pecans, if desired. Print