- 75g/2¾oz cocoa powder
- 175g/6oz plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 225g/8oz caster sugar
- 3 free-range eggs
- 225g/8oz cooked beetroot (no added vinegar)
- 100ml/3½fl oz Irish stout
- 100ml/3½fl oz corn oil
- 200g/7oz unsalted butter, softened
- 200g/7oz full-fat cream cheese
- 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out.
- 450g/1lb icing sugar
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
- Sift the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and sugar into a bowl.
- Blend the eggs, beetroot, stout and oil in a food processor until smooth.
- Stir the beetroot into the flour mixture until just combined (do not overmix).
- Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases and cook in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the cupcakes have risen and the tops are springy to the touch. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- For the cream cheese icing, beat the butter, cream cheese and vanilla together in a bowl until smooth; then slowly beat in the icing sugar.
- Spread the icing onto the muffins with a knife or spoon the icing into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm/½in star nozzle and pipe the icing onto the muffins.