>Chocolate Beet Cupcakes: Hands On with Dave Lieberman

December 10, 2009

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Yesterday, as the temperature plummeted and the wind whipped in Columbus, I boarded a plane for New York City. My destination was a swanky culinary loft in Soho to attend a cooking demonstration with Food Network cutie David Lieberman. And to multiply the fun factor, I was bringing my baby sister as my plus 1 and meeting my NYC Moms Blog friends Jennifer Perrillo and Amy Oztan.

I basically danced with glee all the way through the Columbus Airport.

Even with the ferocious wind gusts, our plane was only delayed an hour and I arrived at the loft right on time.

The event was sponsored by Del Monte and tied in nicely with Dave Lieberman’s new book The 10 Things You Need to Eat: And More Than 100 Easy and Delicious Ways to Prepare Them.

I was hanging out with the lovely Vera Sweeney and her husband, Tim, from I’m Not Obsessed, plying her with 1,001 questions about Tiger Woods, Tom Cruise, and Katie Holmes when Dave Lieberman started walking around. He was such a nice and approachable guy that I almost didn’t recognize him. He came right over and chatted with us and once again, I was surprised by how down to earth TV celebrities can be.

He demonstrated four recipes, enough to make a knock out meal, and then gave us a chance to make each with him. He started with a spinach scallion dip, a chunky chipotle corn chowder, a chicken cacciatore entree, and the most interesting and most delicious of all, a beet and chocolate cupcake. As a butter and cream lover, I was highly skeptical of this beet creation, but it was moist, sweet and intensely chocolaty.
The recipe includes plenty of butter and sugar, and is by no means a diet recipe. It generates its health benefits from the inclusion of beets. I’ll quote Anahad O’Connor, co-author of 10 Things You Need to Eat and a weekly column in the New York Times science section, to best illustrate its value, “Ounce for ounce, the beet boasts what may be a heftier range of nutrients – folate, potassium, iron, fiber, antioxidants, and even a little protein – than virtually any other fruit or vegetable on the planet.” So eating one of these little cupcakes is a little like taking a multivitamin.
I’m including the recipe below, and off to make it myself to add pictures and validate its yumminess outside of a fancy Soho kitchen.
Beet Mash Chocolate Cupcakes with Beet Frosting
Ingredients:
For the cupcakes
  • 1 1/2 14.5 oz can of fresh cut beets, thoroughly drained
  • 2 sticks of unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 cups of vegetable oil
  • 2 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup of warm water
  • 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cups of sweetened cocoa
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the glaze
  • Approximately 1/2 a 14.5 oz can of beets, thoroughly drained and mashed
  • 2 sticks of unsalted butter
  • 1 pound of confectioner’s sugar
To make the cupcakes:
  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In a small bowl, mash the drained can of beets finely with a potato masher and set aside. (You could also use a food processor)
  3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, oil, eggs, and water. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Fold in the mashed beets and mix well.
  4. Pour the batter into cupcake cups. Bake about 70 minutes, until set but moist. Let cool on cooling rack.
To make the glaze frosting:
  1. Mash the 1/2 can of beets finely with a potato masher.
  2. Melt 1 stick of butter in a saucepan and add the mashed beets. Simmer on very low heat for 5 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, cream the second stick of butter with a mixer in a bowl. Mix in the melted butter and beet mixture until fully incorporated. Gradually beat in the confectioner’s sugar.
Ice the cupcakes when cooled with a thick layer of glaze icing.

*A very grateful thank you to Bobby Marro Photography for these gorgeous pictures. I lugged my big camera through airport security, but forgot my memory card in Ohio.

Filed Under: desserts, Events, healthy desserts

7 Responses to >Chocolate Beet Cupcakes: Hands On with Dave Lieberman

  1. FireMom says:
    December 11, 2009 at 12:55 am

    >Very interesting, I must say. I'm saving this one for a future date.

    That said, I almost forgot my memory card in the card reader on Tuesday afternoon after I did a pic dump when I got home from Cheryl&Co. I was about to run out the door for the basketball game when I remembered just in time. Whew! That would have been BAD!

    Reply
  2. amy turn sharp of doobleh-vay says:
    December 11, 2009 at 1:04 am

    >Um- the food yes- but he's a hottie! xo

    Reply
  3. Maternal Mirth says:
    December 11, 2009 at 2:26 am

    >Did you get sweaty standing next to such a hottie in the kitch? I so would have.

    Also, really, beets? I am hesitant…

    Reply
  4. Cheryl Lage says:
    December 11, 2009 at 3:43 am

    >What a fun picture and a fun adventure! The recipe sounds delish too! (I have a wee bit of Dave Lieberman scoop…not for blogdom, will email you ;) )

    Reply
  5. Chris says:
    December 11, 2009 at 3:02 pm

    >OOh, sounds like a wonderful day! I will have to think about trying that one…I am not a huge fan of beets…my question is …can ya taste them?

    Reply
  6. Nancy Moskovitz, artist says:
    December 14, 2009 at 12:01 am

    >Ok Now I'm officially viridian with envy. :)

    Reply
  7. Fresh Local and Best says:
    December 14, 2009 at 8:05 am

    >What an exciting event! This is such a unique cupcake recipe.

    Reply

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