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Description
There is more than one secret to this cupcake. Besides the Hersheys Kisses candy secretly hiding in the middle, the cupcake itself has a secret ingredient, beets! My family loves to eat sweet treats, and I love to bake them. But, I also want to provide my family with healthy food. So, I try to sneak in good-for-you ingredients whenever possible. They think they are getting a tasty special treat and I can feel good about it too. In addition to the secret veggie, this chocolate cupcake with hidden Hershey's Kisses candy inside has a cream cheese frosting and another Kisses candy on top.
Ingredients
Chocolate Beet Cupcake:
¾ Cup granulated sugar
½ Cup all-purpose flour
½ Cup whole wheat pastry flour
¼ Cup unsweetened cocoa
¾ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
¼ Cup canola oil
½ Cup pureed canned beets (reserve some liquid from can to add to beets as you are pureeing)
1/3 Cup 1% buttermilk
1 large egg
½ tsp. vanilla
Secret Filling:
4 oz. 1/3 less fat Neufchâtel cream cheese, softened
1 egg white
1 T. granulated sugar
12 Hersheys Kisses candies, removed from wrappers
Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 oz. 1/3 less fat Neufchâtel cream cheese, softened
1 T. unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups powdered sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
light and dark pink decorating sugars (optional)
12 Hersheys Kisses candies, removed from wrappers
¾ Cup granulated sugar
½ Cup all-purpose flour
½ Cup whole wheat pastry flour
¼ Cup unsweetened cocoa
¾ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
¼ Cup canola oil
½ Cup pureed canned beets (reserve some liquid from can to add to beets as you are pureeing)
1/3 Cup 1% buttermilk
1 large egg
½ tsp. vanilla
Secret Filling:
4 oz. 1/3 less fat Neufchâtel cream cheese, softened
1 egg white
1 T. granulated sugar
12 Hersheys Kisses candies, removed from wrappers
Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 oz. 1/3 less fat Neufchâtel cream cheese, softened
1 T. unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups powdered sugar
½ tsp. vanilla extract
light and dark pink decorating sugars (optional)
12 Hersheys Kisses candies, removed from wrappers
How to Make
Preheat oven to 350Ú. Insert 12 paper liners in cupcake pans. Puree canned beets in a food processor. Add about 2 Tablespoons of can liquid to beets to obtain a smooth consistency. In a mixer bowl combine the first 7 ingredients. Add oil and ½ Cup pureed beets. Beat on low speed until combined. Add buttermilk, egg, and vanilla. Beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Set aside.
For secret filling, combine cream cheese, egg white and sugar. Beat until smooth. Pour cake batter into prepared cupcake liners nearly filling half way. Scoop ½ Tbl. of secret filling into center of batter in liner. Place a Hershey Kiss into the center of the secret filling. Scoop remaining secret filling over each of the Kisses, will not cover candy completely. Carefully pour remaining cake batter into the liners covering the secret filling and candy. Bake in preheated oven for 18 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks.
While cupcakes are cooling, in a mixer bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Beat on low speed until combined. When cupcakes are completely cooled spread frosting on each one. Sprinkle with pink decorating sugars, optional, and place a Hersheys Kisses candy on top. Enjoy!
Home Made for the Holidays
Tips for Taking a Great Photo:
- Avoid clutter. Keep the background simple -- your cupcake or sweet treat is the star!
- Daytime, natural light is best. If your area is bright enough, try taking the photo without the flash.
- Upload a horizontal photo. If you crop the image on your computer, make sure you keep a landscape 4:3 aspect ratio.
- For best results, make your image 1200x900 (or "save for web").
- With a digital camera, you can take as many photos as possible and choose the best one. Have fun!
