Cupcake

• 1 box 18.25 OZ 18.25 oz Better Batter Yellow Cake Mix
• 2 Tbsp Dutch process cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 oz beet root powder* or 1/2 ounce bottle red food coloring McCormick brand
• 1 cup buttermilk OR dairy free milk plus 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or Apple cider vinegar (let stand for 15 minutes before using)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs or 3/4 or cup Aqua faba (juice from a can of white beans)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter or vegan butter (softened at room temperature)
• 8 oz. cream cheese OR Tofutti Cream Cheese OR cultured nut cheese
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

*No Food coloring option: It contains no red food coloring and gets the bright red color from beet powder – which does not add a beet flavor to the finished product. Watkins also makes an all natural food coloring that works well, but won’t be as bright.

Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Line muffin tins with 24 paper liners.

Mix. In a large mixing bowl, combine the box of yellow cake mix, Dutch process cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, beet powder or red food coloring, buttermilk or vegan butter milk substitute, oil, eggs or Aqua faba (white bean juice).

Blend. Using a hand-held mixer, blend well, about 2 minutes. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.

Divide Cake Batter into lined muffin tins, filling liners no more than 2/3 full. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until tops spring back when touched. 

Remove pans from oven and remove cupcakes from liners. Allow to cool on a rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
Blend. Cream butter or vegan butter substitute and cream cheese together until smooth. Add vanilla extract and beat till very smooth. Add powdered sugar.

Prepare Piping Bag. Spoon into piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe onto cupcakes.

Place cupcakes in fridge for 30 minutes to set the frosting.

This recipe was originally tested and adapted from a recipe published by Patrick Auger in January 2023. Original photo of food by Jennifer Bigler.