Red Velvet Cupcake with Mascarpone Frosting

INGREDIENTS:

For the red velvet cupcake
  • 2 tbsps. unprocessed and unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1¼ cups all purpose floor
  • 2 tsps. baking powder
  • 1½ cups granulated sugar
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 2 pcs. medium-sized sugar beets
  • 1/3 cup fresh calamansi or lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 1½ tsps. vanilla extract
  • a handful of chocolate chips for toppings (optional)

For the mascarpone frosting
  • 1 cup commercialized or homemade mascarpone cheese
  • ¾ cup chilled all purpose or heavy cream
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the homemade mascarpone cheese
  • 1 cup heavy cream or ¾ cup all purpose cream mixed with 3 oz. (85 grams) softened butter
  • ½ tbsp. fresh calamansi or lemon juice

PROCEDURE:

Red velvet cupcake
  1. Thoroughly wash the sugar beets. Make sure to rinse off all the dirt residue left on the peelings. Cook the beets in a double broiler or microwave oven until they are very soft and easy to mash.
  2. Peel the beets and slice them into small pieces. Crush the beets in a food processor or heavy-duty blender. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of water and continue to grind until the beets achieved a smooth and thick semi fluid consistency. This should yield at least 1 cup of beets puree. Set aside.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC).
  4. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the cocoa powder, all-purpose flour, baking powder, granulated sugar and salt. Mix with a whisker until well blended and set aside.
  5. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the pureed beets, calamansi/ lemon juice, canola oil and vanilla extract. Stir until mixed well.
  6. Gradually pour the puree mixture into the dry ingredients. Lightly whisk just enough to combine.
  7. Line a standard-sized cupcake pan (2-½-inch-diameter cups) with cupcake papers. Fill with batter each paper liners about ¾ of the way full. Leave a small allowance to avoid the cupcake from overflowing as it expands and fluff up during the baking process.
  8. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Test the doneness of the cupcakes by inserting a wooden toothpick into the center. If the toothpick comes out clean, then the cupcakes are done and ready to go.
  9. Take the pan off the oven and let the cupcakes stay in the pan for 5 to 10 minute before transferring them into the cooling rack. The cupcakes are too fragile and may tend to break or deform when very hot.
  10. When the cupcakes are completely cooled, top them with mascarpone frosting and chocolate chips. You may chill them or serve right away as a dessert or as an accompaniment to coffee or tea.

Mascarpone frosting
  1. Whip the chilled cream until firm and stiff peaks begin to form.
  2. Put the granulated sugar and vanilla extract and whisk until well blended.
  3. Break the lumps in the mascarpone cheese and add this to the whipped cream. Gently beat the cream mixture until the ingredients are well-incorporated.
  4. Transfer the mascarpone cream frosting into a piping tube and decorate the cupcakes as desired.

Homemade mascarpone cheese
  1. Place the heavy cream or the mixture of butter and all purpose cream in a medium saucepan over moderate heat to a low simmer. Continuously stir the cream and maintain the heat at a controlled temperature to avoid the cream from burning and sticking on the pan.
  2. Add the calamansi or lemon juice and cook for 5 more minutes. The mixture will thicken to a consistency similar to gravy.
  3. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 20 minutes.  Line a strainer with several layers of cheesecloth or tea towel and place it over a bowl. Pour the thickened cream mixture in the lined strainer and cover the top with a plastic wrap. Refrigerate to culture overnight (8 to 24 hours).
  4. Transfer the cultured mascarpone cheese in an airtight container. It can now be used for the mascarpone frosting or can be stored in the fridge for 5 days.

**This yields 12 to 15 standard sized cupcakes.

TIPS FROM ENZ:
  1. You can adjust the cocoa if you want the cupcakes less or more chocolatey.
  2. The cupcakes are best consumed when chilled for at least one hour.
  3. The mascarpone frosting pipes very well but stays soft, so it would be best to refrigerate it until ready to be served.