Beet Cupcakes

Why I Love This Recipe
FEATURING: Beets.
A neat recipe from Minimalist Baker that kids and adults will love and that is actually not too sweet! Roast the beets ahead of time to save time when making this recipe!
Ingredients You'll Need
2 medium beets
1 cup unsweetened milk of your choice (soy, almond, cow)
1 tsp white or apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup raw turbinado OR granulated sugar
1/4 cup sunflower oil (or safflower or other neutral tasting oil)
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup + 1 heaping Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
Scant 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
+ a bit more for topping
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F, remove the stem and most of the root from your beets, and scrub and wash them underwater until clean.
Wrap beets in foil, drizzle on a bit of oil, wrap tightly, and roast for one hour or until a knife inserted falls out without resistance. They should be tender. Set in the fridge (in a bowl to catch juice) to cool to room temperature.
Once cooled, either finely grate or puree beets in a blender (adding orange juice or water to encourage mixing). Measure out 1/2 cup and set aside.
Line a muffin pan with paper liners.
Whisk together the milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and 1/2 cup beets and beat until foamy.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the wet ingredients and mix.
Pour batter into liners, filling 3/4 of the way full. Bake 22 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Do not try and unwrap them or they'll stick to the wrapper.
Once cooled, dust with cocoa powder and store in an airtight container.