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Gluten-fee red velvet and barberry muffins with cream cheese icing

Karen Martini
Karen Martini

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Beetroot red velvet muffins with lime cream cheese icing.
Beetroot red velvet muffins with lime cream cheese icing.William Meppem

These gluten-free red velvet muffins are moist and delicious. The beetroot adds a pink hue and plenty of natural, earthy sweetness, which I find so pleasing with the chocolate flavour and sour zing of the dried barberries. Lime-scented cream cheese icing and crunchy pecans complete the picture. If you like, skip roasting the beetroots and buy them pre-cooked in vacuum packs; I wouldn't use tinned beetroot, though.

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Ingredients

  • 2 large beetroots, trimmed

  • 80g dried barberries

  • 2 eggs

  • 125ml extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil

  • 75g soft brown sugar

  • 75g caster sugar

  • 100g rice flour

  • 100g gluten-free self-raising flour

  • 100g desiccated coconut

  • 40g dark cocoa powder

  • 1 tsp salt flakes

  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

  • ½ tsp gluten-free baking powder

  • ½ tsp xanthan gum

For the icing and topping

  • 250g cream cheese, softened at room temperature

  • 200g pure icing sugar, sieved

  • zest and juice of 1 lime

  • 100g pecans, lightly

  • toasted and roughly chopped

Method

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). Line a large muffin tin with paper cases.

  2. Step 2

    Wrap the beetroots in foil and roast for about 1 hour until tender, then slip off the skins and puree in a food processor until smooth. Weigh out 280 grams for the recipe. 

  3. Step 3

    Add the barberries to a small saucepan and just cover with water. Bring to a simmer for 1 minute, then set aside.

  4. Step 4

    Using a stand mixer, whisk the eggs, oil and sugars on medium-high speed until pale and creamy (about 4 minutes). Add the flours, coconut, cocoa, salt, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and xanthan gum, then beat until well combined. Add the 280 grams of beetroot puree and the barberries, taking a teaspoon or so of the liquid with them, then fold through.

  5. Step 5

    Divide the mixture between the muffin moulds. Bake for about 20 minutes until springy to the touch, then cool for 5 minutes in the tray. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool. 

  6. Step 6

    Whisk the cream cheese in the stand mixer, then add the icing sugar and lime juice and combine until smooth.

  7. Step 7

    Smear the icing on the cooled muffins, then sprinkle on the lime zest and pecans. Store the muffins in an airtight container.

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Karen MartiniKaren Martini is a Melbourne-based chef, restaurateur, author and television presenter. She has a regular column in Good Weekend.

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Original URL: https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/recipes/glutenfee-red-velvet-and-barberry-muffins-with-cream-cheese-icing-20220818-h25t5t.html