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

Name: Gluten-fee red velvet and barberry muffins with cream cheese icing
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: Modern Australian
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

Karen Martini

August 19, 2022

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

Time:1-2 hoursMakes:10

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.

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

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). Line a large muffin tin with paper cases.
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.
Step 3
Add the barberries to a small saucepan and just cover with water. Bring to a simmer for 1 minute, then set aside.
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.
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.
Step 6
Whisk the cream cheese in the stand mixer, then add the icing sugar and lime juice and combine until smooth.
Step 7
Smear the icing on the cooled muffins, then sprinkle on the lime zest and pecans. Store the muffins in an airtight container.