Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the peeled beets into a small casserole dish with the water and cover the dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until the beets are tender. Allow the beets to cool. Reserving the remaining liquid, transfer the cooled beets into a blender or use an immersion blender to create a smooth puree.
2. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl using an electric hand blender, beat together the butter with the granulated sugar. Beat in the egg and then the vanilla, followed by ¾ cup of beet puree. Beat until mixture is thoroughly combined. Slowly pour in the cold coffee and mix for about a minute.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add half the dry mixture to the liquid, and beat well. Follow with the second half of the mixture, beating well again. Stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Divide the cupcake batter evenly among the muffin tin and bake in the oven for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool the cupcakes for a few minutes in the pan, and then completely cool on a wire rack before icing.

Buttercream Icing

1. Whip the butter using a handheld electric mixer or a stand mixer. Add in the powdered sugar and 1 tbsp of the reserved beet liquid (more or less depending on how pink you want it).
2. Add the vanilla extract, and 3 tbsp of cream, adding more or less depending on how stiff you’d like the icing to be. Ice the cupcakes using a piping bag or spatula.