red velvet mini cakes

Makes 16

Preparation time 20 minutes, plus cooling

Cooking time 10 minutes

100 g (3½ oz) self-raising flour

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

50 g (2 oz) golden caster sugar

1 small raw beetroot, coarsely grated

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 egg

50 ml (2 fl oz) buttermilk

1 teaspoon vinegar

small edible rose petals, to decorate

Frosting

100 g (3½ oz) cream cheese

50 g (2 oz) unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

100 g (3½ oz) icing sugar, sifted

Place 16 mini silicone muffin cases on a baking sheet.

Sift the flour and cocoa powder into a bowl. Stir in the sugar. Put the beetroot, oil and egg in a food processor or blender and blend to make a smooth purée. Briefly blend in the buttermilk and vinegar. Add to the dry ingredients. Using a large metal spoon, stir the ingredients together until combined. Divide among the cases.

Bake in a preheated oven, 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4, for 10 minutes, or until risen and just firm. Leave in the cases for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the frosting by beating together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla bean paste and icing sugar until smooth and creamy. Place in a piping bag with a small star nozzle and pipe swirls on top of each cake. Decorate each with a rose petal.

For courgette & lime cupcakes, finely grate 75 g (3 oz) courgette, put in a small colander and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt. Leave to stand for 30 minutes, then rinse thoroughly in several changes of water to remove any traces of the salt. Make the cakes as above, replacing the cocoa powder with 1 tablespoon ground almonds, the beetroot with the courgette and the vinegar with the grated rind of 1 lime. Decorate with the frosting, replacing the vanilla bean paste with 1 tablespoon lime juice and omitting the rose petals.