Of all the possible reasons to doubt someone’s character, deliberately refusing to celebrate birthdays ranks near the top.
A birthday usually means a cake made just for you; anyone who turns that down is, in my opinion, a little suspicious.
In my family, we celebrate every birthday. I grew up close to my grandparents, and our extended family—parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins—seemed to gather constantly. It might have been every weekend, but more realistically it was at every birthday, holiday, or other milestone. With so many people to celebrate, birthdays became a regular event.
This month alone we had four birthdays: my niece Mary turned 2, and there was a triple celebration for my grandmother (Nanny), my dad, and my husband. Coincidentally they are spaced thirty years apart, turning 89, 59, and 29 this year.
I made four dozen cupcakes for Mary’s party and a giant chocolate chip cookie pie for my dad and Kevin. Nanny wanted lemon, so she had her own special cake. 
Having so many birthdays around means it’s easy to slip into baking for every occasion. If you ask me—because you are asking me—most things are improved with cake.
Last week I brought a cake to a coworker’s retirement party, and my sister Heather would happily have me bring cake to work for every holiday, every coworker’s birthday, and at least once a month just to be safe.
So when the one-year anniversary of Baked Greens rolled around, I knew a cake was in order. A blog turns one only once, after all.
Rather than a large layered cake, I chose something smaller and more practical—easy to make any night of the week for any small milestone you want to celebrate.
I made a small batch of cupcakes because the blog’s first birthday didn’t draw a crowd, and your weekday celebration—whether it’s your dog’s first day alone without chewing the couch or another tiny triumph—probably won’t either. This recipe yields about six cupcakes.
Specifically: six chocolate-beet cupcakes topped with a pretty pink beet-dyed vanilla cream cheese frosting. They’re earthy, chocolatey, and not overly sweet—perfect to share or to keep for yourself. If it’s your birthday, a bit of selfishness is allowed.
These cupcakes may seem unusual, but beets work beautifully here, keeping the cake moist and tender. You’ll need cooked beets for the recipe; buying and roasting a few beets ahead of time is convenient. Roast them whole when your oven is on, then store them in the fridge so they’re ready whenever a small celebration is needed.
If you prefer not to roast beets, you can use pre-cooked beets from the grocery store—often available shrink-wrapped in the produce section or jarred/canned in water.
The best part of these cupcakes is the pink frosting. I almost made a chocolate frosting, but I wanted something bright and fun. I soaked a few tablespoons of shredded beets in heavy cream while preparing the frosting, then strained the cream—now pink—and whipped it into the cream cheese mixture.
The result is a vanilla cream cheese frosting that tastes classic but looks delightfully pink—perfect for celebrations.
I hope you’ll try these beet-infused cupcakes. The beets’ earthiness pairs well with the chocolate, and the pink frosting is more playful than plain white. Embrace the pink: it’s the best frosting.
Whether it’s a birthday, a lost tooth, a new personal record, a job change, or a blog anniversary, celebrate small moments with something special. Every day with cake is a good day. If someone refuses cake, they’ll still get baked something and be invited to my next family party—no exceptions.
If you make this recipe, let me know how it turns out. I love seeing these recipes in your kitchen!
Small Batch Chocolate Beet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Chelsea Colbath
15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 cup + 2 Tablespoons white whole wheat flourcan substitute all-purpose if desired
- 1/4 cup organic cane sugarsucanat or coconut sugar also work
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup beet pureefrom 1 medium or 2 small cooked beets*
- 2 eggs
- 3 Tablespoons honey
- 2 Tablespoons milk of choicecoconut, almond, or cow’s milk all work
- 2 Tablespoons melted coconut oilolive oil or melted butter are fine substitutes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheeseat room temperature
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons shredded beetsraw or cooked beets work
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-4 tablespoons powdered sugar
- a pinch of salt
- a handful of fresh berriesfor topping (optional)
Instructions
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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease six muffin cups with nonstick spray or line with paper liners.
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2. Whisk together all dry ingredients in a bowl. If your beets are already pureed, add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until combined. If your beets are whole, puree them in a food processor, measure 1/2 cup of beet puree, then add it with the remaining wet ingredients to the dry mix.
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3. Portion batter into the muffin cups using a 1/4-cup measure. You should get 6 to 8 cupcakes. Bake 14–16 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.
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4. While the cupcakes bake, prepare the frosting. Place shredded beets in a small bowl and add the heavy cream. Let the beets steep a few minutes to tint the cream.
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5. In a mixer, beat the cream cheese with vanilla until smooth. Strain the pink cream through a fine-mesh strainer and add it to the cream cheese. Whip on high 2–3 minutes until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and a pinch of salt, then whisk to combine. Taste and add more sugar if desired. Chill the frosting while cupcakes cool; it will firm up a bit in the fridge.
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6. When cupcakes are cool, add a heaping spoonful of frosting to each and gently flatten. Top with berries if you like. Serve immediately.
Notes
Adapted from Edible Perspective Chocolate Almond Meal Cake.
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