Chocolate Beet Cupcakes With Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

Preheat oven to 350.

Peel the beets with a vegetable peeler. Grate beets using lrg holes of grater (use gloves or beets will dye hands).

Spray muffin tins with cooking spray.

Combine sugars, oil, and eggs in lrg bowl, beat at med speed until well blended. Add beets and beat well.

In seperate lrg bowl add flour, and other dry ingredients and whisk together until mixed.

Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with milk. Beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Pour batter into cupcake tins and tap on counter to remove air bubbles.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 min or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 mins on wire racks, remove from pans and cool completely.

Frosting:.

Beat rind, vanilla, and cream cheese with mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat at low speed until blended. (don not overbeat).

Frost cupcakes and sprinkle with walnuts if using.

Store in refrigerator.