Choc-beet Mo-Cakes.

Moustaches.

Whether you like them or hate them, it’s hard to argue that Brendon’s Chocolate Beetroot Mo-Cakes are probably the nicest version of the moustache you will ever find.  He can’t totally own the idea himself, though, as the inspiration came from Chad Moss’ version of the Mo-Cake a couple of years ago.

In lieu of Movember, Brendon made these Choc-beet Mo-Cakes to help raise funds and awareness for the cause of men’s health.

The Mo-Cakes were very popular among the staff at Laidlaw College, and the Mini Mo-Cakes were a real hit with the students.

Want to make your own Mo-cakes?  Here’s Brendon’s recipe.

Chocolate Beetroot Cupcakes (from Huffpost Taste, as seen in At the Farmers Market with Kids)

Ingredients

2 large red beetroots (to make 1 cup pureed beet)

2 ounces dark chocolate

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1.  Cut beats in half and place in a saucepan.  Cover with boiling water and heat to a boil.  Simmer and cook the beets until tender, about 35 minutes. Drain out water, then let cool.

2.  Puree beats until they are smooth, either in a food processor or with a stick blender.  You should have a total of 1 cup pureed beet.

3.  Over a double boiler, melt chocolate.  Stir the melted chocolate until it is smooth, then let it cool slightly.

4.  Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper liners.

5.  Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.

6.  In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a handheld mixer until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and vanilla, and beat to combine.

7.  Add the puree beets and beat until the mixture is smooth and evenly bright magenta. Beat in the melted chocolate. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until fully combined.

8.  Fill each lined muffin cup about two-thirds full with batter.

9.  Bake until the tops spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer pan of cupcakes to a wired rack to cool.  Top the cupcakes with cream cheese icing once they have cooled completely.  Store in an airtight container 3 to 5 days.

Cream Cheese Mo-Cake Frosting

Ingredients

1 pkg (80z) cream cheese, softened at room temperature

75g butter, softened at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups icing sugar

Directions:

Cream butter and cream cheese together with a wooden spoon.  Add in vanilla.  Beat on medium speed with an electric mixture, and slowly add in icing sugar until extremely smooth and slightly fluffy.

Pipe on to cupcakes using a large round tip, or even just the opening of the piping bag.

Chocolate Moustaches

A mo-cake’s just not a mo-cake without the chocolate moustache, of course.  To make the chocolate moustaches, melt 1 oz of chocolate over a double boiler, and then pour the liquid chocolate into a plastic ziploc bag.

Cut just a TINY piece off the corner of the bag, and pipe the melted chocolate onto waxed/baking paper in the shape of your favorite moustaches.

For moustache design ideas, click here.

Let harden completely before peeling off to transform your cream-cheese frosting topped choc-beetroot cupcake into a Mo-Cake.