Root Beer Float Cupcakes

My love of root beer started from spending hot Texas summers at the lake. I remember a big container with ice and bottles of IBC root beer just calling my name. I think my parents had to limit me on how much I drank because I could down a 6 pack like it was nothing.

So, now that I’m older (and still obsessed with root beer) the natural thing to do was to make root beer cupcakes! I saw this recipe and couldn’t wait to make them! I honestly didn’t know there was such a thing as root beer concentrate, but there is! (Don’t doubt that I have thought about taking shots of it!)

These cupcakes were super easy and REALLY delicious. My only advice is to at least double the icing recipe…maybe triple it if you plan on using the cone method and piping it on. I ended up just using a little bit of the root beer frosting on top of the cupcake instead of coning the cupcakes because I wouldn’t have had enough.

And, while you all know I worship my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, it was kind of nice not to have to lug it out of the closet to make these. Everything was done by hand. This certainly was a different way of making cupcakes, but I enjoyed something different.

Root Beer Float Cupcakes from How Sweet Eats 

makes 12 cupcakes

1 1/8 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup dark cocoa powder

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons root beer concentrate

1/3 cup root beer

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon heavy cream

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 tablespoons sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, whisk egg and sugar until smooth and no lumps remain. Add cream, butter and vanilla, and mix until combined. Stir in sour cream. Sift dry ingredients together and add to wet mixture. Add root beer concentrate and root beer. Mix until batter is smooth. Line a muffin tin with liners and using a heaping 1/4 cup measure, add batter to each cup. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool before frosting.

Vanilla and Root Beer Frosting

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon root beer extract

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter until smooth. On low speed, add powdered sugar one cup at a time, increasing speed to bring the frosting together. Add milk and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth. Remove almost all of the vanilla frosting, leaving behind about 1/3-1/2 cup in the mixer. Set vanilla frosting aside. Add root beer extract to remaining frosting in the bowl and beat until it comes together.

Prep two pastry bags (or you can simply use spoons) and fill one with vanilla frosting and the other with root beer frosting. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, fill each one with root beer frosting (I simply plunge the pastry tip into the cupcake and squeeze), then top with vanilla frosting. Top with hot fudge or cocoa syrup (I didn’t do, because, let’s be honest…I forgot. I was too excited to dig in to the cupcakes!)