ROOT BEER FLOAT CUPCAKES
Yields 24 cupcakes
For the Cupcakes
21 oz root beer (About 1 3/4 glass bottles. I prefer IBC or Abita!)
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into Tablespoons
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 extra large eggs
For the Vanilla Ice Cream Icing
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 generous Tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon imitation vanilla extract
Maraschino cherries for topping
Directions
For the Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350F and line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Set aside.
In a sauce pan, heat root beer, cocoa powder and butter over medium-high heat. When butter is melted, add sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool completely, about 20 minutes.
In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.
In a small bowl, beat eggs with a fork until yolks are incorporated throughout. Whisk eggs into cooled cocoa powder mixture until completely combined.
Fold the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients (in the large bowl) and mix until the dry ingredients are just wet. The batter should be lumpy.
Fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full. Bake both pans side by side for 17 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from a cupcake in the center of the pan and on both sides. Rotate pans if necessary.
Let sit in the cupcake pan for 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
For the Icing
Using a hand mixer, mix together cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form.
Assembly (aka, making the cupcakes pretty)
Scoop icing into a ziplock freezer bag and snip one of the corners of the bag.
Hold the tip of the bag over the center of a completely cooled cupcake. Squeeze with a medium pressure (not too hard!) and move the bag upward and in a spiral motion, creating a peak of icing. Repeat with all cupcakes.
Top each cupcake with a cherry.
Icing should be good at room temperature for up to 2 hours, so assemble when you’re ready to eat them.