Root Beer Float Cupcakes

My wonderful husband bought me a new cupcake book recently and quickly requested one of the recipes for his own birthday: Root Beer Float Cupcakes. He loves root beer, so these were perfect. I loved the flavor of these cupcakes, although the root beer flavor was not very strong. I think they tasted more like a strong vanilla. Next time, I'll use root beer extract to pump up the flavor. I topped them with cherries, a straw, and sprinkles to make them a little cuter.

Root Beer Cupcakes
Source: Betty Crocker Big Book of Cupcakes

Ingredients:
2 and 1/3 cups flour
2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter (room temperature)
1 and 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup root beer
24 cherries, 8 straws, and sprinkles (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two cupcake tins with 24 cupcake liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

In another large bowl, beat butter for 30 seconds on medium speed. Gradually add sugar 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat for two minutes and scrape down the sides of bowl as needed.

Add eggs one at a time and vanilla and beat well.

Reduce speed to low and alternately add flour mixture and root beer in three additions, ending with flour and mixing until just blended.

Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full and bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Top cooled cupcakes with root beer icing, cherries, and sprinkles. Snip the straws into three equal pieces and push a straw into each cupcake (if desired).


Root Beer Icing
2 sticks butter, room temperature
5 - 6 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 - 4 tablespoons root beer

Cream the butter. Add vanilla and beat well. Add powdered sugar one cup at a time and root beer until desired consistency is reached. Beat well.