There's something so nostalgic about root beer floats. I don't know what it is exactly. I wouldn't say that root beer floats were a dessert that we ate often as kids. But somehow in my mind it conjures up thoughts of old fashioned soda shops and girls wearing poodle skirts.
So I guess I'm just thinking of movies.These are not actual root beer floats. You got me. Man, I can't get anything past you guys. Ok so these are just root beer float flavored cupcakes. But if that's a big let down for you… uh… did you miss the part where I said root beer float flavored cupcakes!?Here's the secret ingredient: root beer extract. If you can't find root beer extract where you live, see if you can find sassafras extract. It's a VERY similar flavor. Root Beer Float Cupcakes, makes 24.
2 2/3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon root beer extract
2/3 cup oil
2 teaspoons vinegar
2 cups water
In a bowl whisk together the dry ingredients (the first 5 listed above). In another bowl stir together the wet ingredients (the last 4 listed above). Pour the wet ingredients in with the dry and stir until just combined and nearly no lumps remain. This batter will be quite liquid. Pour the batter into prepared cupcake pans so that each cup is 2/3 full. Bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick insert in a cupcake comes out clean.Sometimes recipe development can be a disappointing thing. Here you can see my deflated first attempt. I adjusted ingredient amounts (to the ones listed above) and… Batch #2 was perfect. Don't be afraid to be adventurous in the kitchen (and life). Mistakes are just opportunities to learn and grow.Root Beer Butter cream Frosting, makes 2 1/2 cups
1 cup (two sticks) softened butter
3 teaspoons root beer extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cream (I used half and half)
Whip together the softened butter and extract until well combined and almost fluffy. Begin incorporating the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing in between. If you find the frosting gets too thick add a little cream. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.You can top these with cherries and paper straws if you're really wanting to try to conjure up that float look. We bought our paper straws from Etsy and cut them to fit the cupcakes. Enjoy! xo. Emma
82 Comments
So cute! I adore rootbeer so I think I need to make these
i wouldnt mind these right now:)
http://iamturquoise.com
Looks so yummy!!! Our car is broken and we can’t go and buy delicious cupcakes so I can bake those!
Thank you!
http://esikfloresik.blogspot.com
Looks good!
http://fashionbrunette.blogspot.com
Look so tasty. Want one!
These look lovely! Love the photos!
http://erstwhilefelicity.blogspot.co.uk/
mmmmm, I love root beer and now I can have it in a cupcake! Perfection!
Cute idea! I have a little girl that would just love this. Emma, I was wondering if you could do some vegan baking treats? I recently converted from vegetarian to vegan in January and I’d love to occasionally have a treat but would feel guilty eating a regular cupcake since this is a lifestyle choice I made. I’ve heard that applesauce can be used in place of eggs. Wondering what else I’d need. Thanks!
These are adorable!! I love the way you iced them– those tiny straws are the perfect touch!!
Mackenzie
http://www.heybirdfriend.com
I love the look of these. Such a clever idea.
http://Www.Daydreamsinthegarden.blogspot.co.UK
A baking mistake turned out to be a great baking success! I love when that happens.
I didn’t know root beer extract existed, but root beer cupcakes sound like a treat! I love the cute yellow straw on the side.
http://www.mochaandmoccasins.blogspot.ca
How cute are these cupcakes! Jummy
This is so…so sweet! 😉
LOVE. ♥
Looks and sounds delicious and when there’s beer in it my husband is going to love this 😉 xx
http://www.creativityandchocolate.com
Oooh! These sound delicious and I love how you styled them with the cherry and straw.
Allison
http://www.alliray.com/
Those look amazing!
They look delicious!!
I really would like to learn how to made these lovely sweeties!
http://carolinabin.com/
These look great! I love that you post the photos of your first messed up batch too. It’s great to show your readers how not everything works out the first time for you either! 🙂
xo Julia
this is so clever!
looks delicious!
They look adorable!
So cute cakes!
From http://www.xeanafashion.com/
My daughter & I did root beer cupcakes with cut down paper straws too!!! So cute..we added a root beer gummy on top. Great minds and great taste!
Kelly
http://www.mysoulfulhome.com
these are so much fun! And the color combinations really pop! I saw something the other day that used baileys – outrageously good. I’ve made oreo cheesecakes on my new blog, similar and very indulgent.
Laura x
http://www.alittlelondon.blogspot.com
Ooo, that looks so nice and yummy. Perfect recipe. Have a nice weekend.
http://www.fashiondenis.com/
Can you pass one to me please? I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
http://heidiswanderings.blogspot.com/
Totally in love with this idea!
Love this recipe, root beer is so good, can’t wait to try this out!
http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/4164275
http://beblacknblue.blogspot.co.uk
Whenever I look at your blog; it seems like each one of your projects comes out perfect every time. Just that one picture of the deflated cupcakes helped me realize that everyone makes mistakes. Sorry if that was stupid 😉 I love your blog <3
--Courtney
You just made my day so much better! Hmmm, they look great!!!
Super cute cupcakes! They look delicious!
Have a nice day! xo
Root beer floats are my FAVORITE. I have until May to find root beer extract so I can make these for my birthday!!! Awesome!
Yummy!!!!
oh my, those tiny straws are adorable!
This is an absolutely spectacular idea! Yum!
These look amazing! Never had root beer cupcakes before!
Also I’m liking the small new layouts you’ve got going on 🙂
Lulu xx
http://luluslittlewonderland.blogspot.com
These cupcakes look adorable and delicious! These are going to have to go on my list of things to try! Thanks for sharing!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.blogspot.com
OH YUMMY!!! I love root beer floats. Especially in the summer? There is just something about them where I want to drink one on a nice summer night white watching an old movie!
xo Sara from tinysugarbee.blogspot.com
so is root beer like ginger beer or sarparilla ? what is its flavour for the non US reader 🙂 le
Those look delicious!!
These are SO adorable! I bet they taste as good as they look!
Love,
Stephanie May*
http://www.maydae.com
Ohmigod dying to make these! I live in NZ so kiwis have no idea what root beer floats are and would be so surprised by these. However, I seriously doubt my ability to locate either root beer extract or sassafras. : (
This comment has nothing to do with the cupcakes…although they look delish….
I was wandering through my local used bookstore today and came across “52 Scrapbooking challenges by Elsie Flannigan”….there’s a picture of Elsie with Rachel wearing bright pink rain boots…and another of Elsie and Emma together…Emma had a long denim skirt on and a pixie cut with bleached blond hair. You have both come a long way with your personal style 🙂
I always read the blog, but never leave a comment. Thanks for the daily dose of inspiration! 🙂
these look amazing and so cute! i can’t wait to try this out 🙂
wait but these are SO CUTE, and so fun! Perfect for parties!
xoxo
Juliette Laura
http://juliettelaura.blogspot.com
Hi guys! SO SORRY for the confusion on the instructions. I updated them!
xoxo.
We don’t drink root beer here in Northern Ireland but they are so adorable 🙂 My icing never sits right on my cupcakes, yours is really lovely!
xx
http://www.crimesofablonde.blogspot.co.uk
These are toooo cute! I haven’t had a root bear float in ages. What a unique idea.
The cupcakes are adorable and they look delicious. I want to say a special thank you for including your photo of the “deflated” cupcakes in the post. I am an aspiring baker and a batch of chocolate cupcakes went awry today. I suppose it was hormones or perhaps just sheer disappointment, but I felt pretty down (such a small crisis, I know). I’m slowly, but surely, learning that not all recipes are going to go so effortlessly every single time. It’s difficult to accept, but so necessary as a baker/chef. I love A Beautiful Mess so very much (especially your baking and cooking, Emma!). Keep up the amazing work.
Yummy!
xo Jennifer
http://seekingstyleblog.wordpress.com
These look so yummy! I wonder how they taste? Once my sister made a rootbeer cake. It was awful. LOL. But these look good 🙂
these look totally perfect. 🙂
kw, http://www.ladiesinnavy.com
love how they are decorated.
Such a beautiful blog! I’ve always been intrigued by root beer, guess i’ve got to get baking soon! x
Very sweet and thanks for showing your first attempt…that’s how my tries with new recipes often turn out!
really want to try it! i bet it’s so yummy! 😉
http://lovesimplegreen.blogspot.com/
Yum, will do this soooooon <3
http://stylismoetc.blogspot.com/
I appreciate the acknowledgement of mistakes, especially in the often unrealistic blogging world. Thanks! These are darling.
I was just posting about Watkins products the other day; their products are incredible but hard to find! I picked up a tin of their cinnamon in a market the last time I was in the south. Wish I would have looked for more things!
http://mattandcarlycross.blogspot.com/
These look so good! I love root beer floats! 🙂
They sound scrumptious! I bet my boyfriend would love them 🙂
Kerri xx
thanks so much for posting photos of the imperfect first batch! emma’s recipe posts are the best ever!
That looks so good!!!!
i cant wait to make these for everyone at work! theyll flip! thanks for sharing! yummmmm!
Looks so cute and delicious! 🙂
♥Brooke
http://youreinbrookelynn.blogspot.com/
I made em and OMG so good. I only could find root beer concentrate, but guess what they still worked out nicely.
Mmmm root beer is my vice! I’m going to have to try these!
yum yum. and o so adorable.
grace
http://herumbrella.com
Wow, it is mouth watering. I am going to make it soon. Thanks for the recipe.
cute !!
http://hidinginheaven.blogspot.fr/2013/03/the-one-with-watch.html
These are adorable! What a great idea! Thank you for sharing!
Oh wow those look delicious!
I love root beer floats! So nostalgic!
ok HOW did you fix the sunken cakes? This happened to me when I made my hi-hats.
Help!
Kristina B- There are probably many reasons that cake can fall like this. But for me this time the problem was not enough salt.
These are so cute!!!! I have to make them!!
These are so cute!
ooohhhh Thank you Emma for the tip!
These sounds great!
So, I went ahead and had to make these this past weekend. I made mine minis and used the frosting as a filling and then made vanilla whipped cream as a topping. And cherry jelly bean for the cherry!! I took them to work and got a great response- thank you!!!
Oh, and I had a tough time finding the root beer extract but finally got it at a beer supply store- they had 3 choices- woo hoo!
I really admire you!
Your food always looks so beautiful and perfect!I wish mine would look like that!
Oh and thanks a lot for telling,where you got your paper straws,they are so cute!Need to buy them too!
xoxo
You produced some decent points there. I looked online for the problem and identified most people will go along with together with your site.
jordans for women
http://buynfljerseysgo.roundandabout-mull.com
I made these for Easter dinner, and then brought the remaining ones into work. Everyone LOVED them so thank you for this fun cupcake recipe. I know you hear it all the time but your blog has inspired me to create more!
making these right now!!