Hot Fudge Root Beer Float Cupcakes.
Awhile back I did one of the darnedest things. You may recall.
I made this root beer float. And I’m still trying to decide if it was the best decision of my life, or the catalyst to having nightmares when I envision warm, sandy beaches and waves crashing along the shore. Along with bikinis. Root beer floats and bikinis don’t go together. Did you know that?
Let me rephrase that. Daily root beer floats and bikinis don’t go together. Unless you’re a freak of nature.
Even though root beer has never really tickled my fancy, I’ve developed something that some may call an… addiction. It hurts to say it out loud. For someone who has never found a thrill in drinking carbonated beverages, all I can think about is cold, bubbly root beer twenty four seven. It tastes so good when it hits your lips.
See that frosting up there? It’s a bit ridiculous. The vanilla frosting tastes like vanilla ice cream, and that little guy? That little bowl is filled with root beer frosting.
I’ll say it again in because I can’t really believe it either.
Root beer frosting.
Root. Beer. Frosting.
I don’t want to lead you astray, so I’m going to tell you a little secret.
We’re friends right? You’ll understand.
The root beer flavor doesn’t come from just root beer. I’m sorry… but it just isn’t possible. I tried. And tried again. And drank lots of half-poured bottles of root beer in between. And even added some ice cream down inside the bottle. Kind of like how you add a lime slice to a Corona. But better.
Then I tried some more. And well, I eventually could taste a little twinge of root beer, but it just wasn’t doing it for me. I don’t think it would do it for you either.
It was then that I caved. I flew to the store in a frenzy, with flour dusted on my sweatpants and a fresh vanilla extract moustache.
Contrary to what Mr. How Sweet may tell you, I did not fly there on my broom.
I made my way to the spice aisle and spied what I’ve longed to pick up in the past, but could never bring myself to shell out the $6 for: root beer concentrate. Don’t be scared, friends. It is a good thing. A very good thing.
However, perhaps now is when I should mention that one should not taste root beer concentrate on it’s own. Don’t do it. I am not sure that I have ever ingested something so foul, with the exception of the broccoli stalk I accidentally bit into on Friday afternoon.
But enough about me.
It’s time to talk cupcakes. There was a time in my life when I thought bacon and chocolate cupcakes reigned supreme. This was a very long time ago; almost two months to the day. Clearly I age in light years.
Then I made hot fudge peanut butter stuffed cupcakes. And let’s just say… they literally took the cake. Or so I thought.
But these beat them all. Silky, dark chocolate cake that crumbles when you take a bite, enveloping a spurt of fizzy root beer frosting. Yes, I said fizzy. I can not tell a lie. I don’t know if it’s the root beer concentrate or if my local grocery store started carrying hallucinogenic mushrooms, but we all agreed that this cupcake fizzes like your traditional root beer float. Top that off with a big cloud of fluffy vanilla ice cream frosting, and you’re good to go. Well, anywhere except for the beach I suppose.
Hot Fudge Root Beer Float Cupcakes.
Ingredients
Root Beer Float 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
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 concentrate
Instructions
Root Beer Float Cupcakes
- 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
- 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 concentrate 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.
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
I think this calls for an extra year hour on the treadmill.
270 Comments on “Hot Fudge Root Beer Float Cupcakes.”
What is the difference between Root Beer Concentrate and Root Beer Extract? Can I use Root Beer Schnapps or the Extract instead of Concentrate?
I honestly am not sure what the different is. My store did not have the extract. I would think you can definitely use the extract (probably in the same amounts) but I am not familiar with Schnapps, so I would possible use some then taste test and decide?
Jessica, you are hilarious and I adore the majority of the food you show on your blog (I’m a vegetarian, so that’s why I can’t say that I adore ALL of it!) I love coming to your site everyday, and I especially love the signature last photo of the half-eaten dish. Yum!
These look absolutely decadent. I love that the cupcakes actually fizzed. I am going to be on the lookout for root beer extract now!
I sell Watkins products and we have an excellent root beer flavoring. If anyone is interested please order through me by going to watkinsonline.com use associate ID # 370671.
Also for the holidays there are some seasonal flavorings coming, such as anise, black walnut..
Check it out.
Thanks
Or should I be looking for root beer concentrate? Hmmmmmmm.
Either should work!
You’re such a genius.
My root beer loving hubby is going to love these.
First time commenter, long time reader. You have out done yourself. My husband is going to flip for these. I am going to save this recipe, literally in my back pocket, and use it as amunition when I need to pull out the big guns. Thank you and good night.
-Emily
I bet Gisele could eat these and still wear a bikini. Snarl.
These look amazing! The cupcake bakery where I used to work makes a root beer float cupcake as their ‘cupcake of the month’ in August but with root beer-flavored cake, crazy!
Whoa! Those look amazing.
I hope I can find root beer extract to make them. They would be great with a ice cold glass of root beer.
Goal for the month: Find rootbeer extract!
Yes, I didn’t even know this stuff existed!
I just absolutely LOVE your writing(and of course your food). It ALWAYS makes me want to jump right on into making whatever it is you have come up with! Even the ones that have nothing in it I would eat! You have an amazing talent. Simply amazing.
Thank you so much Rachel!
I absolutely salivated at the sight of all those yummy pictures of yours!
I intend to try making cupcakes soon, and if I succeed, I would try this Root Bear recipe too. :)
xoxo,
Addie
The Cat Hag
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It just so happens I have root beer concentrate in my pantry. Guess what I’m making today???
Let me know if you make them!
Amazing! That is something that I never would have thought of- you have the IT factor! This is a must try!
Eric doesn’t like root beer.
Guess that means I’m going to have to eat them myself.
Where do you get the dark cocoa? I’ve never seen that in my grocery store, do you need to special order it?
I find it at my local grocery store! I have been using Hershey’s Special Dark, and it is right next to the regular cocoa. I think it is fairly new, maybe in the last few months?
I also think using regular cocoa would work fine!
Thanks, I’ll look for it to come to my store soon! Love your recipes!
Thanks Lynda!
Look for the rootbeer extract at your local Super Walmart – thats where I found mine after failing to find it at the major grocery stores in my area.
Holy Goodness Batman! I have GOT to make these for my twin brother. He has always been a root-beer addict. You know those little root-beer barrel candy? Yup, guess who never got one when she was little because her twin hogged them all…you guessed it. Me. Such a sob story, perhaps I should eat my feelings in a batch or two of these!?!?!
My group is on a big root beer float kick these days!!! We buy have kept the house stocked with mini cans of root beer and mini cups of blue bell for this reason. And did pour some Hershey’s over mine which caused my daughter’s mouth to drop wide open as if I was doing something unthinkable. Lol!!! After reading this post I must say great minds think alike ;)
oh my awesomeness!!! Heading to the store to get that concentrate :)
Looks divine! Why do some of your posts have a link to print and some don’t? It just make life easy for those of us that want to be you :)
My print plugin has stopped working! It is driving me BONKERS. I can’t get it to work. But I’m unveiling a new design for the site very shortly so it shouldn’t be an issue anymore. So sorry – I know it’s a pain!
Thanks for the uber prompt reply! Can’t wait to see the new site! Good luck – I know upgrades and design issues can be overwhelming :)
Thanks for reading! :)
Oh my gosh!! This looks AWESOME! I saw rootbeer extract the other day at the grocery store and I was baffled, what on earth do you use rootbeer extract for??? These cupcakes. hahaha! They look delicious!!
oh man yum! why do you tease me like this now i’m going to have to run to the store and make these. thanks! :)
that looks like the best thing i’ve ever seen…
I made the cupcakes today and my husband and I each enjoyed one after supper tonight. They are SO good that I’m taking some to share with friends tomorrow and he’s taking the rest to work. I certainly don’t need them in the house. I’d could finish them all off all by myself! Thanks for a wonderful recipe. It’s definitely in my ‘keeper’ file.
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Jessica,
Thank you for sharing your cooking and baking passion! I am new to your blog and get your Facebook updates and they seriously make my day! My husband thanks you too, because I am cooking and baking all of the time now! You are such an inspiration to me and I’m pretty sure if we lived in the same town we would be friends. :) I love your writing style and find myself laughing out loud. You are one creative genius with words and with food! Hands down my favorite blog ever so please don’t ever stop! I have shared your blog with all of my friends and family!
p.s. I made the root beer float cupcakes last night – ah.mazing.
Thanks so, so much! Glad you liked the cupcakes. :)
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You crack me up! I made rootbeer cupcakes before and you are right. There was no root beer flavor. I need to make them your way! I know they would be way better then the recipe I used! Have a great weekend!
You. Rock.
I am done now.
Hi,
ever since I read this post I fell in love with it. I’ve run to a store to buy all I need to make this but I encountered on one big problem which is IN MY COUNTRY YOU CAN’T FIND ROOT BEER!! Can you believet?! No, well neither can. What do you thing, with what I can replace root beer???? Please help me
P.S.: I love your blog.
XOXO
Hi Elia! I would do milk or even water if you need to. They should be fine. :) Could you find the root beer concentrate?
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Good root beer is delicious and the IBC I spied in the pictures (yes I knew from the bottle no I don’t see hat as a sign of a larger problem) is the BEST out there with Barq’s a close second. I will eat these and love them and…yeah maybe best to stop there…
Wonderful! I love the title of the recipe. It surely make people mouth watering while looking at those pictures. I will surely try this one. Thanks for sharing.
Oh my goodness! This cupcakes were so intense. With each bite, I fell in love even more.
But…I do have one question. The cake didn’t want to stick to the cupcake liners. Could I have done something wrong…mixed it too long? Or could it be the root beer that caused the batter not to stick?
Yum! Made these last night and they were really good, first time I’ve ever made a filled cupcake, so easy to do with the pastry bag!
We ate them right after I finished them and then I had one with breakfast this morning (for research purposes of course) and I think they were actually better the second day, more root beer-y if that makes sense.
Bahhhh, I realized I forgot the cocoa powder when the cupcakes were already in the oven :( Hopefully they still turn out ok… They seem to be falling apart easier than a normal cupcake but I’m hoping the frosting will hold them together or something.
Besides that, they are yummy!
Yeahhhhh the 2nd batch was an epic fail… Thankfully, I have enough stuff to try again. So this time I’m going to remember the cocoa. :P
Aw man! Keep me posted… the cocoa is a must because it is one of the dry ingredients!
So now I can see why cocoa powder is such a big deal while cooking! They came out great this time. :) The fiance’ approves, and has been loving all the recipes I get from your website!
I can’t wait to try these!! I made some plain ones the other day, with a different recipe, and was sooo disappointed. No root beer flavor at all!!! the next day tehy smelled like root beer, but didnt’ taste it. I think these are going to be wonderful, especially since my hubby loves root beer =)
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omg im so trying these i cant waitt :)
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My kiddos would LOVE these!
I am so backed up on my reader that I am just seeing this yumminess for the first time!
These look DE.LI.CIOUS.
i just have one question? The recipe makes 12, if I wanted to make 24 is it safe to just double everything?
I haven’t tried that yet, but I don’t see why not!
I made these over the weekend and they were FABULOUS!!!
I doubled the recipe with no ill effects.
I have only one question. For the root beer frosting you say to use “root beer extract” which is different than “root beer concentrate.” I happened to have the extract (from making homemade candy, so I used the extract which was a delightful blend!! I debated on tossing the cupcake batter and sitting with the bowl frosting and a spoon and just eating the root beer frosting straight… i’m glad I didn’t.
After reading the description a little closer, you mention using the concentrate in the frosting. Did you mean “root beer concentrate” for the frosting? Because if you did, I’m going to have to make them again, just to taste the difference. Although I cant imagine they could taste any better?
Thanks for posting. Super YUMMY!
Oh yes – sorry about that! I meant concentrate. I got confused since I also used vanilla extract, I apologize. Going to fix it now. :) Glad they were a hit!
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YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM!!!