Float Away
February 24, 2007 at 7:48 am | Posted in Baking / Cooking, Food | 32 CommentsEons ago when my sister and I were but wee tots and my parents still exercised the authority to restrict my intake of sweets, I remember the harshest restrictions being placed on soda. Occasional candies and chocolates were okay, but soda? Only once a year, on New Year’s Eve were my sister and I allowed the pleasure of the bubbly liquid. If we were really, seriously lucky, we might even be permitted to add the most conservative scoop of ice cream, making the most alluring concoction we could ever imagine with our underdeveloped minds. Only rootbeer would be utilized for such occasions, mind you, lest we consume the evil substance known as caffeine along with this most decadent treat! For years we obeyed by this ruling, until eventually we grew older and [theoretically] wiser, trusted to make good decisions for ourselves, and soda was no longer such an illusive indulgence. In fact, you could say that their well-meaning plan backfired, seeing as I drink soda almost everyday, and rarely rootbeer!
Thinking about this small aspect of my childhood, I wanted to make something special to celebrate a small vacation from school, wherein my sister would get the chance to come and visit for a few days. Hoping that she would remember these past rituals as well as I do, there was little question over what new form I would try to recreate these memories in a more mature form. Not just a simple drink any more, but a real dessert demanding respect and attention. Don’t even think about comparing it to the old fashioned standby, as it has grown up quite a bit from it’s formerly childish embodiment.
That’s right, the newest incarnation of my beloved rootbeer float is now embodied by ever-popular cupcake, albeit much more animal-friendly than the original. A drizzle of ganache provides a bite reminiscent of a hot fudge ribbon, topped by a sweet dollop of vanilla frosting to take the place of melting, messy ice cream. In my opinion, this baby’s got everything you could ever want from this previously juvenile delight, and you don’t even need a straw on hand to enjoy it.
Admittedly, there is a bit more labor involved than the simple soda-and-ice cream float had demanded, but be patient; It’s completely worth it.
RootBeer Float Cupcakes
1 Cup Rootbeer Soda
1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Canola Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 Teaspoons Rootbeer Extract
1 1/3 Cups Flour
3/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a dozen cupcake tins with papers.
Combine the soda and vinegar and let stand for a few minutes. Add in the sugar and oil, whisking vigorously until slightly frothy. Integrate your extracts, and gently introduce the flour, along with the baking powder / soda, and salt, being careful not to over mix. Distributing the batter evenly between the prepared tins, fill cupcake liners approximately 3/4 of the way to the top. Bake for about 18 – 22 minutes. Allow them to cool completely before proceeding to the ganache.
Ganache
5 Oz. Dark Chocolate
1/4 Cup Soymilk
1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
Combine the above in a microwave-safe container and nuke for about a minute. Stir thoroughly even if it doesn’t look completely melted – It should come together after a bit of agitation, but if the chocolate still isn’t entirely smooth, return to the microwave for 15-30 seconds at a time, watching carefully to ensure that it doesn’t burn. Drizzle ganache in squiggles over the tops of the cupcakes. [You'll probably have plenty of left over ganache, but is that a particularly bad thing?] Allow ganache squiggles to fully cool and dry before preparing the frosting.
Frosting
1 Cup Vegetable Shortening
3 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar
2 Tablespoons Vanilla Soymilk
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
Throw room temperature shortening into your mixer, and beat thoroughly until creamed. Add in sugar and start on a low speed so as not to spray powder everywhere. Incorporate soymilk and extract, and combine thoroughly. Apply to cupcakes as desired. Wax nostalgic about childhood memories.
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Ummm…YUM YUM YUM YUM YUM! I wish I was your sister!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Casey — February 24, 2007 #
This sounds delicious! I remember rootbeer floats as a special childhood treat too! It is hard to locate Soy based ice ceram where I live, I think that I will attempt this! Thanks for the treat!!
Comment by Brooke — February 24, 2007 #
Holy crap. These sound amazing. Do they actually taste like root beer? I’m going to have to make these, definitely.
Comment by Amanda — February 24, 2007 #
amazing. i’m speechless!
Comment by lolo — February 24, 2007 #
your creations are amazing…and they all look delicious….you are so talented..keep up the great work =]
and i am also curious, when you tried them, could you taste the rootbeer?
Comment by Kim — February 24, 2007 #
HELLOO!
Sorry I haven’t been commenting but these cupcakes are too cool! Richard (my bf) LOVES rootbeer. thank you for sharing
teddy
Comment by Teddy — February 25, 2007 #
I’ve never even heard of rootbeer extract. Where did you find it? Sounds lovely, as usual. :)
Comment by spacecadette — February 25, 2007 #
YUM – these look and sound absolutely sinful! i can’t even remember the last time I had a root beer float!
Comment by Linda — February 25, 2007 #
Thank for the recipe. This ones going on the to do list.
Comment by cupcaketastic — February 26, 2007 #
Perfect for the Muffin Monday! (here)
Greetings from Athens, Greece!
Comment by Katerina — February 26, 2007 #
What a unique recipe, they look awesome!
Comment by Laurie — February 26, 2007 #
oh my they look great. I am going to try them this week for my son and some friends.
it’s been so long since i have had a root beer float. now i can put it into my favorite thing in the whole world cupcakes…..thanks a bunch!
Comment by Jennifer — February 26, 2007 #
I am glad I came across your site and this receipe
sounds great…am going to try it for for family and
friends here in Singapore.
Comment by tony yuen — February 27, 2007 #
yum, thanks so much for the recipe!
Comment by johanna3 — February 28, 2007 #
My husband will love me even more if I make these immediately! These sound perfect!
Comment by Brooke — March 11, 2007 #
I’m on it!!! I just need to find some rootbeer! (hard to find in Japan)
Comment by The Vegan Ronin — March 24, 2007 #
I second the rootbeer essence query-
Where did you find that!? :)
Comment by sally jane — March 24, 2007 #
MMMMM they look yummy me and my friend want to try to make some although im preety shure ill never get my frosting to come out that shape ontop of my cupcakes unless I invest in some heavy machinery! haha
Thanks for the great ideas.
Not to try to be a promoter or anything but I just started my own vegan cooking/review blog with a friend so check it out if you get the chance!
http://veganeatz.blogspot.com/
Comment by Briggitte — April 4, 2007 #
These are super creative! I can hardly wait to try them.
Yum.
Comment by Dayna — May 20, 2007 #
I made this for my partner’s birthday on the weekend. The cupcakes turned out lovely – so moist and decadent. Thanks for the recipe. I posted about it on my blog, if you want to see photos.
Comment by vania — June 4, 2007 #
I’ve been trying to think of a good sweet treat to whip up for my BF for Christmas but it’s been tough. However, he loves rootbeer floats, so this should be perfect! thanks for sharing.
Comment by Lucy.R.E. — December 4, 2007 #
There are a lot of kids in my extended family that I see during the holidays, I know they’ll just love these. Thanks for sharing, they look amazing!
Comment by sockbuttons — December 4, 2007 #
I am so sad now. I am so far away from a can of root beer. There is no hope for me and this recipe in Italy :( Looks yummy, though!
Comment by Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy — December 4, 2007 #
They’re so pretty!
Comment by Cindy — December 5, 2007 #
Not only do these look delicious but they sound delicious as well. I’m going to make these and then I will comment on if they live up to there look.
Comment by Michelle — January 25, 2008 #
[...] were a Cupcake Project original recipe. However, some credit is due to Bittersweet Blog. I used the Rootbeer Float Cupcake recipe from there as a starting point for this [...]
Pingback by Shirley Temple Cupcakes « Eclectic Recipes — February 6, 2008 #
those look yummy!!!
Comment by bschlegel — February 6, 2008 #
I absolutly luv rootbeer so i KNOW these
will be GREAT!!!! I cant wait 2 try them!!
I will absolutly die if I can’t try these
2moro!!! :) :D thank u so much for telling
me about them!!! They will hopeful taste
as good as they look (Im not exactly the
best cook! :D ).
Comment by Courtney — February 19, 2008 #
[...] the cupcakes with chocolate ganache, then topping with thick, vanilla frosting. Get the recipe at http://bittersweetblog.wordpress.com/2007/02/24/float-away/ [...]
Pingback by Give Vegan a Chance! | Kiwilog - Kiwi Magazine's Blog — July 16, 2008 #
[...] root beer. I found the recipe on the Cupcake Project. She got the cupcake recipe from a site called Bittersweet. Now the cupcake project made a frosting with cream soda extract in it. She had to order the [...]
Pingback by Kitchen Homepage » Root Beer Cupcakes — June 6, 2009 #
[...] Root Beer Float Cupcakes – My Sweet Vegan [...]
Pingback by VeganPr0n.com » Vegan Bake Sale For Haiti – Cupcakes! — February 2, 2010 #
This recipe sounded great, but the only soda I had in the house was Dr. Brown’s Diet Black Cherry, so I substituted that for Root Beer. In lieu of root beer extract, I used Grenadine, pomegranate syrup. I also used light brown sugar instead of white.
The batter was a bright pink color and tasted delicious, like cherry soda and yummyness. The cupcakes… sort of. The color darkened to a sort of salmon, pinkish-orangish, and the batter separated a little, so the top seven eighths are that color, and the bottom is sort of tan/brownish. But you don’t see that until after you bite into it. :]
The taste also mellowed a bit, so it’s pretty much just a super-moist pinkish cupcake with a hint of cherry. If I make it again, I’ll need to play with my proportions a little, I think, and DEFINITELY white sugar to preserve the color. It was a really awesome pink, I must say.
All in all, great recipe! But where can you get kosher root beer extract?
(GANACHE: Genius me decided dark chocolate=baking chocolate, and I can replace maple syrup with more Grenadine. Gross. Just gross.)
Comment by tova — June 1, 2010 #