I just wanted to show you that, because I think it’s funny. And cute.
Sitting at a restaurant last weekend, we had little Isla in her car seat next to us, quietly sleeping for the first ten minutes after we arrived. We then realized why she was so quiet…oh Hello Kitty, what will you think of next?
This picture reminded me that you can’t always take everything so seriously. Sometimes you just have to sit back and look at life with different eyes (hopefully eyes that aren’t covered by giant Hello Kitty heads on a frilly lace band). It’s important to realize that life is what you make it and if you take it too seriously, you’ll never be happy. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t be serious about work, or health, or family, etc., but that you take things as they come and laugh when you have the chance.
I always try to be optimistic in everything I do. Is there a chance I might win the lottery? Yes! Of course there is, although it is a slight chance, there is still a chance at winning. Will I be the next great celebrity chef? I will if I work for it and never stop keeping that dream alive. It’s all about what you make life to be. If you want to be a race car driver, don’t just say it, get out there and practice, go to the track and find a car, ask around to the other drivers about how they got started. It pains me when people look at life as half empty, because in reality it is always half full. No matter what storms happen to travel your way, there is always a patch of sun peeking around the next cloud. You may not notice it, but it’s there.
What is all this ranting and what does it have to do with food you ask?
Well, I was asked by my advertising company to come up with a recipe that I thought was fun and creative. They had some suggestions on flavour combinations and root beer float was one of them. I couldn’t pass it up the chance to hone my baking skills with such an odd concoction now could I?
I had no idea what I was in for….
I am not a baker, nor am I a chemist. Baking, it turns out, is some serious chemistry and I just so happened to take biology in school, damnit! I was a teen who would much rather cut into little piggies (is that gross?) to see what’s inside them, then to find out why acids react with neutrals…oh wait, is that right? See, I’m no good.
What transpired after the initial e-mail asking for recipes was three batches of root beer float cupcakes in a house with two adults and one child eating solid foods. I tell ya, that’s a lot of cupcakes! I did manage, in my third attempt, to come up with something that has a cake-like consistency and a good crumb. The frosting makes it a “float” and together they really do taste like an authentic root beer float. So the moral of the story is, even though you fail once or twice (or three or four…), you can still pull up your panties and pick up where you left off.
Sadly the whole process of making these cupcakes has made me mad with root beer float withdrawal. Every time we’ve passed an ice cream store or soda shop, I’ve had a hankering for a float so bad…one of these days I’ll stop in for one. In the mean time, I’ve got a whole lot of cupcakes to eat! Want not, waste not!
Root Beer Float Cupcakes
Yield: 10 cupcakes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time 25 minutes1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 eggs + 1 egg yolk
2 tsp rootbeer extract (available at most U-Brew stores)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk1. Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and egg yolk and beat.
2. Stir in extracts. Set aside.
3. In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
4. Add dry ingredients to wet in two parts, alternating with buttermilk and completely combining between additions. Pour into lined baking tins.
5. Bake in a 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes. Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Frost with Brown Sugar and Rootbeer Frosting when completely cooled.Brown Sugar and Rootbeer Frosting
1 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp brown sugar, packed
1 tsp root beer extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 package Dr. Oetker’s “Whip-It” or other whipped cream stabilizer1. Whip all ingredients on high until stiff peaks form.
2. Frost cupcakes and store in refrigerator.
Similarly delicious recipe from other blogs:
Root Beer Float Cupcakes on Cupcake Project
Root Beer Float Cupcakes on Smitten Kitchen
Coca Cola Cupcakes on Not Quite Nigella
Chocolate Cherry Dr.Pepper Cupcakes on …So Sinful It’s Sweet
Mountain Dew Cupcakes on All Things Cupcake
Adorable. I have to try this. I have a recipe for rootbeer float whoopie pies that I have been wanting to make!
Oh my gosh, root beer floats are one of our favorite summer treats. We just made them two nights ago, in fact.
This is absolutely terrific! Love the idea (as I’m a big fan of root beer anything….) and can’t wait to make these! I’ll also share this link on my Facebook fan page. Take care!
This is wonderful! What a great idea and I can’t wait to make them since I love all things root beer! Also can’t wait to share it on my Facebook fan page! Take care! Laura
I love these! How fun!
Gorgeous cupcakes! The little bendy straw garnish is too perfect for words… love it.
I can’t believe you’re not sick of root beer after three entire batches of cupcakes, though. 🙂
What gorgeous cupcakes! I love the straw! The photo of your daughter is adorable!
Look at that, we were both thinking about beer 😀 I didn’t even know there was such a thing as root beer extract….I have to go hunting for it now. My sister dumped caramel and pretzels over her ice cream, but I like the peanut idea, genius.
Beautiful baby…great cup cakes and the staw…fun
Oh my, what a flavor combination! I love root beer floats. They rock. I am not a cupcake baker though. I am terrible with frosting things. I would rather just buy one or get one at a birthday party! I guess I am lazy too. Anyway, these look amazing and make me want to break out of my procrastination and actually bake. Just might. Thanks for the inspiration.
Brilliant! We’ve been drinking root beer floats a lot this summer, since our summer vacation in BC (where they seemed to be far more popular than here in Ontario). I LOVE the idea of making the cupcakes and the straw is a perfect addition.
Um, how cute are these!!
I love it when you take on a challenge. You’d be great on Top Chef. Hmm, aren’t they auditioning in Canada now?
Really? How do I miss this stuff???
These look like summer. I bought that root beer extract once to make home made root beer. The concoction exploded all over my pantry and left me with yeasty goo. This looks a lot safer. Apparently I am not much of a chemist either! Thanks for sharing your hard work!
We bought the extract for root beer too but just never made it. Now I’m kinda glad we didn’t…Thanks for sharing!
Where do I find the whipping cream stablizer? Never heard of it before. What exactly is it?
I found Whip it in my local small grocer’s baking supply aisle. It is Dextrose, modified corn starch, tricalcium phosphate….a bunch of chemicals. You could try not using any and whipping the cream VERY stiff, but not into butter! If you are going to eat the cupcakes right away you wouldn’t need it, but any amount of time sitting out and the whipped cream will deflate and begin to separate.
Also, there is another way to stabilize whipped cream using gelatin. Try this site for the method: http://www.wikihow.com/Stabilize-Whipped-Cream
those look amazing but were can i find Dr. Oetker’s “Whip-It”?
I found you via foodgawker – what a great photo! But then I was treated to an even better photo of your little on with the Hello Kitty band over her eyes – that is toooooo cute!!!
🙂
ButterYum
these are absolutely delicious. my kids would kiss my feet if i made them!
My daughter wants me to make these. I’ve got to track down some of that root beer extract.
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Looks delicious and I appreciate your comments on optimism, I could always use help with that! Cute baby!
These are terrific – so fun and I bet they taste delicious!
Wow, looks like a great party recipe. It must lots of fun eating it.
Rootbeer extract? wow it’s the first time I’m hearing it..
Oooh I am sooo bookmarking this! Im an american living in the netherlands and they dont have root beer anything here..and it’s my favorite. Someone sent me root beer extract from home and now I make my own root beer and now Im going to make these! How funny that you used Dr Oetkers Whip it,thats a huge name brand over here. I didnt even know they sold it anywhere else other than here.
These are really cute! As is the picture at the top 🙂
so, so cute!! i never knew there was such a thing as root beer extract!
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these look amazing! i love root beer!
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you can buy root beer extract at Walmart. why do you not have a print option. You have everything else.
I have two print options. One at the top and one at the very bottom.
what about a print option?
Hi Bruce, as I have said above, there is a print button at the bottom of the post. If you scroll to the bottom of the post, just above the comments section it says “Print This Recipe”. Click that and it will open a new window to print that does not have photos.
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omg, thanks so much for posting this! I found a good recipe for Green Tea Cupcakes! You should try it, it was a piece of cake(lol). Super tasty!
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