Root Beer Cupcakes

Soda in cupcakes?  

My initial reaction to this recipe was skepticism.  I mean really?  Soda in cupcakes? 

But I love to try all the weird could-be-amazing, could-be-Clorox-my-mouth-out-awful recipes!

These turned out to be delicious!! Especially if you are a fan of Root Beer.  The frosting added the perfect compliment to the cupcake as well.

I made them as mini's but you could definitely do normal sized cupcakes as well!

Root Beer Cupcakes

Recipe Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients For Cupcakes:

2 cups root beer
1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs

Directions For Cupcakes:

 -Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, cocoa powder and butter over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool. (It was 30 something degrees outside so I put the pan on our deck, but a freezer would work too if you want to speed up the process!)
-In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until just beaten then stir them into the cooled cocoa mixture until combined. Fold the liquid and flour mixtures together in the large bowl. The batter will be slightly lumpy. Make sure not to over-beat or the cupcakes will be a bit tougher.
-Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 to 3/4 full and bake cupcakes until a tester inserted into the center of each comes out clean, about 17 minutes for normal sized and about 10 for mini's. 


Ingredients For Frosting:

 1 1/2 cups heavy or whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions For Frosting:

Beat the ingredients together with a mixer until soft peaks form.  This frosting is basically like homemade whipped topping so think about the thickness of that when you make this.  

You can decorate the tops however you want, add a cherry for extra cuteness and deliciousness if you'd like!  Happy Baking!