I haven’t done a ton of baking lately (including a “gee-but-I-really-wanted-to” Halloween treat), fixated as I have been on Christmas crafting, but a dear friend celebrated his birthday last week and I thought it was time to get off my heinie and get baking! This is somebody who, if you ask him, will request vanilla over chocolate every (every, every) time – and although I don’t have a problem with that, it’s been done. There’s just not a lot you can do with that. I still didn’t want to do the rather obvious chocolate option, however, so I put my thinking cap on. And, inspired by the best! freaking! donut! I have ever eaten, I came up with…drumroll….root beer float cupcakes.
In a nod to his usual preference, I used the basic vanilla cupcake recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, and substituted in root beer extract instead of vanilla. Shocking, right? I had initially planned on a vanilla buttercream frosting to mimic the ice cream found in a float, but I was worried the root beer flavour wouldn’t carry through, so that is root beer buttercream gracing those beauties.
…because he is!
Waiting for a wish:
De-papered and -candled, and ready to eat:
I like that these are kind of like stealth cupcakes…to the casual observer, they could almost pass for an unassuming vanilla – they’re only oh-so-slightly less white – but pack a flavour wallop when you bite in! In fact, the birthday boy didn’t even question what they were when I first dished one up. It wasn’t until he was about halfway through that he looked up and asked, “What is this? It tastes almost fizzy!” I don’t know about fizzy, but like a favourite soda? Absolutely!
Thanks for looking!
The Witty Child 