Root beer extract…it’s a thing. I found mind on Amazon after discovering a recipe for what were billed as root beer float cupcakes, and that seemed exactly like the kind of thing I wanted to bake.

Full disclosure, there’s not really a root beer float vibe to these treats – they’re basically root beer cupcakes without the vanilla flavor you’d have with the ice cream in a float. Sometime soon I’ll make vanilla cupcakes and frost them with my root beer buttercream, and I suspect that will be heaven. Still, these treats were a huge hit at work, with people coming to my office and saying “root beer cupcakes!?!?!” in wondrous delight.

Ingredients

For the cupcakes

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon root beer extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup root beer

For the frosting

• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 5 tablespoons root beer
• 2 teaspoons root beer extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with paper liners; I honestly cannot recall how many cupcakes this made, but I want to say between 20 and 24. I baked this one a while back!

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, root beer extract, and vanilla extract and beat to combine. Alternatively add flour and root beer, mixing to combine – you just want your batter to come together, so don’t over-mix.

Fill cupcake wells about 2/3 full; bake for 15-20 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and remove cupcakes from wells; cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

To make the frosting, beat butter in a mixer for 1-2 minutes; add powdered sugar and beat on low until all the sugar is incorporated into the butter. Add root beer, root beer extract, and vanilla extract and beat to completely combine; you may need to add a bit more powdered sugar if your frosting is too runny.

Pipe generous swirls of frosting onto cupcakes; store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.