Root Beer Float Cupcakes

I just found this recipe on Cupcake Project, and went and found the original recipe on BitterSweet.  (Man, there are a lot of food blogs out there!)  I didn't have root beer extract on hand, so I tried simmering some root beer in a saucepan to reduce it, in hopes of intensifying the flavor, but clearly, I have no idea what I was doing.  I was seriously scared that there's some rule out there that you should never heat anything carbonated, and doing so will cause it to blow up!  So, the cupcake didn't have much of a root beer taste (my root beer was pretty flat, too, so that might have been the reason), but it did turn out very moist, so these really turned out to be more like vanilla cupcakes with vanilla frosting!  Oh, and I didn't have any dark chocolate on hand, so I skipped the ganache, but I'm guessing thick chocolate is never a bad thing!  I also halved the frosting, and it was still way too much, as was the cupcake batter, which turned out to be dangerous, as it was incredibly delicious batter!

Oh, and one more note.  I baked the cupcakes for a full 18 min. before realizing that my oven WAS NOT EVEN ON!!!  Yeah, and I'm not sleep deprived anymore!  I'm just stupid.  It did kind of half-way bake, because I had just been using the oven to make something else before turning it off and putting my cupcakes in, so I guess I really can't vouch for this recipe since I barely followed it, but my pathetic version did turn out to be pretty yummy anyway!  See?

(I know, not nearly as nice as BitterSweet's picture, but still...)

Root Beer Float Cupcakes:

1 c. root beer

1 tsp. apple cider vinegar (wow, I just realized I used a tablespoon, not a teaspoon!  Seriously, why are you all friends with me????)

3/4 c. sugar

1/3 c. canola oil

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. root beer extract

1 1/3 c. flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin pan with liners.  Combine root beer and cider vinegar and let stand for a few min.  Add the sugar and oil, and whisk vigorously until slightly frothy.  Whisk in extracts, and slowly add dry ingredients, being careful not to overmix.  It will be lumpy at first, but should be a nice smooth texture once all the dry ingredients are folded in.  Pour batter evenly in pan, about 3/4 full.  Bake 18-22 min and cool completely.

Ganache

5 oz. dark chocolate

1/4 cup soymilk (I'm guessing regular milk works, too)

1 tablespoon maple syrup 

Combine above in microwave-safe container and melt in the microwave, stirring about every 30 seconds. (But don't burn it... duh!)  Drizzle ganache in squiggles over the tops of cupcakes (oh, I'm bummed I didn't do this part!  That would have been fun.)  Allow ganache to fully cool before preparing the ice cream frosting.

Frosting:

1 cup shortening, at room temp. (I'm also guessing that butter would work, too, and probably  taste better than shortening)

3 cups confectioners' sugar (I used more than the recipe called for to give it texture enough for 

piping a little swirl on top)

2 tablespoons vanilla soymilk

2 tsp vanilla extract

Cream shortening, and then add sugar gradually until it's a nice smooth consistency.  Add milk and extract, beating until smooth, and add sugar as necessary to get the desired thickness.  You could frost these however you want; I put them in a Ziploc, snipped the end, and swirled away, pretending I work at Dairy Queen (my lifelong dream!).

Enjoy!  Oh, and don't forget the most important part... PREHEAT YOUR OVEN!!! (or at least turn it on....... geez!)