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–+ servings

Root Beer Cupcakes

Heather Baird
These Root Beer Cupcakes are moist and tender with fluffy root beer buttercream, and nostalgic soda-shop flavor in every bite. Use your favorite brand of root beer in this recipe. I love A&W, but Mug or Barq's are also good choices.
You'll need two dram bottles of LorAnn root beer flavoring oil for this recipe, which can be ordered online (see links in post). You can also use root beer concentrate, which can be found at most US grocery stores with the spices and extracts. See recipe notes for amounts.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 24 minutes
1 hour cool time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 39 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

Cupcakes

  • 1 cup root beer soft drink
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into pieces
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon LorAnn Root Beer flavoring oil 1 dram bottle

Root Beer Buttercream

  • 1/2 cup salted butter at room temperature
  • 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup root beer soft drink
  • 1 teaspoon LorAnn Root Beer flavoring oil
  • 1 teaspoon Chefmaster buckeye brown food color optional
  • 1 tablespoon unsweet cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons white nonpareils

Instructions
 

For the Root Beer Cupcakes

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with baking papers.
  • In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside
  • In a small saucepan, heat root beer, cocoa powder, and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Add sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool, about 25 minutes.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg until just beaten, then whisk in the cooled cocoa mixture until combined. Gently stir flour mixture into cocoa mixture.
  • Use a 1/4 cup measure or standard trigger ice cream scoop to pour batter into the cupcake papers. Bake cupcakes for 23- 25 minutes or until cake springs back when pressed in the middle.
  • Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

For the Root Beer Buttercream

  • In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Add in the confectioners’ sugar and mix on low speed.
  • Gradually add in the heavy cream and mix until a thick buttercream forms. Drizzle in the root beer. Add the root beer flavoring oil and beat until combined. Raise the mixer speed to high and whip until light and fluffy. The flavoring oil will color the frosting slightly to a pale peachy-brown color. Add the buckeye brown food color, if using.
  • Sift in the unsweet cocoa powder and beat again until well combined. Scrape down the bowl and turn the frosting over with a spatula to make sure no streaks of butter or sugar remain. Beat again if necessary.
  • Transfer the frosting to a large piping bag fitted with a large closed star tip.
  • Set each cupcake inside woodgrain wrappers, if using.
  • Pipe a tall double swirl of buttercream on each cupcake, pausing to add sprinkles after piping each swirl so they’ll stick.
  • Serve immediately, or store in a cupcake keeper at room temperature.

Notes

  • Root Beer Flavoring Substitute: If you don't have LorAnn Root Beer Flavoring Oil, substitute 1½ teaspoons root beer concentrate in the cupcakes and 1½ teaspoons root beer concentrate in the buttercream (3 teaspoons total for the recipe). The root beer flavor in the frosting can be adjusted by taste. Add additional flavoring 1/4 teaspoon at a time.
  • Make Ahead: The unfrosted cupcakes can be baked up to 2 days in advance. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature.
  • Frosting: The buttercream can be prepared 1 day ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container. Bring it to room temperature, then rewhip with a mixer until light and fluffy before frosting the cupcakes.
  • Storage: Frosted cupcakes will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerated for up to 5 days. For the best texture and flavor, let refrigerated cupcakes stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
Keyword root beer cupcakes, root beer flavoring oil, soda cupcakes, summer dessert
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