Monday, July 18, 2011

.Recipe of the week.


Happy Monday everyone! Look at me, I'm on the ball and here with a recipe to share on the right day and everything! I'm taking this as a sign that I will be organized and clear headed this week {always good}. I know that the last few recipes have been on the sweet side so I had planned on sharing a nice savory main course but then I saw this recipe and it was too darn cute not to post! There are few things better than a root beer float on a hot day...but one of those things just might be a root beer float cupcake! Yummy!

Root Beer Float Cupcake

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:
¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 ¼ cups sugar
½ dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp root beer extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup cocoa powder {Dutch processed}
2 cups root beer

Frosting:
1 lb unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
8 egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tsp root beer extract {or more to taste}

Directions:
Cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and pale.
3. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix until combined
4. Sift together flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda together
5. Stir together root beer & root beer extract
6. Alternately add dry ingredients and root beer to mixing bowl, scraping down after each addition. Start and end with dry ingredients
7. Fill paper-lined muffin tins with batter 2/3 full.
8. Bake at 350° for 20-22 minutes

Vanilla & root beer swirl frosting:
1. Combine the sugar & egg whites in mixer bowl and whisk together over simmering water until hot to the touch and all of the sugar has melted and is no longer grainy
2. Transfer bowl to mixer stand and whip on high until fluffy & cool – about 10 minutes
3. With the mixer on low, add the softened butter, 1 tablespoon at a time until incorporated. Add in vanilla. Whip until smooth (it may look curdled, but just continue to mix & it will be fine!).
4. Remove ½ of the frosting and add root beer extract to the remaining frosting.
5. Using this "two bags in one" piping technique frost the cupcakes. This will create the swirl affect white adds to the flavor and look of the cupcakes. Be warned: this can be a bit tricky to master, not impossible or overly difficult but you should do a couple of practice swirls so that you get the hang of how much pressure you need to use before you go at the cupcakes.
6. Finish off the look with adorable vintage paper straws {cut down to size}!

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