Anyone that loves root beer will fall in love with these delicious Root Beer Float Cupcakes. The soft and tender cupcakes are made with real root beer and root beer extract and topped with root beer buttercream frosting.
I like to decorate these cupcakes with a single maraschino cherry or even root beer barrel candies. For an even more adorable presentation, you cut decorative straws in half and stick one in each cupcake.
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Root Beer Float Cupcakes
These adorable Root Beer Float Cupcakes are the perfect summer dessert to serve at BBQs, birthday parties, or other outdoor get togethers. Each soft and tender cupcake is made with real root beer and topped with our homemade root beer buttercream frosting.
In order to get the super strong root beer flavor, you will want to use a little root beer extract. It really boosts the flavor and is easy to find online. If you absolutely love root beer, you can also try making our easy Homemade Root Beer recipe.
Root Beer Cupcake Ingredients
- White Cake Mix - I like to use white cake mix for these cupcakes because they take on flavors really well. You can try and use another flavor such as yellow cake mix or even chocolate, but the root beer flavor will have to compete a bit more with the cake itself.
- Butter - this will need to be melted first.
- Root Beer - use any kind that you want.
- Eggs - it’s best if your eggs are at room temperature before mixing so that they don’t shock the melted butter when you mix them together. You can pull them out ahead of time or run under warm water briefly.
- Root Beer Extract - you may find this at your local grocery store. Otherwise, you can easily find it online. The cupcakes can be made without root beer extract, but the root beer flavor won’t be as strong.
- Decorations: I used root beer barrel hard candies and maraschino cherries for decorations. You could use one or the other or both.
Root Beer Buttercream Frosting
- Butter - make sure that your butter is soft but not melted.
- Vanilla - pure vanilla extract tastes best.
- Root Beer Extract - if you can’t find this at the grocery store you can easily purchase it online.
- Milk - I prefer whole milk, but 2% will work.
- Powdered Sugar - this adds sweetness but doesn’t have any grittiness which is perfect for buttercream.
How to Make Root Beer Float Cupcakes
- Mix the cake batter. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake mix, melted butter, root beer, eggs and root beer extract. Whisk until combined, light and fluffy.
- Portion the cupcake batter. Spray (2) 12 cupcake pans lined with cupcake liners. Using an ice cream scoop, portion the batter into the lined cupcake pan, filling each cupcake about ⅔ of the way.
- Bake. Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
- Make the root beer frosting. Place the room temperature butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whip until light and fluffy. Add the root beer extract, vanilla extract, milk, and half of the powdered sugar. Slowly mix until combined. Add the remaining powdered sugar and increase to medium-high speed. Whip until light and fluffy - about 2 minutes.
- Decorate. Use a piping bag and large piping tip and make a swirl of icing. Unwrap the root beer barrels and remove the maraschino cherries from the liquid and place on a paper towel to remove some of the liquid. To decorate the root beer cupcakes, place a root beer candy or cherry on top of each cupcake. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yup! Both the cupcakes and the frosting freeze well for up to 2 months. Just be sure to store each in a separate airtight container or freezer bags and thaw them in the fridge overnight before you plan to use them. You’ll want to re-whip the frosting before using, too.
You can make these without any root beer extract and they will still be delicious. However, the extract really enhances the root beer flavor.
If you wanted to use this cake batter to make a layered cake, you could bake it in 3 separate 9” round cake pans. The main difference will be the baking time - the more batter that you bake in a pan, the longer it will take. Just keep an eye on them and check by sticking a toothpick into the center to see if it comes out clean.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
- Refrigerator: store your leftover frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I recommend bringing them to room temperature slightly before eating.
- Freezer: unfrosted cupcakes freeze great for up to 2 months. Store in an airtight container or freezer bag and thaw out in the fridge overnight or on the countertop for a few hours before you plan to frost and serve. You can also freeze the buttercream frosting in a freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Root Beer Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 15.25 oz box White Cake Mix
- ½ cup Butter melted
- 1 cup Root Beer
- 3 large Eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Root Beer Extract
Rootbeer Frosting
- ½ cup Butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 ½ teaspoon Rootbeer Extract
- 2-3 Tablespoons Milk
- 4 cups Powdered Sugar
Cupcake Decorations
- 12 individualy wrapped Root Beer Barrel Candies
- 12 Maraschino Cherries with stems
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray (2) 12 cupcake pans with nonstick spray or add cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake mix, melted butter, root beer, eggs and rootbeer extract. Whisk until combined, light and fluffy.
- Using an ice cream scoop, portion the batter into the lined cupcake pan, filling each cupcake about ⅔ of the way.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
How to Make Root Beer Frosting
- Place the room temperature butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whip until light and fluffy. Add the root beer extract, vanilla extract, milk, and half of the powdered sugar. Slowly mix until combined. Add the remaining powdered sugar and increase to medium-high speed. Whip until light and fluffy - about 2 minutes.
How To Decorate Rootbeer Float Cupcakes
- Use a piping bag and large piping tip and make a swirl of icing.
- Unwrap the root beer barrels and remove the maraschino cherries from the liquid and place on a paper towel to remove some of the liquid.
- To decorate the root beer cupcakes, place a root beer candy or cherry on top of each cupcake. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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These soft and tender Rootbeer Cupcakes topped with root beer float frosting are an easy summer dessert that both adults and kids will love. They're made with real root beer and decorated with maraschino cherries and root beer barrel candies.
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