Jen's Slightly-Home-Made Rootbeer Float Cupcakes
A Recipe on the Edge
I've had kind of a crappy week. I'm feeling a little under the weather (everyone at work is sniffling or has a sore throat), I haven't been sleeping well (insomniac!), my birds have been driving me crazy and getting into a ton of trouble, and last night for no reason my lower back locked up while I was sleeping.
I either need to spend a lot of money I don't have on a chiropractor, a vacation, a doctor's visit, AND a psychiatric evaluation, or...
I. NEED. CUPCAKES.
I'm opting for the cupcakes. Let's face it. Cupcakes make this world a better place. Just like pie. I don't know anybody who doesn't like cupcakes, unless you're allergic to life.
Think about it. They have gluten-free cake, so there goes your gluten intolerance. I know for a fact you can substitute soy milk for baking desserts and it holds up JUST FINE (though you won't need that for this recipe unless you want to make your own frosting). And I'm sure you could find a substitute for the eggs, I'm just running out of steam here.
It just so happens my work is having a cupcake "war" this sunday, and today is the last day I have to bake before then (friday), so I'm killing two birds (proverbially...unless the little one chews through my headphone wires again, little brat) with one stone - easing my aching psyche and preparing for fun at work.
Slightly-Home-Made?
Let's be honest. Most people, myself included, while we like the idea of completely-from-scratch, are lazy and too afraid of messing it up and having wasted all the ingredients for something not to turn out right. So unless it's cookies, I sometimes try to incorporate a mix or something because 1) I'm scared, 2) I'm cheap, and 3) I'm into instant gratification rather than measuring out all of my dry ingredients. Although this recipe borders on having as many "extra" ingredients as making it from scratch would with a normal cake - I just don't want to worry whether I put in two or three cups of flour and holy crap was that 2 tablespoons of baking soda or did I just accidentally put in four?
It's easier, it's quicker. It's cheating. I'm totally okay with that, personally. If you're not, just grab yourself some basic vanilla or french-vanilla cake ingredients, whatever those are, and go for it. More power to you. I prefer mine to come out of a box.
That said, let's get down to the nitty-gritty... Here we go!
Cook Time
Ingredients
- 1 package (18.25 oz) French Vanilla Cake Mix, (Feeling bold? Try spice cake instead)
- 1 package (3.4 oz) Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
- 1 can (12 fl. oz) Rootbeer, (NOT diet)
- 4 Large Eggs
- 3/4 cup Vegetable or Canola Oil
- 1 can Cream Cheese Frosting, (or make it yourself)
- Preheat oven to 325 farenheit.
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients at once except for frosting (don't laugh, I almost did it once, it's VERY easy to do if you're not paying attention because you're drooling too much). Soda will bubble, don't worry, that just means it's happy to see ya.
- Beat everything into submission with your electric hand mixer or kitchenaid. Or, if you're a masochist, a whisk.
- In two cupcake pans, make sure you've got your cupcake cups in there BEFORE you pour the batter in.
- Ladle in the batter all the way to the top of the cup - it's not likely to overflow. Because of the soda, they usually turn out a little on the flat side on top.
- Bake 15-20 minutes. Now. My oven cooks things REALLy quickly, so you might wanna start with 17-20 minutes unless you know yours runs a little warmer than it says on the dial too. Either way, bake it until it passes the toothpick test.
- Once it does, let 'em cool at LEAST 10-15 minutes. Must be completely cooled to ice. Cupcakes may not be top-heavy like most others, but they will be deliciously moist and fluffy on the inside thanks to the soda.
- Apply icing, lick the rest out of the icing can, and if you wanna be really silly, add a cut-down portion of the straw and a little "tester" spoon so it looks like a real rootbeer float.
- Enjoy :)
