This week's cupcakes is based on a drink recipe known as 'Black Cow', aka, Root Beer Float. The cake is chocolate root beer (made using Windfall Market's own Root Beer Soda), filled with a vanilla cream (in lieu of ice cream), topped with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry.
Root Beer Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups Root Beer
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the root beer and butter, whisking until the butter is completely melted; remove from heat and allow to cool. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease pan(s). Whisk in the unsweetened cocoa powder and sugar until smooth. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Once the root beer mixture has come to room temperature, beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the dry ingredients to the root beer mixture. Pour batter into pan(s) and place the pan into the pre-heated oven. This recipe yielded 18 regular size cupcakes and baked for 16 minutes.
Vanilla Filling
(from http://bakingbites.com)
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
In a small saucepan, whisk together the flour and milk over medium heat until thick, about 2 minutes, stirring continuously to prevent the mixture from clumping. DO NOT bring the mixture to a boil. Once thickened, consistency will be that of a thin pudding or custard. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap, allowing it to cool completely to room temperature. Once cool, cream the butter and sugar together in a medium bowl until fluffy. Add in the milk/flour mixture and the vanilla extract and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for about 7 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape into a pastry/ziploc bag fitted with a plain tip and pipe into holed out cakes. ready to fill cupcakes.
Whip Cream
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp confectioner sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
In a chilled bowl, w/ chilled beaters, beat the cream until it begins to thicken, adding the sugar and vanilla as it mixes. Beat until soft peaks form. Store in the refrigerator.
1 1/2 cups Root Beer
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the root beer and butter, whisking until the butter is completely melted; remove from heat and allow to cool. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease pan(s). Whisk in the unsweetened cocoa powder and sugar until smooth. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Once the root beer mixture has come to room temperature, beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the dry ingredients to the root beer mixture. Pour batter into pan(s) and place the pan into the pre-heated oven. This recipe yielded 18 regular size cupcakes and baked for 16 minutes.
Vanilla Filling
(from http://bakingbites.com)
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
In a small saucepan, whisk together the flour and milk over medium heat until thick, about 2 minutes, stirring continuously to prevent the mixture from clumping. DO NOT bring the mixture to a boil. Once thickened, consistency will be that of a thin pudding or custard. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap, allowing it to cool completely to room temperature. Once cool, cream the butter and sugar together in a medium bowl until fluffy. Add in the milk/flour mixture and the vanilla extract and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for about 7 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape into a pastry/ziploc bag fitted with a plain tip and pipe into holed out cakes. ready to fill cupcakes.
Whip Cream
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp confectioner sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
In a chilled bowl, w/ chilled beaters, beat the cream until it begins to thicken, adding the sugar and vanilla as it mixes. Beat until soft peaks form. Store in the refrigerator.
The Panel
Unfortunately, the score for this week's treat was low due to the lack of it's name sake flavor ie. ROOT BEER. A few judges commented that they detected a very minor hint but otherwise it went unnoticed. The positive comments surrounding this cupcake were that the texture, chocolate cake and vanilla cream filling were really great. Apparently I managed to replicate a Hostess CupCake. Presentation comments were mediocre but suggested that the 'float' appearance had been achieved. Suggestions were made by Eat Freak to lose the chocolate cake in hopes that the vanilla base might provide a better canvas for the root beer flavors; Peanut suggested creating a root beer glaze to finish it off and Sugar Princess added that a slight crunch would have been nice, though this didn't occur to me as I was trying to mimic the concept of a smooth creamy drink. This week was the first time that my cakes caused someone to leave a recipe they found online for Root Beer cupcakes which I found comical but appreciated.
Giovanni: "I looked under every crumb but could not find the root beer flavor anywhere."
Diana: "Seriously tastes exactly/almost like a Hostess cake - so I love it! Hold up-this cupcake is a healthier, richer and more enjoyable cake then Hostess could ever be."
Kupcake: "Interested in root beer re-do."
My comments:
I was really disappointed with the end product. However, though the root beer flavor was severely lacking, I thought the presentation was accurate. The whip cream also provided a challenge due to logistics. I prepared it the night before and kept it chilled but unfortunately it "fell" during transport, resulting in my having to freeze it once at work and serving scoops of half frozen whipped cream over each cake. Though the taste was far from compromised, the presentation suffered greatly. Next time I'll just but a can of whip cream, thought I had mastered it after "Movin' to the Country". I would also like to revisit this recipe using a vanilla base once I am able to get my hands on root beer extract in addition to the cup and a half of root beer used in the recipe. It might also be an idea to try to incorporate Root Beer vodka as created by Smirnoff. Also, though tasty, I found the vanilla filling to be too much like buttercream frosting and would try reducing the amount of butter used to a single tablespoon.
Unfortunately, the score for this week's treat was low due to the lack of it's name sake flavor ie. ROOT BEER. A few judges commented that they detected a very minor hint but otherwise it went unnoticed. The positive comments surrounding this cupcake were that the texture, chocolate cake and vanilla cream filling were really great. Apparently I managed to replicate a Hostess CupCake. Presentation comments were mediocre but suggested that the 'float' appearance had been achieved. Suggestions were made by Eat Freak to lose the chocolate cake in hopes that the vanilla base might provide a better canvas for the root beer flavors; Peanut suggested creating a root beer glaze to finish it off and Sugar Princess added that a slight crunch would have been nice, though this didn't occur to me as I was trying to mimic the concept of a smooth creamy drink. This week was the first time that my cakes caused someone to leave a recipe they found online for Root Beer cupcakes which I found comical but appreciated.
Giovanni: "I looked under every crumb but could not find the root beer flavor anywhere."
Diana: "Seriously tastes exactly/almost like a Hostess cake - so I love it! Hold up-this cupcake is a healthier, richer and more enjoyable cake then Hostess could ever be."
Kupcake: "Interested in root beer re-do."
My comments:
I was really disappointed with the end product. However, though the root beer flavor was severely lacking, I thought the presentation was accurate. The whip cream also provided a challenge due to logistics. I prepared it the night before and kept it chilled but unfortunately it "fell" during transport, resulting in my having to freeze it once at work and serving scoops of half frozen whipped cream over each cake. Though the taste was far from compromised, the presentation suffered greatly. Next time I'll just but a can of whip cream, thought I had mastered it after "Movin' to the Country". I would also like to revisit this recipe using a vanilla base once I am able to get my hands on root beer extract in addition to the cup and a half of root beer used in the recipe. It might also be an idea to try to incorporate Root Beer vodka as created by Smirnoff. Also, though tasty, I found the vanilla filling to be too much like buttercream frosting and would try reducing the amount of butter used to a single tablespoon.