Root Beer Float Cupcakes Recipe

The Cherry on Top Ice Cream Float Party was full of great details as well as great recipes! Pulling together themed sweets is one of my favorite parts of party planning. I didn't find just the right root beer float cupcake recipe, so I adapted a recipe from Life Love Liz for the cake. Then, I modified my absolute favorite buttercream recipe for a Root Beer Buttercream that is both great for piping and delicious.

Adorning the root beer cupcakes with cherry sours and paper straws makes them extra festive. Besides root beer, the other special ingredients for adding flavor is root beer concentrate.

Root beer floats have a nostalgic feel to me. They aren't a treat we enjoy as a family regularly. Of course, that may change after the having this party. A cupcake version of a root beer float is new way to enjoy the flavor combination associated with root beer and vanilla ice cream.

Find the easy to print recipe here.

Root Beer Float Cupcakes

makes 32 cupcakes

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Ingredients

1 ½ cup unsalted butter, softened

6 eggs

5 cups all-purpose flour

5 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3 cups sugar

2 tsp root beer concentrate

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups root beer

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pans with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, stir flour, salt, and baking powder together. Cream together butter and sugar in a mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time beating until combined. Add root beer concentrate and vanilla. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the root beer. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat. Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 full.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.  

                                                                     

Root Beer Buttercream

Ingredients

2 cups unsalted butter, softened

1 cup shortening

3 lbs. powdered sugar

½ cup root beer

2 tsp root beer concentrate

½ tsp vanilla

Pinch of salt

Instructions

Cream butter and shortening with an electric mixer. Add vanilla, root beer concentrate, and salt. With the mixer on a low speed, gradually add sugar, one cup at a time. The mixture will appear dry. Add root beer and beat on low until combined. Then, turn up the mixer to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Pipe on cooled cupcakes.

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Cherry on Top Ice Cream Float Party

Cherry on Top Ice Cream Float Birthday Party is quite a mouthful! What fun it was to plan, execute, and enjoy a party centered around coke floats and cherries! Let's dig in to oodles of photos and party details for Tandy's 7th birthday party.

Since making floats was Tandy's key component, the ice cream float station was the main event. Our chalkboard advertised the soda flavors.

The retro New York Seltzer soda bottles in varied flavors perfectly fit the style we aimed to acheive. This clear soda was a uniquely new experience for most of us. Have you tried it?

Our giant ice-filled galvanized tub housed the chilled soda and mason jars filled with pre-scooped ice cream.

At the dessert table, guests piled on float toppings and grabbed a colorful straw and spoon.

 

Speaking of dessert table, let's get right to it! A gingham backdrop and cherry oilcloth tablecloth really identified the space. Vintage decor helped add layers for display.

Root Beer Float Cupcakes where dressed up with paper straws and cherry sours.

Cherry on top cookies made their mark in keeping with my tradition to include themed sugar cookies at every party.

Everything looks better on a stick! I created jello push pops featuring root beer, ice cream, and cherry layers of jello. The push pop stand contained cherry sours for additional treats.

Filling in with decor added to the party details. The tall glass jar mimicked a float with shredding paper "soda", tissue paper "ice cream", and yarn pom pom "cherry". Honeycomb tissue balls and faux cherries continued the theme.

We held the party at a community park with a playground, but we had to include some festive activities as well. We were thankful for the covered pavilion with plenty of tables to spread out the crafts.

We provided stationary cards to decorate using wine cork stamps, paint, markers and sequins.

While the kids took another spin at the playground, we reset the craft station for soda jerk hats. Letter and cherry stickers along with crayons were available for creative fun. 

Covering a sports themed cornhole set my husband created with brown paper, allowed me to create an ice cream float bean bag game. The contestants could win cherry tootsie roll pops for a hole in one.

 Just in case there still wasn't enough sugar involved, we sent guests home with a little bag filled with soda and cherry gummies decked with tags that read, "Soda-lighted you came to my party!"

Be sure to learn all about Tandy's cherry dress here.

Tandy's 7th birthday party was a success despite major threats of rain and flooding. She loved the idea of a Cherry on Top party. When I suggested milk shakes, she quickly turned to coke floats. I loved bringing this unique concept to life for her!

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which I will in turn use to share more inspiration with you.**

Happy 7th Birthday Tandy and a Modkid Elizabeth

Tandy turns seven today! Tandy has a gift of empathy that seems to grow with her age. She makes friends easily, and loves to play, sing and talk to herself (even in her sleep!).  This year she is involved in swim, cheer, and represented her school as homecoming princess. Most days she really is our little sunshine.

When browsing birthday party ideas, Tandy landed on a Cherry on Top idea, but instead of a soda shop or milkshake route, she wanted ice cream floats. I will have tons more about her party soon, but for now I will highlight the dress. 

The Modkid Elizabeth is due out this week. The sweetheart neckline and circle skirt had the perfect retro flare we were hoping for. The cherry London Calling Lawn fabric by Robert Kaufman was a dream to sew with!! The black may not still be available, but the red or ivory are equally darling. Since the Elizabeth dress is fully lined, you don't need to worry about opacity!

The invisible zipper goes in nicely for a completely professional finish. This is actually my third Modkid Elizabeth dress, so I can say each one is a bit better than the last.

Check out that full circle skirt! The pattern comes with two hem options, bias binding and horsehair braid. I've used the bias binding method here. The horsehair braid makes the skirt stand away from the body a bit more, and I love it for more formal fabric.

We took photos at our nearby Steak 'n Shake for the retro diner feel. I think the other patrons thought we were a bit crazy, but we sure had fun.

I have to admit our dinner consisted of french fries and root beer floats. Winning!

** This post contains affiliate links.  By purchasing through my links, I receive a small compensation 

which I will in turn use to share more inspiration with you.**