Sweet Mother Root Beer

Can I just state for the record that I would like to either a) marry, b) become, c) absorb, or d) somehow befriend, Deb over at the Smitten Kitchen?  I mean, seriously.  I don't think I've ever looked at one of her recipes and thought - "eh."  And her photos?!  To die for.  If I could be just like anyone when I grow up it's certainly her.  
As I posted my last post, I saw on my little handy blog roll thingamajiggy down there to the right (* hi!!  * waves to blogroll * ), SK's latest was muthereffing ROOTBEER FLOAT CUPCAKES.
Yes, you read that right.  And you can bet your bottom dollar that I'm going to be using the rootbeer schnapps to get that extra yummy rootbeer flavor going.  Jeezly crow, I can't wait to make these for something!!!!!

Rootbeer Float Cupcakes
Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups root beer
1/2 cup root beer Schnapps
1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs

Toppings
1 1/2 cups heavy or whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pint of vanilla ice cream (you’ll have leftover; you’re welcome)
Maraschino cherries (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 22 cupcake cups with paper liners. In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, cocoa powder and butter over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.
In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until just beaten then whisk them into the cooled cocoa mixture until combined. Fold the liquid and flour mixtures together in the large bowl. The batter will be slightly lumpy; this is okay. If you overbeat it, it will get tough.
Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 to 3/4 full (a 1/4 cup scoop or measuring cup filled mine perfectly) and bake cupcakes, rotating trays back to front and top to bottom halfway through, until a tester inserted into the center of each comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Whip heavy or whipping cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until it holds soft peaks. You can do this with an electric mixer, but if you do it by hand, not only will you get a killer arm workout (which you can trade in for a cupcake, very soon), it will be nearly impossible to overbeat the cream. (Which I almost always do with a mixer.)
Use the tip of a knife to cut a small cone of cake out of the top center of each cupcake; feel free to snack on these, I won’t tell anyone. Using a spoon or a small cookie scoop, nest a scoop of ice cream in each indent. Surround ice cream with dollops of whipped cream. Top with a cherry, if using. To keep cupcakes in a holding pattern while you assemble the remaining ones, you can put them in the freezer, but try to do so for no more than 5 minutes or the whipped cream will harden.
Eat immediately.


Some items you can pick up from Amazon right this very second, to help with this recipe: