Root Float Cupcakes

Total Time: 1 hr 2 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 17 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter
• 3 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon root extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups root
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3/4 cup vanilla ice cream
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 24 root -flavor hard candies (optional)

Recipe

• 1 allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. meanwhile, line twenty four 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with paper liners. in a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. set aside.
• 2 preheat oven to 350 degrees f. in a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed until combined. scrape sides of bowl; beat on medium speed about 2 minutes more or until light and fluffy. add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. beat in root extract and vanilla. alternately add flour mixture and root to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
• 3 spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each two-thirds to three-fourths full. use the back of a spoon to smooth out batter in cups.
• 4 bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. cool cupcakes in muffin cups on wire racks for 10 minutes. remove cupcakes from muffin cups. cool completely on wire racks.
• 5 pipe or spread float frosting over cupcakes. if desired, top each cupcake with a root -flavor candy and a straw half. makes 24 (2-1/2-inch) cupcakes.
• 6 for the frosting: allow butter to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. allow ice cream to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. in a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. beat in 1/2 cup of the ice cream and the vanilla. gradually beat in powdered sugar. if necessary, stir in enough of the remaining ice cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, to make frosting piping or spreading consistency.