Chocolate Cupcakes With Faygo Root Beer

My home base is Michigan (metro Detroit, to be exact), and it's where I'm spending a long holiday break this year. Growing up, I always thought it was so fantastic that Michigan was the only state you could really identify from space. (Okay, maybe our nation's other distinctive peninsula, Florida, feels that way too.)

I admit that I totally took for granted the awesome culinary/junk food delights that came from this state, especially this area. Better Maid potato chips? My mom lusted over those because there's always a healthy dose of brown chips in every bag. To a kid, brown chips are gross. (But my adult palate tells me they're actually kind of wonderful: earthy and honest.) Stroh's ice cream? The parlor we went to after softball games in the summer, where I'd binge on my favorite flavor: Superman (to my surprise, also a Michigan thing).

I could go on, but I'll stop at Faygo. I tried to explain Faygo to the girlfriend and she said, "oh, like Crush? Orange Crush? Grape Crush?"

I mean, kind of, if you have to compare it to something. It is a brightly colored, ambiguously fruity carbonated beverage, like Crush. But unlike Crush, it has a product that is so simply and descriptively named, yet so complex to describe. Redpop. I want to say that it tastes like strawberry, cherry, and raspberry mixed together, but it's not, really. It actually just tastes like red, and thus, Redpop.

I wanted to make Redpop cupcakes in my parents' Michigan kitchen today--the ultimate homage to a local favorite--but unfortunately had some problems finding it, which is quite a tragedy. I actually had some problems finding Faygo at all, which shocks and saddens me. I mean, this stuff, in all its brightly colored, high fructose glory, was all over the supermarket shelves growing up. I was finally able to track down Faygo root beer--the "classic" version in a throwback glass bottle (the label a 1909 replica) and sweetened with cane sugar (yay!).

I've adapted this recipe from my friends over at Epicurious.com--their Chocolate Stout Layer Cake beauty.

Faygo Root Beer Chocolate Cupcakes With Chocolate Root Beer Frosting (duh!)
makes 24 cupcakes



[Note: The cupcakes I made had a very, very subtle root beer flavor--it was the frosting that stood out more. If you're looking for more of a punch in your cake, try more root beer. Be sure to reduce the amount of sugar you use, though, since root beer is pretty darn sweet.]

The cupcake part

1 c root beer (preferably of the Faygo variety)
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
2 c all-purpose flour
1 c sugar
1/2 tbsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
2/3 c sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm root beer and butter until butter has melted. Remove from heat and whisk in cocoa powder until smooth. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

Using a mixer, beat eggs and sour cream until blended. Slowly add cocoa mixture to the egg and sour cream, mixing well. Finally, mix in the dry ingredients in portions, making sure to mix well between additions.

Fill the cupcake tins approximately 2/3 full. Bake for 13-18 minutes, testing with a toothpick when done. Allow the cupcakes to cool for 2 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frost when cupcakes are completely cool.

The frosting part

This is a really basic chocolate frosting recipe. It's extremely sweet, which is why I'm glad I exercised caution on the sugar levels in the cupcake batter itself.

3 oz unsweetened chocolate
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2/3 c root beer
3 c confectioners sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp milk

In a small saucepan, melt chocolate and butter over medium heat. Stir in root beer and let mixture cool for 5 minutes. Using an electric mixer, combine the chocolate mixture with the confectioners sugar; add the vanilla and milk and mix until fluffy.

Frost the cupcakes while the frosting is still slightly warm from the chocolate mixture. I lightly sprinkled a red sugar and cinnamon mixture on top--but beware, the frosting cools pretty quickly and hardens a bit, so the sugar didn't stick as well as I would have liked.