Dr. Pepper Cupcakes

A few weeks ago my husband turned the big 4-0! We had a family party for him and I wanted the dessert to be something that he would remember. Now my husband likes soda as much as the next guy, but he LOVES Dr. Pepper! What a great way to incorporate one of his favorite things into the dessert. The Dr. Pepper makes the cupcakes moist and yummy!

DR. PEPPER CUPCAKES

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 6 Tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cup Dr. Pepper
• 2 teaspoon maraschino cherry juice
• 3 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a mixer, beat together sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. In a bowl or large measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, Dr. Pepper, maraschino cherry juice, and vanilla extract; stir to combine.

Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the butter and mix on low speed. Add half of the liquid and continue to mix. Repeat until all of the dry and liquid ingredients are combined (the last addition should be the dry ingredients), scraping down the bowl as needed.

Put batter in liners in a muffin tin. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full. Bake for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before frosting.

Fluffy Vanilla Frosting

• 5 Tablespoon flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoons maraschino cherry juice

In a saucepan, whisk together the flour and milk and cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens (I would compare it to mashed potatoes). It is very important to whisk continuously so clumps don’t form. This took me about 4-5 minutes, but it’s best to go by texture.

Set milk mixture aside in an ice bath and allow to cool completely.

In a medium bowl, (or bowl of a standing mixture fitted with a whisk) beat together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. (about 4 minutes) Add the vanilla and beat for 1 minute. Add the cooled milk mixture and beat on high for 3-5 minutes. If it looks separated, keep beating.