Cupcakes! Chocolate and Vanilla Root Beer Float Cupcakes, AKA Black and Brown Cows

I never thought I'd be saying this, but I love going back to my hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania for of course my family, but also because it is so so cheap compared to D.C.  I'm talking about groceries here (um...and food and clothes taxes and rent).  We have discount grocery stores that have the most random things, like for example, these cute little white, brown and black cow sprinkles.  I immediately had to have them when I saw them and the first thing I thought of was black and brown cows.  Now, I'm not THAT old but black and brown cows were simply root beer floats with either vanilla or chocolate ice cream and I think the name originated in the 60s or 70s.  Okay, I'm kind of making that up but I first heard it called that in the movie 'Now and Then' (love that movie) which was set back in 1970.  Regardless, if we can have chocolate and vanilla root beer floats, then of course we can have chocolate and vanilla rootbeer cupcakes.

Hence, I bring you Black and Brown Cow Cupcakes; idea by me, sort of.

Root Beer Cupcakes (This came from my 'Baked' book's Root Beer Bundt Cake recipe)*
(makes 24 cupcakes)

2 cups root beer (not diet!)
1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cup 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

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Fill cupcake pan(s) with liners.
2. 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.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together. 
4. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until just beaten, then whisk them into the cooled cocoa mixture until combined. 
5. Gently fold the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture*.  The mixture will be slightly lumpy - do not overbeat, as it could cause the cake to be tough.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared cupcake pan, filling each cup about 2/3 full.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a small, sharp knife comes out clean.  
8. Let cool completely before frosting.

*I don't really think this tasted like root beer at all.  However; the consensus among my friends was that you could taste a hint of root beer.  I could be bias because  I was eating cake batter and drinking root beer and then tasting the cupcakes but I didn't taste root beer at all, but I will say, I think this is my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe from now on.  The cupcakes were really moist and the chocolate flavor was really rich. 

Whipped Cream Filling (more like pastry cream):
2 teaspoon warm water
dash of salt
1 3/4 cups marshmallow fluff
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup confectioners sugar*

2 teaspoon warm water
a couple dashes of salt

1. Beat first 4 ingredients together with a stand or electric mixer until fluffy
2. Dissolve salt in warm water and add to marshmallow mixture**
3. Beat on high speed about 1 minute longer

* I'm really sorry but I'm not actually positive it was 1/2 cup powdered sugar.  I just kept adding it until I thought the texture/taste was right.  I start with about 1/2 cup, maybe a little less. Beat, add the salt mixture and then add more sugar if needed. 
**Make sure to add only had 1 or 2 dashes of salt.  I put too much salt in the first time and it tasted horrible so I had to remake it.  

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting (from How to Eat a Cupcake)- recipe halved
1 cup shortening
4 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoons vanilla
3 fluid ounces heavy cream

1. Cream shortening until fluffy.
2. Add confectioners sugar and cream until blended.
3. Add salt, vanilla, and cream.  Beat on low speed until moistened.  Add additional cream until desired consistency if necessary.
4. Beat at high speed until frosting is fluffy.

I did something wrong when I made this frosting. I'm not sure what though (LOL).  It was too heavy or something because when I piped it onto the cupcake, it just collapsed and ran down the sides; but when I made it again (below) with the chocolate, it turned out great.  I must have just not been paying attention or zoning out or something.  Anyway, I ended up throwing away the vanilla frosted cupcakes (all except 2), they tasted good but were a huge mess.

Chocolate Butter Cream*
*I just created the recipe above, again.  But I replaced 1/3 cup of confectioners sugar with 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa.

Overall, I really liked the concept here, however; it didn't turn out quite the way I imagined...which was these beautiful chocolate and vanilla frosted cupcakes that tasted exactly like root beer floats and looked amazingly cute with the little cow sprinkles.  They moreso just tasted like chocolate cupcakes with frosting and cream filled centers. And by the time I got them to my friend's house in Fredricksburg, they icing had melted and was dripping down the sides of the cupcake papers. My friends enjoyed them, however; they said they were ridiculously sweet and one "passed out on the car ride home from being in a sugar coma". Hahaha. For what they turned out to be, it was a lot of work and I probably won't make these ever again.  So how now brown cow?