i heart walmart & root beer cupcakes!

last night we went to our local walmart which they've been making some changes to.  the whole store is rearranged and they're bringing in new things.  it think it's turning into a semi-super wal mart...not a full blown one because sam's club is upstairs so it would not be good for business, but it's a step up from a basic wal mart.  anyway,  i was so excited when i visited the food section.  their baking supplies are now spread out into three different aisles (not the whole aisle) but there's definitely more of a selection of things.  some super buys that i found:  cake decorations (sugars, sprinkles, etc. for super cheap...some were less than a dollar), a variety of extracts (including root beer!), the big package of powdered sugar, huge blocks of chocolate/almond bark, and cake glazes (not sure what it tastes like but maybe i'll try it someday.) needless to say, i walked into wal mart with a list of things to buy (toilet paper and a spray bottle) and walked out with a whole lot more than expected.

but since i found root beer extract, i needed to try a root beer float cupcake.  i've been wanting to try it ever since i saw it in my "gourmet cupcake" book.  so, i started with a french vanilla box mix, added in some stuff to make it semi-homemade (including the extract and actual root beer) and here's how they turned out!

root beer cupcake topped with vanilla whipped cream frosting, white pearls, and a sugar heart

i think they were a success...in joe's words, "this is one of your better ones." :) :)