Cream Soda Cupcakes

These cream soda cupcakes are topped with a brown sugar buttercream and would be perfect for a party or cookout!

So... I'm not entirely sure how the idea of cream soda cupcakes popped into my head. For one thing, I've never baked with soda before. And also, I'm not even a big soda drinker and never have been. I'll always opt for sparkling water over Coke or Pepsi and don't even remember the last time I had soda. But when I was thinking about fun summer bakes and, more specifically, gluten free cupcakes, I thought it might be interesting to play around with cream soda cupcakes.

These cupcakes are a bit more on the dense side, and are not light and fluffy like my vanilla cupcakes. But they're so, so good. The cream soda flavor is subtle, which is just how I like it. It's definitely not overpowering or cloyingly sweet. The brown sugar buttercream frosting complements the cakes perfectly and really brings out the flavor, so I would highly recommend against skipping it.

The cream soda I used is made with cane sugar, which is important if you're trying to avoid corn syrup. If you're not worried about the ingredients, you can use pretty much any brand or kind of cream soda that you like.

Why You'll Love This Recipe...

• Just the thought of cream soda feels so retro and fun. I think you can have a lot of fun with these if you're taking them to a party, maybe top them off with sprinkles and use striped liners?
• As I mentioned, the cupcake itself is not too sweet so it pairs perfectly with my brown sugar buttercream frosting.
• It's an easy and straightforward recipe. The actual cupcakes are mixed up by hand, so all you need is a rubber spatula and a couple of mixing bowls. You will need to pull out your mixer for the frosting, though.

What You'll Need...

• The dry ingredients: gluten free flour + baking powder + baking soda + salt.
• For flavor: brown sugar + cream soda.
• Instead of eggs: Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer.
• For extra moisture: canola oil.
• Top it off with: unsalted butter + brown sugar + powdered sugar + vanilla extract + milk.

How To Make...

To make these cream soda cupcakes, you will start by whisking your dry ingredients in a medium bowl. In a separate, larger bowl, mix the canola oil with the brown sugar using a rubber spatula. Add the prepared egg replacer and mix well.

You'll be adding the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, but will alternate with the cream soda. Start by adding half of the dry mix into your wet ingredients, stir, then stir in the cream soda and the rest of the dry mixture. Mix that all up until it's nicely combined.

Scoop 2 tablespoonfuls of batter into each cupcake liner. Bake on 350ºF for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers of the cupcakes comes out clean. Make sure your cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

To make the brown sugar buttercream frosting, simply beat the unsalted butter with the brown sugar until it's nice and creamy (this will take a couple of minutes). Add the vanilla extract, then gradually stream in the powdered sugar while continuing to beat. You will have to eyeball this next part: depending on the consistency, add 2-4 tablespoons of whole milk. Just be sure to add one tablespoon at a time so as not to go overboard. I usually end up with exactly 2 tablespoons of milk to get the consistency I want.

Now just pipe or spread your frosting onto your cupcakes, and you're all set!

For More Gluten Free Cupcake Recipes, Check Out My:

• Easy vanilla cupcakes
• Strawberry cupcakes
• Chocolate cupcakes
• Carrot cake cupcakes

📖 Recipe

Cream Soda Cupcakes

Print Recipe

A fun spin on classic cupcakes, topped with a brown sugar buttercream frosting!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword cream soda, cupcakes, eggless, frosting, gluten free

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings 12 cupcakes

Author Taleen Benson

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 2 cups (296g) gluten free flour (I use Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup (60ml) vegetable or canola oil
• ½ cup (100g) brown sugar packed
• 2 tablespoons Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer mixed with 4 tablespoon water
• 1 cup (240ml) cream soda room temperature

For the frosting:

• 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter room temperature
• ½ cup (106g) brown sugar packed
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups (227g) powdered sugar
• 2-4 tablespoons whole milk room temperature

Instructions

For the cupcakes:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• In a larger bowl, combine the oil with the brown sugar. Add the prepared egg replacer and mix until combined. Stir in half of the flour mixture, then add the cream soda, and finish with the rest of the flour mixture. Mix well.
• Fill the cupcake liners about ⅔ full with batter (2 tablespoons of batter per liner). Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

• Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with the brown sugar until creamy. Add the vanilla extract.
• Gradually add in the powdered sugar while continuing to mix on low speed. Add the milk, one tablespoon at a time, until you have the desired consistency.

Notes

• Be sure to follow the instructions on the package of Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer. Once mixed with water, the egg replacer must sit for just a few minutes to thicken.
• If you are not looking to replace eggs, you should be able to use 2 eggs instead of the egg replacer.

Did you make my cream soda cupcakes? Leave me a comment below or tag me on Instagram @justastastyblog and #justastastyblog!