....and we'll all float on, okay

I'm not a big soda drinker. It is pretty rare to open up our fridge and see a soda. Juice? Milk? Water? Tea? Oh yeah....soda? Almost never. If we do buy soda, it's usually because we are planning on having pizza, and nothing goes better with pizza than a cherry flavored soda. Usually we go with W.C. (my and my husband's code for Wild Cherry Pepsi.) If W.C. isn't available, then 2nd choice will be Cherry Coke. Anyway, when I first decided to do this 52 week challenge,  a Cherry Coke Float cupcake was one of the first recipes I promised I'd make. Almost completely finished with the challenge, I still hadn't made this one!! (It was probably because I didn't have any coke on hand!) Well, almost 1 year later, I am finally proud to say that the Cherry Coke Float has been done....and it was worth the wait!! The cupcake itself is my chocolate cake, slightly amended. Inside each cupcake there is a cherry surprise, which is topped with a coke glaze, and some slightly sweetened whipped topping. This is a super yummy cupcake that could really be featured any time, but with Valentine's Day coming up, why not make some then?!?!?

Cherry Coke Float Cupcake

Chocolate Cupcake
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c baking cocoa (Valrhona)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c whole milk
1/2 c coke


For the filling:
1 can cherry pie filling

For the coke glaze
Inspired by Pass the Sushi
1 1/2 c confectioners' sugar
1/4 c coke

For the frosting:
Inspired by Pass the Sushi
1 1/2 c whipping cream
6 Tbsp confectioners' sugar


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line your muffin pan with cupcake liners. In a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together, then set aside. In a large measuring cup combine milk and coke, and set aside.

In your mixer bowl cream together butter and sugar, for about 2 minutes. Once it's nice and fluffy add your eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat for another minute until mixture is smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and mix until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low, then slowly add 1/3 of your flour mixture, followed by 1/2 of your milk mixture. Repeat this, then finish by adding last bit of flour mixture. Mix only until just combined. Remove mixer bowl, and stir a few times through with spatula, to ensure everything is incorporated well.

Grab your scooper and scoop batter into cupcake liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until tops bounce back when touched. Cool in pans for about 5 min, then remove to cooling racks.

** Place your clean mixer bowl in the fridge and chill for 15 minutes, while you fill cupcakes **

Once cupcakes cool, core them out and fill each with 1 cherry from the pie filling can, and fill the rest of the hole up with the cherry pie filling glaze. Set cupcakes aside. Prepare your glaze by whisking together confectioners' sugar and coke. Whisk until sugar dissolves completely. Spoon over cored/filled cupcakes.

Pull your chilled mixer bowl out of fridge and pour whipping cream in it. Using whisk attachment, whip on medium speed until froamy. Increase mixer speed to medium high, and slowly add sugar, 1 Tbsp at a time. Whip together until stiff peaks form. Fill piping bag with frosting, then pipe over cupcakes. top with a stemmed maraschino cherry, then dig IN!