Root Beer Float Cupcakes

I found this recipe in the My Sweet Vegan cookbook. My son loves rootbeer and the idea that it can be an ingredient in nearly anything (he created a rootbeer float hamburger when he was ten that was really good). After making this and talking about a Rootbeer cookie recipe I had found, my son declared I was the best mom in the world.
These cupcakes have a nice rootbeer flavor that mellows as the cupcake cools. The flavor is almost like rootbeer hinted chocolate even though there is no chocolate in these. The recipe has a vanilla frosting but we used Coolwhip to save time.
The recipe is dairy free but you can use real milk if you so desire.

Root Beer Float Cupcakes
1 cup root beer
1 teas apple cider vinegar
¾ cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
½ teas vanilla
2 teas root beer extract
1 1/3 cup flour
½ teas baking powder
¾ teas baking soda
Oven to 350. In large bowl, combine root beer and vinegar. Let sit for a moment. Add sugar and oil and whisk vigorously until slightly frothy. Add extracts. Add dry ingredients. Pour into muffin tins. Bake 18-22 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes and move to wire rack.

Vanilla Frosting: Cream 1 cup shortening with 3 cup powdered sugar. Add 2 tb soy milk and 2 teas vanilla.
Mix until thick and creamy. Frost cool cupcakes.