• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
• Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand mixer, until light and fluffy.
• In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together.
• Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the butter and sugar mixture, alternating with milk and root beer. Add root beer extract and mix until just blended. The batter will be thick.
• In a separate large bowl, whisk egg whites with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
• Gently fold whipped egg whites into the batter until fully combined.
• Divide batter evenly among paper liners in prepared pan, filling each about ¾ of the way full.
• Bake for about 16-18 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. After cooling in the pan for a few minutes, move cupcakes to wire rack to cool completely.
• Fill a pastry bag with whipped cream frosting and pipe frosting around cupcake. If you don't have any pastry bags, you can use a ziplock bag with the corner cut off for easy piping.
• Drizzle root beer syrup over cupcakes and top with maraschino cherries.

Whipped Cream Frosting

• In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat heavy cream until soft peaks form.
• Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla to cream and beat until stiff peaks form.

Root Beer Syrup

• Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil.
• Lower heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes, until sugar is completely dissolved and syrup thickens. Remove from heat and stir in root beer extract.
• Pour syrup into a mason jar or heat-proof bowl and let cool completely. Store in fridge until ready to use.