I have another Harry Potter treat for you guys: Butterbeer cupcakes! If you’re not familiar, Butterbeer is the main beverage of the Wizarding World, and it makes for a great dessert as well.
What’s in a butterbeer cupcake?
This recipe is three parts. But no worries, they are all easy. These cupcakes consist of:
- A cream soda cake – that’s right, I put soda in it! Pair it with some brown sugar and buttermilk and your cakes will have a nice rise.
- Bourbon buttercream – just a slight spike to give it a boozy flavor while balancing the sweetness. NOTE: You can leave out the bourbon if you’d like.
- Butterscotch drizzle – I’m not sure if this is what they meant by “butter” in butterbeer, but it has to be close! If you haven’t made butterscotch before, it’s mostly just cream, butter and brown sugar all melted together.
What you need to make butterbeer cupcakes
- Stand mixer or electric mixer – either works! Here’s the link to my KitchenAid.
- Standard cupcake pan with 12 wells – this recipe will make about 18 cupcakes though, so you will have to do 2 batches if you only have one of these.
- Saucepan – to make our butterscotch!
Tips on making butterbeer cupcakes
- Alternate the dry ingredients with cream soda – when adding the dry ingredients to the wet, I did this in a couple increments, pouring cream soda in between each. This made the batter a great consistency, so you might as well try it!
- Don’t let the butterscotch burn – as it bubbles and thickens over the stovetop, be sure to stir it here and there. There is cream involved and I suggest frequent stirring to give it a nice consistency.
- Don’t skip the sea salt – these taste REALLY good with a sprinkle of Maldon Sea Salt after the cakes are frosted and drizzled with butterscotch.
How to store your butter cupcakes
Keep these in an airtight container and store at room temperature for 2-3 days, and then place in the fridge thereafter. If your house is too warm, the frosting may melt, so move to a fridge if your heat is running! Consume within 1 week.
Other cake recipes
If you liked these Harry Potter Butterbeer Cupcakes, try these out:
- Chocolate Bourbon Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream
- Banana Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- The BEST Mimosa Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Cake with Brown Butter Buttercream
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Harry Potter Butter Beer Cupcakes
These butterbeer cupcakes are delicious and spooky treat for October
Servings: 18 cupcakes
Calories: 385kcal
Cost: $20
Equipment
- standard cupcake pan
- stand mixer or hand mixer
- small saucepan
Ingredients
For the cupcakes
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ⅓ cup cream soda
For the buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, room temperature
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp bourbon
For the butterscotch
- 4 tbsp butter
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the cupcake pan with butter or fill the pan with cupcakes liners.
- In the bowl of your mixer, mix together the eggs, canola oil, vanilla extract and buttermilk until combined.3 eggs, ½ cup canola oil, 1 tsp vanilla extract, ½ cup buttermilk
- In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.2½ cups all purpose flour, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt
- Add in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three batches, alternating with the cream soda. Mix everything together on low.⅓ cup cream soda
- Pour the batter into the cupcake pan, filling each tin about ¾ full. You will have to do this twice if you only have one pan. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.
- Make the frosting: beat the butter in a mixer until whipped, about 1 minute. Then add the bourbon, powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat for another 1-2 minutes.1 cup unsalted butter, ⅓ cup powdered sugar, 2 tbsp bourbon, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Make the butterscotch. Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until melted. Then add the cream, brown sugar, vanilla extract and sea salt. Bring to a boil for 4 minutes and stir frequently. It should become thick. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes.1 tsp vanilla extract, 4 tbsp butter, ½ cup heavy cream, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ tsp sea salt
- Frost each cupcake evenly and drizzle with the cooled butterscotch. Sprinkle on additional sea salt and enjoy!½ tsp sea salt
