Butterbeer Cupcakes
If you’ve read the books or seen the movies, you know that butterbeer is part of the Harry Potter universe.
There’s been a lot of speculation in the fan community over the years as to what it tastes like, and there’s been lots of recipe experimenting.
These are based on the recipe from Disneyworld theme park.
These are the INGREDIENTS You will need:
Cupcakes:
- 2 cups flour or gluten-free substitute
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar firmly packed
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon butter flavoring
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup cream soda
Ganache:
- 1 package 11 ounce butterscotch chips
- 1 cup heavy cream
Buttercream Icing:
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup butterscotch ganache
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon butter flavoring
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 16- oz. package powdered sugar
- Splash of heavy cream as needed
These are the Instructions For Preparation:
Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine your flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, cream your butter until light and fluffy. Add your sugars and beat until well-combined. Beat in your eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then beat in your vanilla and butter flavoring.
- Alternate adding your buttermilk, cream soda, and dry ingredients in batches until all are well incorporated. Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 full, then bake for 15 to 17 minutes until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and cake springs back to the touch. Cool completely on wire racks.
Ganache Filling:
- In a double boiler (heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water on the stove), combine butterscotch chips and heavy cream and stir until completely combined and smooth.
- Cool completely.
- Fill a small tipped squeeze bottle with ganache. Insert into center of cupcake and fill.
Buttercream Icing:
- Cream butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Add in ganache, vanilla, butter flavoring, and salt and mix until well combined.
- Beat in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until reaching desired consistency. Add milk or cream by the Tablespoon as needed.
- Frost cupcakes and top with a drizzle of butterscotch ganache.
NOTES
- You will need butter flavoring, and this is important because of its unique taste that can’t be achieved just with butter itself.
- You must use dark brown sugar for the molasses flavor and a much richer flavor overall.
- Only use vanilla cream soda. Do not use Diet!
The cupcakes start with some sweet confections, butter and sugar and cream soda. You can also use a yellow cake mix as directed. Gluten Free works well too.
The icing is a bit of a buttercream knockoff and contains butterscotch.
We used them for a Harry Potter birthday party and the children fell in love.
We had so much fun with the entire snack tray.
But these Butterbeer Cupcakes couldn’t be beat.
They are full of sugars and effervescents. The guests thought they were truly cheating and eating beer.
These were easy to make and not hard to pipe.
Next time I would definitely just use a cake mix. I would also add more butterscotch ganache on them.
I think they would be tasty filled with a butterscotch pudding. If you can’t find one just use white pudding and melt butterscotch chips as you stir.
It is a great hack when you need it!
Don’t have buttermilk? Here is how to make your own Quick and easy Buttermilk.
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Butterbeer Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 2 cups flour or gluten-free substitute
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar firmly packed
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon butter flavoring
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup cream soda
Ganache:
- 1 oz. package butterscotch chips
- 1 cup heavy cream
Buttercream Icing:
- 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup butterscotch ganache
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon butter flavoring
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 16- oz. package powdered sugar
- Splash of heavy cream as needed
Instructions
Cupcakes:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine your flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, cream your butter until light and fluffy. Add your sugars and beat until well-combined. Beat in your eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then beat in your vanilla and butter flavoring.
- Alternate adding your buttermilk, cream soda, and dry ingredients in batches until all are well incorporated. Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 full, then bake for 15 to 17 minutes until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and cake springs back to the touch. Cool completely on wire racks.
Ganache Filling:
- In a double boiler (heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water on the stove), combine butterscotch chips and heavy cream and stir until completely combined and smooth.
- Cool completely and put into a squeeze bottle or pastry bag with small tip.
- Insert the tip of the squeeze bottle or pastry bag into the center of the cupcake, filling the cupcake until the ganache starts to overflow from the top of the cupcake.
Buttercream Icing:
- Cream butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Add in ganache, vanilla, butter flavoring, and salt and mix until well combined.
- Beat in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until reaching desired consistency. Add milk or cream by the Tablespoon as needed.
- Frost cupcakes and top with a drizzle of butterscotch ganache.
Notes
- You will need butter flavoring, and this is important because of its unique taste that can’t be achieved just with butter itself.
- You must use dark brown sugar for the molasses flavor and a much richer flavor overall.
- Only use vanilla cream soda. Do not use Diet!
Nutrition
Nutrition Information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin and freshness of ingredients used.
Conversion Information We get a lot of requests to help with conversions especially between various countries like Canada, the U.K. and Australia. These tables should help you make those conversions. For your convenience we have included a Conversion Chart.
Disclaimer Unless indicated recipes influenced by cookbooks, magazines or family traditions.
I am Marilyn Lesniak. Writer, Photographer and Chief Bottle Washer behind the scenes at Marilyn's Treats. Don’t burn down the kitchen!! Let me help with my Kitchen Tips, Hacks and Recipes for all levels of Chefs.
I have two ingredient amount questions….
1. Would you take a look at the ingredient amount for the butterscotch chips (1 ounce ???) used for the ganache needed for 36 cupcakes? Would the correct amount be a 10- or 12- oz bag of butterscotch chips, or some other amount?
2. And for the 16 ounces of powdered sugar listed for the Buttercream Icing for 36 cupcakes… elsewhere in the post you mention using almost the entire 32-oz bag of powdered sugar. So, what amount of powdered sugar is needed for 36 cupcakes?
Your clarification will be much appreciated. The cupcakes sound sooo yummy, so, naturally, I want to make sure I make them right.
Thanks for your question!! I recently switched my recipe plugin and some of my recipes glitched. Bottom line, is I ended up rewriting the recipe to correct the problems. I appreciate you bringing it to my attention. If you have any more discrepancies please dont hesitate to ask! Enjoy!
Woah! I’m in! These look delicious. I’m a massive HP fan and so are all my kids so we will definitely give these a go. They’ll be featured at Handmade Monday next week 😀
Thank you Julie for showing interest in the butterbeer cupcakes. If you get a chance to try them let me know how they turn out! Enjoy.
Such a fun recipe Marilyn and the cupcakes look gorgeous!
Thank you so much Suchot! I am glad the Butterbeer Cupcakes appealed to you. Enjoy your week.
These sound tasty and a lot of fun! I am a huge Harry Potter fan! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party. Have a wonderful rest of the week.
I am glad you like the butterbeer cupcakes Helen!! They are delicious. Thanks for hosting. Enjoy your week!
These look amazing! We have a big family friendly Halloween party each year, and I do all the food. I’m bookmarking these to add to the party’s menu. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Anne. I hope they make the cut for the party. The kiddos love these and they are a quick grab and go dessert. Enjoy!
These look great! We’ve got an allergy in the house (my youngest) so all of our treats are home made. While I’m more of a disney fan than Universal, will have to give these a try!
I am glad you like them Sarah! They are delicious and the kiddos enjoy them. I hope the recipe can work for you! Enjoy your week.
these look and sound delicious gonna have to give the recipe a try thanks for sharing
Thank you Angie! If you do try these cupcakes let me know what you think!!
These look delish. TFS
Thank you Clearissa. Enjot your week.
Oh, yum! This recipe has my mouth drooling. Thanks for sharing it on Merry Monday. Pinned.
I am happy you like these cupcakes Erlene. The pin is appreciated. Enjoy your week!
OMG! As soon as I saw the title I got excited! MK and I love these books! We just watched part 4 together last night and are listening to book 5 on audio! I have often wondered what Butterbeer was and what it tasted like. I can not wait to make these for MK! 🙂
Thanks for linking up @LiveLifeWell!
Blessings,
Amy
So cool! My granddaughter is 9 1/2 and has just discovered Harry Potter. I have all the books and read them at least 5 times. The DVD’s are here, as well as the audio books. She is reading along to the audio and is just starting Goblet of Fire. It is a great bonding experience and encouraged her love of reading. She helped me with these cupcakes. But obviously it is best to start BEFORE dinner so the warm kitchen doesn’t make them droop. My son made butterbeer at work. That was delicious too. But you need to like slightly sweet and of course butterscotch. Let me know how they turn out for you! Enjoy.
I can see from all of the above comments that we are all in the same world: our grandkids love Harry Potter and butterbeer cupcakes can’t help but bring us into their world.
thanks for the recipe
Well said!!! I like that and plan on selling it to my husband. I will let him know later it was your doing. ?
My family loves Harry Potter. These cupcakes look so fun.
Thanks Amy. I am reading the series with my 9 year old granddaughter right now. She is also falling in love! Have a great week!
I just know my boys are going to love these! Pinned.
Thank you Joanne for the pin!! I know your boys would love to drizzle on the top for you. ? Enjoy!
Oh my gosh Marilyn! I know I am a big fan of yours and now I know my kids will be too! We LOVE Harry Potter in my house and I have a Butterbeer recipe I make. These will be a must try and I can’t wait to make them! Pinned, saved, shared! Sending huge hugs to you my friend! ?
My 9 year old granddaughter is reading along with the audio tpaes. Then she and I are going to watch the movies. She is so excited!! My son works in a brewery where family comes. They have game nights and trivia and something each night. They had Harry Potter Trivia and he made a butter beer for the event. Everyone loved it! The cupcakes went along, too.
Butterbeer Cupcakes are straight away named after The Harry Potter movies. This recipe is based on the DinsneyWorld recipe.