Harry Potter Butter Beer Cupcakes

I remember when my Nana and Papa first brought me the original Harry Potter book. They knew I loved to read and they had heard that the book was really popular so thought I'd love it. Well, they were right. I remember quickly devouring it in my bedroom and eagerly looking for the next instalment.

So when I heard that a Harry Potter cookbook was coming out, the Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook, I got extremely excited. I knew there would be recipes for all my favourite magical goodies. I knew everything from Pumpkin Patsies to Butter Beer to Pumpkin Juice to Hagrid's Rock Cakes would be represented and I couldn't wait to read it.

I picked it up from my library and I was really glad not to have bought it because the recipes were not what I had been expecting. No recipes were exciting or thought provoking. No recipes were magical. There weren't even photos! No recipes at all for my favourite Butter Beer.

But there was a "recipe" for Crispy Bacon as Ron had eaten it a few times in the books. I hope I'm spoiling the cookbook when I say they instructed us to crisp bacon on a frying pan and eat it. There were lots of recipes for standard things like bacon, roast chicken, and roast beef - with small stories of remember the time that Hermione once ate chicken or remember when Harry had roast beef?

No, this is one cookbook I won't be buying. One of my recipes from last Christmas would have made a better recipe for Hagrid's Rock Cakes than what appeared in the book. And this delicious recipe for Butter Beer Cupcakes that I've adapted from Amy Bites should have been a cover shot.

Butter Beer Cupcakes - makes 18

Cake Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup cream soda - buy the clear cream soda, not the pink one! 

Butterscotch Ganache Ingredients 

1 11-oz. package butterscotch chips
1 cup whipping cream

Frosting Ingredients 

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup butterscotch ganache - recipe follows
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 -3 cups powdered sugar
Splash of milk, if needed

1. Start with the cupcakes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butt and sugar. Beat in your eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then beat in your vanilla. Then begin to add in your dry ingredients and remaining wet ingredients until everything is just mixed together. 

2. Fill each cupcake tin 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.

3. Now start on tur ganache. Fill a pan with water and then place a small pot in thw pan.add the whipping cream and butterscoth chips to it and allow them to melt. Stir constantly so the ganache doesnt burn. Cool to room temperature. Fill a squeeze bottle or piping pen with ganache and insert into the center of each cupcake, squeezing until filling begins to overflow. 

4. Finally make the frostimg. Cream butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Add in ganache, vanilla, and salt and mix until well combined. Beat in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until reaching desired consistency. Add milk by the teaspoon as needed. Frost cupcakes and top with a drizzle of butterscotch ganache.

Oh boy. These were gobbled up at my house. We loved them more than most desserts. And the frosting was amazing so I know it's going to be making another appearance in my house quite soon!