Maddy and Thomas are hardcore Harry Potter fans, so for their birthday I decided to make them Butter Beer cupcakes. The cupcakes are filled with a butterscotch ganache and topped with a butterscotch buttercream frosting. I was really skeptical about these cupcakes. I tried the Butter Beer at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios and it was kind of weird. People either love it or hate it. These cupcakes, however, were PHENOMENAL and everyone loved them. I definitely would make them again.
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| The ganache should be liquid-y but not too thin |
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| After they are cooled, you have to cut the centers of the cupcakes out. To make the holes in the cupcakes, I used a 1/4 teaspoon. You can also use an apple corer. Make sure you do not core all the way to the bottom, or the ganache will drip out :( |
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| Use a swirly motion to frost the cupcakes. For a little extra pizzazz, you can decorate the tops of the cupcakes with some left over ganache. I made a little star design on the top of each. |
Butter Beer Cupcakes (from amybites)
Makes 18 cupcakes
2 cups flour
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, packed
3 large eggs
1&1/2 teaspoon vanilla1 teaspoon butter flavoring
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup cream soda
For the ganache:
1 11-oz. package butterscotch chips
1 cup heavy cream
For the buttercream frosting:
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 milk or cream (as needed)
For the cupcakes:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pans with paper liners.
2. Combine your flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream your butter until light and fluffy.
4. Add your sugars and beat until well-combined.
5. Beat in your eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
6. Beat in your vanilla and butter flavoring.
7. Alternate adding your buttermilk, cream soda, and dry ingredients in batches until all are well incorporated.
8. Fill each cupcake liner 3/4 full
9. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean and cake springs back to the touch.
10.Cool completely on wire racks.
For butterscotch filling:
1. 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.
2. Cool to room temperature.
3. Fill a squeeze bottle with ganache and insert into the center of each cupcake, squeezing until filling begins to overflow.
4. Set extra aside (it goes into the frosting and can be used for decoration later)
For buttercream frosting:
1. Cream butter in a large bowl until fluffy.
2. Add in ganache, vanilla, butter flavoring, and salt and mix until well combined.
3. Beat in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until reaching desired consistency.
4. Add milk or cream by the Tablespoon as needed.
5. Frost cupcakes and top with a drizzle of butterscotch ganache.
