These soft and fluffy Harry Potter Butterbeer cupcakes are flavoured with cream soda, and are topped with rich butterscotch frosting and sweet butterscotch sauce. These are just like the famous drink!
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🪄Harry Potter Cupcakes
I'm a big fan of Harry Potter and have been reading the books to my 8 year daughter. She loves them and we are planning to watch the movie after each book.
I wanted to make some Halloween treats and decided to try these fun Harry Potter cupcakes. Harry Potter Butterbeer cupcakes are just like the drink. I made the base of the cupcake with cream soda, then topped it with butterscotch frosting and butterscotch sauce.
You can make the butterscotch sauce the day before to save time. Or you can use store bought sauce! These cupcakes are perfect Halloween cupcakes or anytime you want to reign in your inner Harry Potter!
🥘Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted butter - salted butter can be substituted. Add only ½ teaspoon salt to the cupcake batter. Omit the rest.
- Brown sugar - I used light brown sugar for this recipe.
- Sour cream - I used 14% sour cream. You can use lower fat percentage sour cream, but I don't recommend going less than 12%.
🔪Instructions
Cream Soda Cupcakes
Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Mix butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in a large bowl until well creamed together, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add sour cream and mix until combined.
Add half of the dry ingredients and mix until almost combined. Add cream soda and mix until combined. Add in remaining dry ingredients and mix until combined. Do not overmix.
Fill batter until ⅔ full in each cupcake liner in a muffin tin. This will bake between 12-15 cupcakes. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cupcakes cool in their muffin tin.
Butterscotch Sauce
Add butterscotch chips, heavy cream, and vanilla to a medium sized sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring. Heat until all the chips have melted, and the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl. Let sauce cool down while you make the buttercream.
Butterscotch Buttercream
Place butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl and mix until combined. Add salt and vanilla, and mix until combined. Add ¾ cup of the prepared and cooled butterscotch sauce, and mix until combined. Add milk, a tablespoon at a time, as needed to get the buttercream to a piping consistency.
Pipe buttercream frosting on to the tops of each cupcake. Drizzle butterscotch sauce over tops. Store cupcakes at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
✔️Expert Tips
- You can make the butterscotch sauce the day before. Store it in the refrigerator overnight. You may need to gently heat until it loosens up a bit before using.
- You can also make the buttercream the day before. Store in the refrigerator overnight. Re-mix the next day before using.
- Unsalted butter can be substituted for salted butter. Add ½ teaspoon salt to the batter, omit the rest listed in the recipe.
- Store bought butterscotch sauce can be substituted for homemade. This sauce is WAY easier to make than caramel sauce though. Try it!
💭FAQs
The books state that there is a tiny percentage of alcohol in it and is safe for children. These cupcakes do not have any alcohol in them!
J.K Rowling has been quoted saying it tastes "a bit like less sickly butterscotch."
🔖Related Recipes
📋 Recipe
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Harry Potter Butterbeer Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cream Soda Cupcakes
- 1¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup sour cream room temperature
- ⅔ cup cream soda
Butterscotch Sauce
- 1 cup butterscotch baking chips
- 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Butterscotch Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup butterscotch sauce prepared above
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Cream Soda Cupcakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line 12 muffin cups with liners. Set aside.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Mix butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in a large bowl until well creamed together, about 3 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add sour cream and mix until combined.
- Add half of the dry ingredients and mix until almost combined. Add cream soda and mix until combined. Add in remaining dry ingredients and mix until combined. Do not overmix.
- Fill cupcake liners with batter until ⅔ full. This will bake between 12-15 cupcakes. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cupcakes cool in their muffin tin.
Butterscotch Sauce
- Add butterscotch chips, heavy cream, and vanilla to a medium sized sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring.
- Heat until all the chips have melted, and the sauce is smooth. Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl. Let sauce cool down while you make the buttercream.
Butterscotch Buttercream
- Place butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl and mix until combined. Add salt and vanilla, and mix until combined.
- Add ¾ cup of the prepared and cooled butterscotch sauce, and mix until combined. Add milk, a tablespoon at a time, as needed to get the buttercream to a piping consistency.
- Pipe buttercream frosting on to the tops of each cupcake. Drizzle butterscotch sauce over tops. Store cupcakes at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- You can make the butterscotch sauce the day before. Store it in the refrigerator overnight. You may need to gently heat until it loosens up a bit before using.
- You can also make the buttercream the day before. Store in the refrigerator overnight. Re-mix the next day before using.
- Unsalted butter can be substituted for salted butter. Add ½ teaspoon salt to the batter, omit the rest listed in the recipe.
- Store bought butterscotch sauce can be substituted for homemade. This sauce is WAY easier to make than caramel sauce though. Try it!
Did you try this recipe? Comment below to let me know ☺️