Harry Potter Butterbeer Cupcakes

A single cupcake on a wooden surface. More cupcakes are in the background.

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!

Course Dessert

Cuisine British, North American

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 630kcal

Author Nina

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

US Customary - Metric

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.

Video

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!

Nutrition