Harry Potter fans will love these butterbeer cupcakes, a soft butterscotch cake topped with fluffy butterscotch frosting and drizzled with butterscotch sauce. They are the perfect Wizarding World dessert for movie nights and Harry Potter parties.
These butterscotch cupcakes are easy to make at home and taste just like the famous drink from the books.
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What's in Butterbeer?
Contrary to what some may think, there is no beer in butterbeer and it is non-alcoholic. Much like root beer or cream soda, butterbeer is made with butterscotch and vanilla.
The flavor is the thing everyone gets confused about. Butterscotch is a single flavor made from brown sugar and butter, while butterbeer is the drink that combines butterscotch with vanilla. These cupcakes taste like butterbeer because you get both of those working together, the butterscotch in the cake and frosting, and the vanilla in the batter.
Butterbeer is perfect to serve alongside these butterbeer cupcakes. This Harry Potter Butterbeer recipe is made with a homemade butterscotch sauce that pairs well with the cupcakes.
Harry Potter Cupcakes
Butterbeer is a big thing in the Harry Potter books anytime someone visits The Three Broomsticks Inn. These cupcakes are a yummy treat to share during International Harry Potter Day or at birthday parties.
Your party guests can enjoy the same warm, sweet flavors Harry Potter experienced for the first time in the third book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
These butterbeer cupcakes are also a fun surprise for a Harry Potter movie marathon served with some delicious butterbeer and popcorn.
What Ingredients are in Butterbeer Cupcakes?
- Butterscotch morsels
- Water
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar, packed
- Eggs
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Vegetable Oil
- Salt
- Milk
For another cozy fall cupcake, try my Pumpkin Gingerbread Cupcakes.
WHat's In Butterbeer Frosting?
- Unsalted butter
- Butterscotch sauce (butterscotch sundae syrup works too if you don't want to make homemade butterscotch sauce)
- Vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar
- Salt
- Milk, if needed should frosting be too thick for piping
- Butterscotch sauce for drizzling
How to Make Butterbeer Cupcakes
- Making butterbeer cupcakes is easy, and this recipe creates light and fluffy cupcakes that are full of flavor.
- Prepare the oven and cupcake pans. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line muffin pans with 24 liners or grease the tins.
- Melt the butterscotch. In a small saucepan, heat to medium-low and add the water and butterscotch morsels. Stir until melted, then remove from heat and allow the butterscotch to cool.
- Combine the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, cream together the room temperature eggs and oil. Beat in the granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy.
- Add the melted butterscotch. Stir in the cooled melted butterscotch morsels.
- Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix the two mixtures. Add half of the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and beat slowly. Add half of the milk, then repeat until all ingredients are mixed in. Do not overbeat, it makes the cupcakes dense.
- Bake the cupcakes. Fill the muffin tins halfway and bake for 15 minutes. Check with a toothpick and make sure the centers come out clean before removing them from the oven.
- Cool completely. Allow the cupcakes to cool fully before frosting. If they are frosted while still warm, the frosting will melt and slide off.
A SHORTCUT IF YOU ARE IN A RUSH
If you want to skip the from-scratch cake, a golden butter cake mix with a box of instant butterscotch pudding and a splash of cream soda gets you a quick version. But the from-scratch cake above has the softest texture and the truest butterbeer flavor, so I always go that way when I have the time.
How to make Butterbeer Frosting
- Start with room temperature ingredients. Beat the room temperature butter until creamy. Mix in the butterscotch sauce, vanilla extract, and salt until well mixed.
- Add the powdered sugar. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar, a little at a time to prevent a powdery mess.
- Add milk if needed. If the frosting is too thick, add a little milk at a time until it is easy to pipe.
- Frost the cupcakes. I use a piping bag fitted with a 1M piping tip.
- Finish. Once frosted, drizzle additional butterscotch sauce on top.
Harry Potter Party
Butterbeer and butterbeer cupcakes are a must at a Harry Potter themed party and to make your party even more special, use cupcake liners to represent your favorite Hogwarts house and stick cupcake toppers in the cupcakes to make them extra special for your party guests.
Looking for more cozy, spiced cupcakes for the season? Try my Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes.
📖 Recipe
Butterbeer Cupcakes
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup butterscotch morsels
- 2 tablespoons water
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar - packed
- 3 eggs - room temperature
- 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
Butterbeer Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons butterscotch sauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2-4 tablespoons cup milk if needed to make frosting easy to pipe.
- Butterscotch sauce for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line muffin tins with 24 liners or grease the tins.
- In a small saucepan, heat to medium-low and add the water and butterscotch morsels. Stir until melted and remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, cream together the room temperature eggs and vegetable oil.
- Beat in the granulated sugar and brown sugar.
- Add the melted butterscotch morsels.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add half of the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, beat slowly.
- Add half of the milk and repeat until all ingredients are mixed in. Mix until just incorporated.
- Fill the muffin tins halfway and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. (Check with a toothpick for doneness.)
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
Butterbeer Frosting
- Beat the room temperature unsalted butter until creamy.
- Mix in the butterscotch sauce, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Slowly beat in the powdered sugar.
- If needed, add a little milk to make the frosting easy to pipe.
- Once frosted, drizzle additional butterscotch sauce.
Notes
- You can substitute homemade butterscotch sauce with bottled butterscotch sundae syrup.
- Let the melted butterscotch cool before adding it to the batter.
- Do not overbeat the batter, it makes the cupcakes dense.
- Cool the cupcakes completely before frosting, or the frosting will melt and slide off.
- Add the milk a little at a time to the frosting, only as much as you need to pipe it.
- Store the frosted cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a few days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate based on third-party calculations. Actual values may vary due to ingredients, measurements, and serving sizes.
© Mama Needs Cake
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Let us know how it was!Dana is an experienced recipe creator who crafts easy and delicious recipes for all levels of home cooks.
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