Harry Potter. My 20 year old twins have tickets to the midnight show. Of course they do. They were in second grade when I read the first book to them. We stood in line at midnight for the fifth book to be released. After Book Two we had to buy multiple copies of each because no one (myself and their older sister included) could possibly wait for someone else to finish the book before they could start it. They’ve both read all seven books at least three times. Yes, that’s right. They’ve both read ALL seven books at least three times. We have some books on ten disk CD sets. They listen to them when driving home from college. They saw all seven movies on the day they were released. We own all the DVDs. Tomorrow’s movie premier: Book Seven, part Two is the end. The end of everything. The last Harry Potter movie signals the end of their childhood just as much as their high school graduation, their high school prom, and their first nights in their college dorms rooms did.
My daughter is running a Harry Potter marathon tonight. She’s set up the Three Broomsticks Tavern. Tonight’s specials: Butterbeer cupcakes and Cockroach Clusters (chocolate covered pretzel clusters sprinkled with powdered sugar) and Butterbeer Floats (cream soda with butter pecan ice cream).
These cupcakes are delicious; a from scratch cupcake, a filling, a frosting, and a drizzle! To die for. Oops. A double entendre.
I found the recipe at AmyBites, as have a good many other people! Thanks, Amy! I left out the artificial butter flavoring, and I should probably say to reduce the ganache by half. Abby had a lot left over…, but I think it will be a good drizzle for that leftover butter pecan ice cream 🙂
Butterbeer Cupcakes
For the cupcakes:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup cream soda
For the ganache (for the filling and the drizzle):
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
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 16-oz. package powdered sugar
Splash of milk or cream (as needed)
For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add sugars and beat until well-combined, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then beat in vanilla. Add one third of flour mixture to butter-sugar mixture and stir to incorporate. Add half of the buttermilk and half of the cream soda and mix to combine. Add half of remaining flour mixture, mix well. Add remaining buttermilk and cream soda, mix well. Stir in remaining flour mixture.
Fill each cupcake liner 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.
For butterscotch filling: 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. Cool to room temperature. Fill a squeeze bottle with ganache and insert into the center of each cupcake, squeezing until filling begins to overflow.
For buttercream frosting: Cream butter in a large bowl until fluffy. Add in cooled ganache, vanilla, and salt and mix until well combined. Beat in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until reaching desired consistency. Add milk or cream by the Tablespoon as needed. Frost cupcakes and top with a drizzle of butterscotch ganache.
Thanks for stopping by my kitchen today! These are very, very good cupcakes, even if you are not into Harry Potter or Butterbeer 🙂 If you are into Harry Potter, you have to make them. To mark and to celebrate the end of and era. A very, very good era.