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Homemade Harry Potter butterbeer cupcakes with creamy caramel-drizzled frosting, one bitten to show soft, fluffy inside, resting on a book with more cupcakes blurred in the background under warm, cozy lighting.

Harry Potter butterbeer cupcakes

5 from 1 vote
Magical butterscotch-and-cream-soda Harry Potter butterbeer cupcakes inspired by Harry Potter’s famous Butterbeer! Moist, rich, and topped with dreamy butterscotch frosting — these cupcakes disappear faster than a Golden Snitch.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Cooling Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 24 cupcakes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

Cupcake Base
  • 2 ½ cups All-purpose flour - Spoon & level for accuracy
  • 2 ½ teaspoon Baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ½ cup Unsalted butter - Softened
  • 1 ¼ cups Granulated sugar
  • 3 large Eggs - Room temperature
  • ½ cup Whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon Butterscotch extract - Adds signature flavor
  • ¾ cup Cream soda - Adds moisture & that “butterbeer fizz”
Butterscotch Frosting
  • ½ cup Unsalted butter - Room temperature
  • 4 oz Cream cheese - Softened
  • 3 cups Powdered sugar - Sifted for smoothness
  • 3 tablespoon Butterscotch syrup - Adds rich flavor
  • 2 tablespoon Heavy cream - Adjust for consistency
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Toppings
  • ¼ cup Caramel sauce - For drizzling
  • ¼ cup Butterscotch chips - Optional but fun
  • Gold sprinkles - For magical presentation
  • Whipped cream - Optional garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Standard 12-cup muffin tin (Don’t use mini tins — they dry out faster)
  • 24 Paper cupcake liners (Foil ones look extra fancy)
  • 1 Electric mixer (Hand or stand mixer works fine)
  • 2 Mixing bowls (One for wet, one for dry ingredients)
  • 1 Piping bag (Or a ziplock bag with a corner cut off)
  • 1 Wire cooling rack (Essential for even cooling)

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla and butterscotch extracts.
  3. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and cream soda to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix gently until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
  4. Spoon batter into liners, filling each two-thirds full. Bake 18–20 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  5. Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, then mix in butterscotch syrup, vanilla extract, and heavy cream. Whip until light and fluffy, then pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes.
  6. Drizzle caramel sauce over frosting, top with gold sprinkles or butterscotch chips, and let sit 10 minutes before serving for the perfect butterbeer finish.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupcakeCalories: 310kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 3gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 140mgPotassium: 85mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 450IUCalcium: 50mgIron: 0.8mg

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be considered an approximation. Actual values may vary based on specific ingredients used and portion sizes.

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