Butterbeer Cupcakes

Faith of GeekyZooGirl and Micheline of Lunar Rainbow Reviews are hosting the Harry Potter Month in July and I'm on board!  People can compete in the House Cup by accumulating house points.  I'll be earning said house points by posting about Harry Potter among other Harry Potter related activities! This year I will be representing Hufflepuff!

It's time for some baking!  Are you ready?!

My younger brother turns 21 today, so as part of the his celebration I wanted to make him something cool.  I thought about it and I came up with the perfect little treats.  Butterbeer cupcakes!  I bet Harry, Ron and Hermione would have loved to try these out.

These little cakes DO have alcohol in them, so I advise that you stick to the legal drinking age, where ever you may be.  That being said, let's bake!

I found the basic recipe on amybites. I used the cake recipe but made some adjustments to suite my dietary needs/preferences.  (I also added the alcohol.) ;)

For the Cake:

2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened (I used earth balance vegan butter.)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed (I used light brown sugar.)
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon butter flavoring (I skipped this and added 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla instead.)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup cream soda (I used Butterscotch Schnapps instead.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pan with paper liners.  If you are going to make the mugs of Butterbeer, spray and flour the mason jars.

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.

 In a large bowl, cream you butter (or earth balance) until light and fluffy.

Add sugars and beat until well-combined.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Then beat in vanilla.

Alternating, add buttermilk, Butterscotch Schnapps, and dry ingredients in batches until all are well incorporated.

Fill each cupcake line 3/4 full, then bake for 15 to 17 minutes until a toothpick/fork inserted into the center comes out clean and cake springs back to the touch.  Cool completely on wire racks.  If you are using the mason jars, fill about half way and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick/fork inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let mason jars cool for 10 minutes and then tip them over and slide the cake out. If the cake doesn't easily slide out, run a knife along the edge of the mason jar to help it out.  Let them cool on a wire wrack.

For the frosting:

Buttercream frosting

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
a pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of Butterscotch Schnapps (if you want a stronger taste, add a little bit more)
16 oz of powdered sugar

 It's a basic buttercream frosting with a little bit of a kick.  Cream the butter in a bowl until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla, salt and Butterscotch Schnapps and mix well.  Slowly add powdered sugar a little bit at a time until combined.  If the frosting is too stiff, add a little bit of milk to thin it out.  Be careful not to add too much, you don't want the frosting to run.  If you do add too much milk, you can always add a little bit more powdered sugar.  It's an art form really.

Then decorate you cupcakes! :D

For mug style cupcakes:

Modeling Chocolate

100g of wilton chocolate melts (whatever color you want the mugs to be.)
2 teaspoon of corn syrup

Melt the chocolate melts in a bowl in 30 second increments until completely melted, with no lumps.

Heat the corn syrup until it is the same temperature as the melted chocolate, 10 seconds at most in the microwave.  Pour some of the melted chocolate into the bowl with the corn syrup and mix well.  Fold that mixture back into the rest of the melted chocolate until it is just combined.

 Be careful to not over mix it because you will ruin the modeling chocolate if you do.  Let it sit overnight!

It'll get nice and hard.  Heat the modeling chocolate for 5 seconds in the microwave, that will help with removing it from the bowl.  You'll be able to kneed the chocolate in your hands until it gets to the consistency of play dough.

Then you're ready to roll it out and have some fun.  Create the mug anyway you want.  Here's how I've done mine!