Harry Potter Butterbeer Cupcakes

As everyone should know, a couple of days ago the final instalment of the Harry Potter movie franchise was released to the public. This is the sad end to an era which I at least have been part of for the last ten years. Of course, I’m a devoted nerd and so prefer the books, but am still an avid lover of the movies. What do I do now with all my nerdy enthusiasm? Before I deal with this sad sad fact of my existence, however, there was the midnight screening that I dragged several of my friends to. I dressed as the golden snitch.

In honour of the midnight screening I wanted to make some Harry Potter themed cupcakes. I stumbled across this recipe and adapted it to New Zealand conditions. (I was going to make cute wee toppers and stuff but I was excavating all day and just got plain lazy..)

Baking soundtrack: Thao with the Get Down Stay Down - Know Better Learn Faster and We Brave Bee Stings and All.

For the cupcakes:

• 2 cups flour
• 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (I used about 75 grams) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3 eggs
• 1.5 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup ice cream soda

For the ganache:

• About 3/4 pack (315grams?) white chocolate melting chips
• 1/2 a packet butterscotch pudding mix
  
• 1 cup cream

For the buttercream frosting:

• 50 grams unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup butterscotch ganache
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• pinch salt
• 2.5 - 3 cups icing sugar
• Splash of milk or cream (as needed)

For the cupcakes:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius, and line the cupcake tins with liners or grease them well.
• Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, then set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter. Add the sugars and beat until well-combined. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well each time. Then beat in the vanilla essence.
• Alternate adding buttermilk, cream soda and dry ingredients in batch until well incorporated.
• Spoon mixture into tin, or cupcake liners till 3/4 fill and bake for 15 minutes or until done.
  

For the butterscotch filling:

• Heat white chocolate chips and cream in microwave on high for 2 minutes. Then use double boiler method and mix until chocolate is melted completely.
  
• Pour in 1/2 sachet of butterscotch pudding mix and whisk until smooth.
  
• Cool to room temperature.
• Fill a squeeze bottle or piping bag with ganache and insert into the center of each cupcake, squeezing until the filling begins to overflow.

For the buttercream frosting:

• Cream butter in a large bowl until fluffy.
• Add in ganache, vanilla and salt. Mix until well combined.
• Beat in powdered sugar one 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.

Of course, as well as the cupcakes, we also had butterbeer, sherbet lemons, every-flavour jelly beans and chocolate frogs.

Now I've recovered from sleep deprivation I don't know what I'll do for my nerdy fix from now on, though this looks promising... In the meantime I still have a Song of Ice and Fire and my new favourite website, My Mom watches Game of Thrones. Pure Gold.

And also, Neville Longbottom got HOT! How did I miss this in the last movie?