Butterbeer Cupcakes!

As is probably very obvious from my instagram and tumblr, I'm currently in the middle of a massive Harry Potter obsession. This being one of the longest summer's I'll ever have, I decided that there was no better time than the present to re-read the whole series back to back so I've been reading and watching them in order and am currently on Order of the Phoenix (5). This time, however, I've completely caught the Harry Potter bug and I find myself wishing I was a part of the world of Hogwarts and Hogsmead very often.

As I was trying to think of new ways to feel like part of the wizarding world I stumbled upon this recipe for butterbeer cupcakes (thank you so much to the creator of the recipe!) and although they're not mentioned in the books or films, they looked too good to not try. I'm a big fan of cupcakes and making them myself (I usually enjoy the decorating part the best as is shown with my Harry Potter themed ones shown below) so I thought this would be a fun thing to do on a day that would otherwise have not been productive at all.

Now I warn you, these did take AGES to make. I'm not sure exactly how long because I had to wait for them to cool and do a few bits and bobs here and there too but it was certainly over about 3 hours. That may have been because it was the first time I've made something other than standard cupcakes without anyone who knows what they're doing or it might have been because I knew I didn't have a time limit at all but either way, it might be something to keep in mind if you're planning on trying these (especially if you're a beginner like me!)

Having said that, these cakes are honestly amazing. There were several times throughout the process that I worried they weren't going to turn out right at all but after a slight disaster with the butterscotch ganache and having to substitute it with some 'baking caramel' (which worked perfectly well if you'd rather not attempt the ganache yourself) they are certainly a success. Having just tasted one I can tell you that they taste absolutely amazing (even though I was skeptical) and I think they're well worth the time it took to make them. Also, the recipe makes a lot of cakes (it made 20 for me) which is always good!

Lucy x