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Butterbeer Cupcakes
Buttery caramel and cream soda flavoured cupcakes with a mountain of frilly butterscotch Italian meringue buttercream and magical sprinklles galore. If you use ordinary cupcake cases you will get a few less as they are larger than the standalone baking cups I have used here.
Servings: 22
: 325 kcal
Author: Just Jo
Ingredients
  • 300 g plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 150 g light muscovado sugar
  • 250 ml buttermilk
  • 125 ml vegetable oil I use rice bran oil
  • 3 medium eggs
  • 15 drops* Foodie Flavours Cream Soda flavouring
  • 15 drops Foodie Flavours Buttery Caramel flavouring
  • 150 g butterscotch chips or morsels
For the butterbeer Italian meringue buttercream
  • 3 medium egg whites
  • 200 g golden caster sugar
  • 75 g water
  • 300 g soft butter
  • 4 tbsp butterscotch sauce
  • 5 drops Foodie Flavours Cream Soda flavouring
  • 5 drops Foodie Flavours Buttery Caramel flavouring
To finish
  • Extra butterscotch to drizzle with
  • Sprinkles as liked
Equipment
  • Stand mixer
  • Candy thermometer
  • Large piping bag and star shaped nozzle
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C and place your baking cups on a baking tray, or fill a muffin pan with cupcake cases.
  2. Sift the flour and raising agents together into a large bowl.
  3. Whisk all the remaining ingredients bar the butterscotch chips together then stir in the flour and chips until smooth.
  4. Fill the baking cups to no more than half full (these cupcakes rise very well) and bake for 18-20 minutes. If you are using muffin pans, you'll need to use two shelves and rotate the pans half way through to ensure even baking.
  5. Cool for 5 minutes then remove to a rack to come to room temperature.
To make the frosting

  1. Put the egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attached.

  2. Weigh the caster sugar into a deep saucepan and add the water.
  3. Bring to a boil and place a candy thermometer in. The caramel will turn a deep dark brown by the time it is to temperature, which may take a good 10 minutes. You are looking for a temp of 121˚C.
  4. As the temp begins to climb, turn your stand mixer on to whisk the egg whites on high speed. With practice, you'll get them to firm peaks as the caramel comes to temperature.
  5. Once the caramel is ready, pour in a slow, steady thin stream onto the whisked whites, with the stand mixer on medium-high speed still. Aim for the bit between the whisk and the side of the bowl so you don't get shards of set caramel falling into your buttercream.
  6. Turn up to high when all the caramel has been used and leave it to whisk until the outside of the bowl is cool to touch. This may take another 10 minutes.
  7. When cool, turn the speed down to medium-high again and add the butter, a tbsp at a time. Add another as the previous is incorporated. Once it is all mixed in, add the flavourings and butterscotch then turn the speed up to high. Carry on until the buttercream is thick and creamy, not at all soupy. If it is a hot day, you can chill it for 15 minutes before using.
  8. Fill your piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle with the buttercream and top each cupcake with a generous amount of frosting.
  9. Drizzle each with a little extra butterscotch and decorate with sprinkles as liked.
Recipe Notes

*= 15 drops of Foodie Flavours equates to about a 1/4 tsp worth of the flavouring. I suggest measuring this into a spoon as some bottles pour faster than others and they are very strong flavourings, you don't want to add too much.
These cupcakes are best kept in the fridge if not using straight away as the frosting is soft and will slump if left at room temperature on a warm day.

Adapted from Get my butterscotch sauce recipe here

If you can't get the butterscotch morsels, chopped Caramac bars are a very decent alternative (plus a lot cheaper here in the UK!).