The Big Butterbeer Cake and Butter Beer Fizz - Cracking the Recipe

Have you ever tasted something for the first time and thought that was OK and then a little while later, develop an almost addiction to the stuff ?  I saw the amazing blog by Amy of amybites on her *Butterbeer Cup Cakes* and thought must try that one day. However, a well timed trip to Orlando gave me the opportunity to  taste the Butterbeer at Universal's Wizarding World. Wow! I thought that was a bit sweet and had to refresh my palate with some Hogshead Ale too. However, the magic was beginning to work and before I returned home, I was in the supermarket trying to get the right Butterbeer ingredients. 

Just like Amy's recipe there are some ingredients that you just have to have to make this Butterbeer and the cake. Luckily you can buy American Cream Soda in the UK as an import from the famous Cybercandy and a few other online stores. ( Do not use cola, wrong taste. )

Also, you can buy Butterscotch Chocolate chips fairly easily online from various suppliers such as Amazon but I used mine from my trip ( Also, I'm told that Sainsbury's also stock a version).

Now imagine this scene; I am in Publix looking at the all American goodies but I am taking a long time because I don't know where stuff is, in this unfamiliar store. Also, it appears that I am muttering to myself about what I must buy because I refuse to take a shopping list in with me.  I am going along the shelves chanting 'butterscotch chips, must find butterscotch chips.' People are making way for me because a) I am muttering obsessively and b) you have to stand in the middle of the aisle to get a good view of all the stuff that's there.

My family, now bored, have abandoned me and gone back to the car and besides I embarrass them when I am on a food hunt asking awkward questions etc. Finally, 'Thank You!' to the brave Publix employee that offered to help me, told me I had a great accent, just like Harry Potter ( ? ) and found the cream soda too. No one was impressed until I made the cake, THEN they were and could we have it again? Ha ha! Can you picture me  embarrassing my family again, apparently my Sirius Black impression wasn't too hot either.

Slices of the Big Butterbeer Cake - Sweet caramel sponge with a hint of butterscotch and topped with a frothy butternut icing. It's sandwiched together with a butterscotch chocolate  and sprinkled with gold dust for a bit of extra magic!

 

The final film ; Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, has revived the Butter Beer longing again. So I am back in the potions room,  I mean kitchen, making a fresh batch. This post contains two recipes; one for my version of the Butterbeer Cake, however, if you want cupcakes then Amy's version is the best I've found to date.  I've also added my version of the  Butter beer recipe and the essences can be purchased on ebay or Amazon or a good cake decorations supplier. There are plenty of recipes out there on muggelnet and other fan sites so you can have a good look round and see if you fancy the hot or cold version. 

 Some of the key potions ingredients.. I thought the topping of the Butterbeer at Universal had a slightly artificial taste to it and really reminded me of the Bird's Dream Topping Brand. The caramel adds to the darker colour and overall sweetness. You need the butterscotch essence  and ideally the Vanilla Butternut too.

Text Only Printable Recipes

Ingredients :

Cake :

225g  (8oz) Butter
225g  (8oz) Soft brown sugar
4 Large eggs
275g  (10oz) Self raising flour
2 tbsp Caramel Syrup
2 tsp Butterscotch flavouring

¾ cup American Cream Soda

Optional – You can add 110 g (4 oz) butterscotch chips at this point

Butterscotch Centre:
110g  (4oz) Icing sugar
2 oz (60g) Butter
110g  (4oz) White chocolate with butterscotch flavouring or butterscotch chips

Cream Frosting Topping:

1 Sachet Birds Dream Topping

Milk to mix

Vanilla Butternut to taste

4oz (110g) Icing sugar
1 oz (30g) Butter

 

Method:

Preheat oven 140c/120c Fan/275F/Gas Mark 1.

Cream the sugar and butter together. Whisk in the caramel syrup and butterscotch essence then the eggs, one at a time. Fold in half the flour. Stir in the cream soda. Add the rest of the flour ( and the butterscotch chips if desired). Divide into two sandwich tins. 

Place in the centre of the oven. Check after 20 minutes. Cook until risen and a skewer comes cleanly out. Allow to cool and make icings. 

For the butterscotch centre and the cream frosting topping make up the sachet of Dream Topping but put in slightly less milk for a slightly stiffer consistency. Put to one side.

Gently whisk butter, and icing sugar together. Add and stir in two spoonfuls of the Dream Topping. Melt the butterscotch chips and combine with the icing. Spread on one cake half and place other cake half on top.

For the topping mix the butter, icing sugar and butternut essence until a stiff paste is produced. Gradually stir in the rest of the Dream Topping and spread over the top of the cake. It is possible to cover the sides as well but this a quite a wet topping to mimic the frothy beer topping and does make it tricky, if rather fun, to pick up. Finally, sprinkle with edible gold dust.

Butter Beer  Fizz

Ingredients:

1 can of American cream soda per person

1 tbsp caramel syrup per can

½ tsp Butterscotch essence (Preema brand) per can or a few drops of LorAnn Vanilla Butternut flavouring . I found the LorAnn butterscotch had too chemical overtones.

Optional Topping :

Dream Topping and milk to mix

2 tbsp Cream soda* (Save some from the  main beer mix if you are not using large quantities)

½ tsp Vanilla Butternut essence

Method:

Combine most of the soda* and the syrups and essence in a glass.  For a ‘slushie’ version as served in the park, use a plastic cup or your Hogwart’s Butterbeer Mug and put in the freezer for an hour before serving. Stir half an hour in to break up ice crystals.

Make up Dream topping with milk according to the directions on the sachet and mix in the butternut essence. Lighten by adding a two tbsp of soda and float/place on top of beer.

Notes:

***Other inspired 'Harry Potter' Cakes : - Magical Sherbet Lemon Cake***

If anyone can tell me why the Butter Nut, Butter Pecan or Butter Flavouring used in the States is not marketed in the UK, I would be very interest to know. Many thanks.