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–+ servings
Harry Potter Butterbeer Cake shaped like a mug of butterbeer
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Harry Potter Butterbeer Cake

This Harry Potter Butterbeer Cake is shaped like a mug of butterbeer! It has a homemade butterscotch buttercream, butterscotch ganache drips and homemade toffee crumbles.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 3 hours
Dry Time 2 days
Total Time 2 days 3 hours
Servings 16 or more
Author Meghan

Equipment

  • parchment paper
  • masking tape
  • aluminum foil
  • powdered sugar
  • small fondant rolling pin
  • disposable nitrile gloves optional
  • wooden skewers
  • 10-inch gold round cake board
  • spinning cake stand optional
  • food dedicated paint palette
  • disposable transfer pipette
  • food-safe paintbrush
  • Disposable piping bag
  • decorative piping tip like a #6B large star tip

Ingredients

For the Fondant Decorations:

  • white fondant or gum paste
  • gold food coloring gel
  • brown food coloring gel

For Cake Assembly:

  • 4 6-inch cake layers such as Chocolate Layer Cake
  • 4 batches Butterscotch Buttercream see note
  • 2 batches Easy Vanilla Buttercream see note

For the Butterscotch Drips:

  • ½ cup butterscotch chips
  • 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

For Decoration:

  • gold luster dust
  • Everclear, vodka or clear extract
  • Homemade Nut Free Toffee see note
  • gold sprinkles
  • gold edible stars
  • gold edible glitter

Instructions

Make the Fondant Cone:

  • Cut a strip of parchment paper and wrap it into a cone shape with a base that measures about 4 inches in diameter. Tape to secure it. Depending on how slick your paper is, this may require multiple pieces of tape, some of which are tape on top of tape to get it to stick.
  • Trim the bottom edge of the cone so it stands up straight.
    a piece of parchment paper taped into a cone shape on a cutting mat
  • Fill the inside of the cone with crumbled aluminum foil so it can maintain its shape when the fondant is wrapped around it. Set the cone aside.
  • Dust a cutting surface with powdered sugar and roll about ¼ cup of white fondant or gum paste out to even thickness so it is more than twice the height of your cone.
    white fondant on a cutting mat with powdered sugar underneath next to a small fondant rolling pin
  • Wrap the fondant around the cone to completely cover. Trim the bottom edge so it can stand up straight. This cone can look rustic since it will be completely covered in buttercream.
    white fondant rolled around a parchment paper cone

Make the Fondant Handle:

  • Add some gold food coloring gel on top of about ¼ cup white fondant. I recommend wearing disposable nitrile gloves when working the gel into the fondant to avoid staining your hands. You can twist and fold the fondant much like clay to evenly distribute the color. You may add a small drop of brown food coloring if you want a deeper color and work it into the fondant the same way.
    gold tinted fondant next to bottles of brown and gold food coloring gel on a cutting mat
  • Roll the fondant against the powdered sugar dusted cutting surface into a rope shape and form into a handle. Carefully insert wooden skewers into each end.
    gold colored fondant shaped into a handle with wooden skewers in each end
  • Allow the fondant decorations to dry uncovered at room temperature for at least 1-2 days, perhaps more depending on the temperature and humidity of your workspace.

Assemble the Cake:

  • Place a cake board on top of a spinning cake stand.
    a gold cake board on top of a spinning cake stand
  • Place a small mound of Butterscotch Buttercream in the center of the cake board then place one cake layer on top with some pieces of waxed paper under the edges to protect the board.
  • Add some Butterscotch buttercream on top of the cake layer. Spread the buttercream into an even layer with an offset spatula.
    an even layer of butterscotch buttercream smoothed over a single layer of chocolate cake
  • Place the second layer of cake on top and repeat the process until all 4 layers have been stacked.
    4 layers of chocolate cake stacked up with butterscotch buttercream between the layers and on top
  • Frost the entire cake with Butterscotch Buttercream then smooth it out by spinning the cake stand and using a straight edge. If you are running out of buttercream, you can leave the center of the top unfrosted because it will be covered with the fondant cone.
    4 layers of chocolate cake stacked up completely covered in butterscotch buttercream
  • Carefully remove the waxed paper from underneath the cake. The cake is heavy, so this may take some effort. The bottom will be covered with a border to cover small imperfections.
  • Insert some wooden skewers down through the cake to prevent sliding.

Make the Butterscotch Drips:

  • Combine butterscotch chips and cream in a bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until smooth and melted.
    ½ cup butterscotch chips, 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
    melted butterscotch drips in a bowl with a small green silicone spatula
  • Immediately use a spoon to lift small portions of the ganache and slowly pour it off the top edges of the cake to create drips.
  • Refrigerate the cake for 10 minutes to set the drips.

Attach and Paint the Handle:

  • Mark the wooden skewers sticking out of the handle about 2 to 3 inches out. Remove the wooden skewers from the handle and break them on the spot you marked. Insert them back into the handle.
    a gold colored fondant handle with wooden skewers in each end
  • Carefully insert the handle into the side of the cake until the handle is touching the cake and is secure.
  • Add some edible gold luster dust to the well of a food dedicated paint palette. Transfer drops of Everclear or vodka to the dust and mix with a food grade paintbrush to create a liquid gold suspension.
    edible gold luster dust suspension in the well of a paint palette with a food grade paintbrush in it
  • Paint the handle with the liquid gold, taking care not to drip it on the cake. You may need to let the excess liquid run off the paintbrush before applying it to avoid drips.
    a Butterbeer Cake with a gold metallic fondant handle

Finish the Cake:

  • Use an offset metal spatula to spread some Easy Vanilla Buttercream around the top border of the cake to look like overflowing foam on the glass.
  • Place the white fondant cone on top of the cake.
    a white fondant cone on top of a butterscotch buttercream covered cake
  • Fill a disposable piping bag fitted with a large star tip with Easy Vanilla Buttercream. Pipe around the fondant cone to look like a swirl of whipped cream.
    vanilla buttercream piped around a white fondant cone on top of a Butterbeer Cake
  • At the very top of the cone, you can make a star tip mound to completely cover the fondant.
    vanilla buttercream piped around a white fondant cone on top of a Butterbeer Cake
  • Sprinkle crumbled Homemade Toffee, edible gold dust, edible gold stars and gold sugar sprinkles on top of the cake.
    Harry Potter Butterbeer Cake with toffee bits on the top
  • Tint some vanilla buttercream with gold and brown food coloring gel to achieve a rich light brown color. Transfer the buttercream to a disposable piping bag fitted with a large start tip. Sprinkle with edible gold glitter, if desired.
    warm brown colored buttercream piped around the base of a Butterbeer Cake
  • The cake should be stored in the refrigerator. Allow it to come to room temperature before serving to soften the buttercream.

Notes

Butterscotch Buttercream recipe HERE
Easy Vanilla Buttercream recipe HERE
Nut Free Toffee recipe HERE
Butterscotch ganache recipe adapted from Baking Up Memories
You're Gonna Bake It After All
bakeitafterall.com