I’m a pretty hardcore Potterphile, so adding more Harry Potter-inspired recipes like these cauldron cakes makes me giddy with magical glee. I figured, what’s more appropriate for Halloween than cauldron cakes filled with a Felix Felicis (liquid luck!) filling? But what actually is a cauldron cake?
I consulted both the wide internet and my own British mother. Apparently nobody really knows and JK Rowling keeps dodging my calls again. Pick up the phone, Jo!
Then I noticed I had a fun Halloween cupcake kit sitting around that had pretty perfect cauldron-shaped cupcake aprons. I decided that chocolate cupcakes carved out into a cauldron shape would be the final solution. Is it Harry Potter-accurate? Who knows? Was it yummy? Yup.
The tiny Dobby figure in there is from the Harry Potter Mystery Minis collection. So cute.
- Rustic honeyed chicken hand pies from Game of Thrones
- Gingerbread Wookiee cookies
- Harry Potter-inspired butterbeer cake
- Guardians of the Galaxy cake
- Harry Potter-inspired butterbeer
How about a few more Halloween recipes, too?
- Harry Potter-inspired pumpkin pasties (two ways!)
- Halloween pretzel kisses
- Frankenstein marshmallow pops
- Monster s’mores
I’m a Ravenclaw! Which house are you representing?
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Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 pre-made vanilla pudding
- gold edible glitter or glitter spray (like this)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup standard muffin tin with paper or silicone liners (like these).
- Into a medium bowl, sift together cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt, then set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with sour cream and beginning and ending with flour.
- Pour batter into cups, filling each 3/4 full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Cool in pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Using a spoon or a small cookie cutter (like this), carve out a small hole in the top of each cupcake. Fill will pre-made pudding and spray or mix in edible glitter (like these).
- Wrap with cauldron cupcake aprons (if you have them) to serve.
If you make this recipe, share a photo and hashtag it #BIJOUXANDBITS. I’d love to see what you’re cooking!
Catherine Clark is a Chicago native sharing noteworthy things she sees and attempts to make in the world. She's a geek, cat lady, designer and editor by day, and noob chef by night.
Cauldron cake. Cup cake. Why wouldn’t a cauldron cake be like a cup cake? Perfect!
Right? That’s what I thought, too. Plus, who would turn down a cupcake? 😉 Thanks for stopping by!
Ravenclaw all the way! I love this take on cauldron cakes. I’ve always wondered what JK Rowling was imagining when she wrote about them. I’ve seen caldron cakes that are supposed to look like the cauldron itself, but I like this so much better!
Ravenclaws unite! I think you’re probably right that cakes in the books probably do look more like cauldrons, but I figured I’d go an easier route. But I’d love to try making them like little cauldrons sometime!
I just finished reading the Harry Potter series last night with my daughters. Tonight we are going to celebrate by watching the final movie and I was looking for a fun treat to have. This fit the bill perfectly! We used food coloring to try to make the pudding golden are anxiously awaiting putting them together and eating them tonight! Thank you. 🙂