This year for my sister’s birthday celebration, I was worried that my cake wouldn’t live up to last year’s puffle cake. Every idea I came up with just didn’t seem good enough. Then, I thought back to when she visited us during her winter break, and I immediately knew that I had to make something related to Harry Potter. You see, until then, I had somehow managed not to read a single one of the books or see a single one of the movies. But my sister LOVES them, and when she found out that I had been previously isolated from the Harry Potter world, a movie marathon went on our list of things to do…and I have to say, I really enjoyed them! Afterward, my sister was showing me a recipe for the butterbeer drink that the characters enjoy in one of the movies, and I decided that I just had to incorporate those flavors into a cake somehow. This superbly sweet cake is the result! As it was a bit of an experiment, I wasn’t sure how it would turn out…but everyone told me they loved it, and after one bite I had to agree, too. For all of you Harry Potter fans out there – give this butterbeer cake a try!

For the cake:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 Tbsp butterscotch topping (I used Smucker’s)
• 1/2 cup cream soda
• Extra butterscotch topping, for decorating

For the buttercream frosting (makes enough to cover two 6″ cakes, with a layer of frosting in between cake layers):

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup butterscotch topping
• 1 Tbsp cream soda
• 1 lb powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray two 6″ or 8″ pans with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars.

Add in the eggs, vanilla extract, milk, butterscotch topping, and cream soda.

Add the dry ingredients half at a time, beating until smooth.

Pour into the prepared pans. For 6″ cakes, bake 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. (You may need to adjust the baking time for 8″ cakes.) Cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, beat together the butter, butterscotch topping, and cream soda. Add in the sugar and beat until smooth.

Decorate the cake as desired.

Drizzle with the extra butterscotch topping – it really does add a little something extra!