Craft Gossip

Independent craft blog since 2007

Harry Potter Butterbeer Cupcakes

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These Harry Potter butterbeer cupcakes are perfect for your Harry Potter Hogwarts themed party. These cupcakes are so easy to make and you can pickup the plastic harry potter glasses here to go with them. These cupcakes are made using a packet cake mix but you can swap it out for your own favorite yellow cake recipe if you wish to make it from scratch.

The cupcake toppers, the glasses, are what makes these cupcakes stand out from all the rest of the Harry Potter party food ideas. You could package up these cupcakes and give them out as a party favor too.Try adding some DIY wands to the top of the cupcakes for an alternating finish.

Looking for more Harry Potter party ideas? Check these DIY ideas out.  Check out the Harry Potter cook book too.

How to make Butterbeer cupcakes

Makes 18 cupcakes

Butterbeer cupcakes ingredients:

1 box of Betty Crocker yellow cake mix
3 large eggs
1/2 C canola oil
1/2 C IBC cream soda
1/4 C light brown sugar, packed
1 3.4 oz package of instant butterscotch pudding mix
gold foil cupcake liners

Butterbeer Frosting:

1 C unsalted sweet cream butter, softened
2 tbsp butterscotch extract
1 tsp butter extract
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 C light brown sugar, packed
4 C powdered sugar
1/4 C heavy whipping cream
1 bag of caramel popcorn for yourself and topping on the cupcakes
1 butterscotch or caramel sauce for drizzle on the cupcakes
1 piping bag, fitted with a large star tip

Directions to make the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake pan with the cupcake liners.

Using a standing mixer, mix together until combined the cake mix, eggs, oil, cream soda, vanilla, brown sugar, and pudding mix.

Scoop cupcake batter into the cupcake liners and fill about 3/4 full.

Bake in the oven for 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Once baked, place onto the counter and allow to cool completely.

Frosting Directions:

Using the standing mixer, cream together until fluffy and combined the butter, brown sugar, butterscotch, butter, and vanilla extract.

Gradually add in the powdered sugar making sure to scrape from the sides of the bowl.

Add the heavy cream and continue to mix until combined, smooth and thick, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Once frosting is made, scoop into the piping bag.

Frost cooled cupcakes.

Drizzle sauce of your choice and toss on some caramel popcorn.

Enjoy while watching your favorite Harry Potter film!

Have you read?

DIY Giant Eyeball Lanterns – Creepy Halloween Decoration

When it comes to Halloween, bigger is always better—and these giant eyeball lanterns prove it! With nothing more than plain white paper lanterns, a little paint, and some imagination, you can create huge, spooky eyes that look like they’ve popped right out of a monster movie.

They’re perfect for hanging from ceilings, displaying on porches, or grouping together in a corner for an eerie effect. Best of all, paper lanterns are super inexpensive (you can grab them on eBay, Amazon, or even your local dollar store), which makes this a great budget-friendly craft for big impact Halloween décor.

Supplies You’ll Need

  • Large round white paper lanterns (various sizes look best) 
  • Acrylic paints or craft paints in black, brown, green, red, orange, or blue (for irises) 
  • Wide paintbrush for background color 
  • Small paintbrush for details 
  • Black construction paper or cardstock (optional for spiky “lashes” or accents) 
  • Hot glue gun or strong craft glue 
  • String or fishing line (if you want to hang them) 

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prep the Lanterns

  1. Assemble your white paper lanterns according to the package directions. 
  2. Make sure they’re fully open and the wire insert is in place so the surface is taut for painting. 

Step 2: Paint the Iris

  1. Using a wide brush, paint a large circle in the center of the lantern to create the iris. 
  2. Choose spooky colors—green, red, orange, or blue work wonderfully. 
  3. Don’t worry about making it perfectly smooth; streaks and uneven textures add to the eerie, organic look. 

Step 3: Add the Pupil

  1. Once the iris paint is dry, use black paint to fill in the pupil at the very center. 
  2. Make it large enough to stand out against the iris. 

Step 4: Detail the Eye

  • Use a smaller brush to add darker or lighter streaks in the iris for a more realistic effect. 
  • You can even add thin vein lines in red around the iris to give it that bloodshot look. 

Step 5: Optional Spiky Lashes

  1. Cut long triangles from black construction paper or cardstock. 
  2. Glue them around one side of the lantern so they stick out like sharp monster eyelashes. 
  3. This makes the eyeballs look even more monstrous and stylized. 

Step 6: Display Your Giant Eyeballs

  • Hanging: Use string or fishing line to suspend them from ceilings, trees, or porch rafters so they look like floating eyeballs. 
  • Stacked: Place them in corners, along stairs, or even grouped on your lawn for a spooky display. 
  • Tabletop: Use them as oversized Halloween party props. 

Tips & Variations

  • Glowing Eyes: Insert battery-powered LED lights into the lanterns so they glow from the inside. 
  • Rainbow Eyes: Mix up the colors and make a whole rainbow of creepy eyes. 
  • Monster Cluster: Group multiple eyeballs together in different sizes for a scarier effect. 

This DIY Giant Eyeball Lantern craft is quick, cheap, and gives you maximum Halloween spook factor with minimal effort. Whether you make one or a whole creepy collection, your haunted house setup will definitely be eye-catching!