Vegan Butterbeer Cupcakes

Dear Potter friends, It's finally here! Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. If you're like me, it's somehow crept up on you, because you couldn't believe it was actually going to happen and you'd gotten used to waiting ("we did our waiting! 5 years of it [since Deathly Hallows]..." Etc). I pre-ordered the screenplay and it arrived yesterday, with beautiful cover art. I am going to be good and wait until I've seen the movie (tomorrow! We even booked fancy seats!) before I read it. In the meantime, to keep myself away from the book and to celebrate the movie I've experimented with a recipe for Vegan Butterbeer cupcakes. The result is a butterscotch dream. I ate one straight out of the oven, and then another one while we were taking photos. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• ​1 cup cream soda
• 1/2 cup vegan butter (Trex)
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp caramel essence
• 1 and 1/4 cup plain flour
• 1/8 cup cornflour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
• ​1/4 tsp salt

​For the Butterscotch sauce:

• ​1/4 cup vegan butter (Trex)
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup coconut milk (from a can)
• 2 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• ​1/8 tsp salt

​For the Buttercream:

• ​1/4 cup vegan butter
  
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
  
• 3 cups icing sugar
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  

Method

1. ​Preheat oven to 180 Celsius (350 Fahrenheit).
2. Line a 12-hole cupcake tin.
3. Beat together the butter, sugar and extracts and slowly add half the cream soda.
4. Sift together all dry ingredients and slowly add to the butter mixture.
5. Add the remaining cream soda and mix until no lumps remain.
6. Fill the cupcake cases to 3/4 full.
7. Bake for 18 to 20 mins until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
8. Cool for 10 minutes in tin and then remove to wire rack.
   
9. ​For the Butterscotch: Melt the vegan butter in a medium saucepan.
   
10. Whisk in the remaining ingredients.
    
11. Bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes without stirring.
    
12. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
13. Pour into a piping bottle and squeeze a little amount into each cupcake.
    
14. For the buttercream: Beat together the vegan butter and coconut milk.
15. Sift in half the icing sugar and beat until combined.
    
16. Sift in remainder of the icing sugar and the vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
17. Spoon into piping bag and pipe on to cupcakes. Drizzle with butterscotch and serve.