Double Double Chocolate Cauldron Cakes

From the first time I read about them, cauldron cakes captured my imagination! More than any of the other little snacks and sweet treats in the novels, these little cakes had me drooling from the start. Yet I've never attempted them before. Now, after having visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I can't resist the temptation any longer! And there's no better excuse to make them than my continuing celebration of the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 1!

Cauldron cake from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

My favorite treat at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, after the butterbeer, was absolutely the cauldron cake that I got at Honeydukes. They were tasty little chocolate muffins dipped in rich chocolate and topped with smooth chocolate frosting. Definitely my kind of treat! Like butterbeer, I could hardly wait to recreate these!

My cauldron cakes

And boy, am I glad I did! They turned out adorable and whimsical, and don't even get me started on how mouthwatering they are!

These could certainly be made as standard muffins, but I wanted to do something more authentic, so I bought the Wilton hemisphere pan.

You can see here that each muffin would come out rounded.

Once the cakes are made, allow them to cool completely before decorating. As they're cooling, place chocolate chips in triangular formations on a Silpat mat or parchment paper. Each cake will get tripod-like feet (see below). Also, melt about one cup of milk or semi-sweet chocolate (milk will be mellower).

After the cakes have cooled, dip the base of each into the melted chocolate. Tap off every bit of excess chocolate, then set the cakes on the prepared chocolate chips.

The little chocolate chips become the cauldrons feet!

This cake had too much chocolate left when I placed it on the chips. Obviously, it isn't a big deal, but if you want to prevent this, just make sure you get all of the extra chocolate off that you can.

Using a paring knife, cut a small cone of cake from the center of each cauldron.

The centers of the cakes are filled with a light chocolate filling. Then I used a rich chocolate buttercream to pipe a wide ring around the edge of the cauldrons, and filled the centers with more (recipes below).

I decided that my cauldrons would be filled with golden Felix Felicis potion, so I used a small amount of luster dust on them.

Using luster dust is super easy. Just place a small amount of the dust in a small container and add a tiny bit of clear extract. I prefer to use clear vanilla extract, but any flavor will do, it's such a small amount that it adds no flavor.

Next, all you do is paint the gold onto the frosting. Just make sure that the frosting is set and dry to the touch (it will no longer be sticky).

You'll also noticed that I marked the frosting for the cauldron handles (the small horizontal lines on either side of the "potion"), which is what we'll make next.

For the cauldrons' handles, pipe wide U-shaped lines onto a Silpat mat or piece of parchment paper placed over a cold baking sheet (the cold metal will help the chocolate set faster). To make sure that the handles are wide enough, place one of the cakes on the sheet, then draw the handle next to it, making it just slightly narrower than the top of the cake.

There is no need for any special tools to make these handles. Just fill a small piping bag, or zip top bag, with the chocolate, then snip a tiny piece off. Allow the handles to set up completely before gently peeling them off of the mats.

These were the most fun to make! I'll admit, there are several steps involved in making them, but absolutely nothing difficult or terribly time consuming. And the end result totally makes them worth it! Plus, these don't have to be just a fun Harry Potter treat...they'd also be adorable for Halloween!

Today, though, they are absolutely all about Harry, Hogwarts, and magic! If I were fortunate enough to ride the Hogwarts Express, this is the treat I would buy from the sweets cart that makes it's rounds! They're rich and super chocolatey, and just super stinking cute to boot! If you're a chocolate lover these are for you, and if you're a Harry Potter lover, then you can't pass these up. Plus, everyone will thank you for making them! Enjoy!

Double Double Chocolate Cauldron Cakes

Makes about 18 cakes

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKES

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup canola oil

2 cups flour

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup milk

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

FOR THE FILLING

1/2 cup milk

4 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

4 1/2 teaspoons powdered chocolate milk mix

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

FOR THE FROSTING

1 cup butter

4 cups confectioners' sugar

1 1/4 cups cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 to 1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cups milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips, for dipping and decor

To make the cakes: preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray hemisphere pan with cooking spray that contains flour or line muffin pan with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In another large bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the oil and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until thoroughly combined. Sprinkle 1/3 of the flour mixture over the ingredients in the bowl and beat until just combined. Add have the milk and stir until combined, then scrape the bowl. Sprinkle another 1/3 of the flour int he bowl, and again mix until just combined before adding the remaining milk. Beat until just mixed, then add the remaining flour and beat the mixture until thoroughly combined, scraping the bowl, as needed. Stir int he chocolate chips. Place 2 tablespoons of the batter in each cup. Bake the muffins for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean of cake batter. Allow to cool completely before decorating.

To make the filling: Combine the milk, flour, and chocolate drink mix in a small saucepan set over medium high heat. Whisk together until the mixture thickens, then remove from heat and allow to cool completely before continuing (I place mine in a small bowl in the freezer for 15-20 minutes).

In a medium bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir int he vanilla, then beat in the milk mixture until combined. Whip the mixture until light and fluffy (if it looks separated, continue beating until it comes together).

To make the frosting: Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer. Stir in the vanilla and cocoa, and beat until combined. Add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until the mixture reaches a smooth, fluffy consistency.

Decorate as directed above.

Recipe by Sugarbear