For all the Harry Potter nerds that have yet to receive their acceptance letters to Hogwarts, here’s a recipe for Cauldron Cakes to help you keep in touch with your magical side as you wait for your owl.

Perfect for Halloween, Harry Potter-themed parties, and furthering one’s procrastination (like mine, for example), these cauldron cakes are quick, delectable treats that are guaranteed to be one of the best cupcakes you will ever have. However, these cupcakes are not for the faint of heart, so those who dislike incredibly sweet desserts should avoid this one. But if you want to try out a new recipe and further your baking abilities, have a go!

Disclaimer: I am not a professional baker, and the following images are from my attempt to become Gordon Ramsay. Feel free to visit https://www.pastryaffair.com/blog/2011/7/12/cauldron-cakes.html for the original ingredients and assembly instructions. The creator does extra steps to really turn the cupcakes into cauldrons, but I figured I could supply everyone with the simplified version.

Ingredients:

• 12 Devil’s Food Cupcakes
• Chocolate Glaze
• Marshmallow Filling
• Edible Glitter
• ½ cup of Chocolate Chips

Cupcake Recipe

• Betty Crocker Super Moist Devil’s Food Cake Mix
• 1 ¼ cups of Water
• ½ cup of Melted Butter
• 3 eggs

Marshmallow Filling

• 1 cup of Marshmallow Fluff
• ½ cup of Vegetable Shortening
• ½ cup of Confectioners Sugar (AKA Powdered Sugar)
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Chocolate Glaze

• 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 4 tablespoons of butter

Assembly:

1. Preheat the oven as specified on the cake mix box, and combine the cake mix with water, eggs, and melted butter. When mixed, pour the batter about ¾ of the way into a cupcake mold and place in the oven when it’s done preheating.
2. When your cupcakes are baked and taken out of the oven to cool, start making the chocolate glaze. Melt the chocolate and butter at a low heat to avoid burning the chocolate. Make sure to stir frequently!
3. When the glaze is made, take it off the heat and leave on the stove. Meanwhile, remove the cupcakes from the mold and cut out a cavity from the bottom of each cupcake. Be extra careful to not grip onto the cupcake, and you can use a knife or cupcake corer to make the cavities. The cavities can vary in size depending on how much fluff mixture you want to put in each cupcake. Just do what I do and eat the excess cupcake you dig out; it would be wrong to leave scraps.
4.  Dip the top of the cupcake into the chocolate glaze, flip them right side up, and let the cupcakes rest until the chocolate sets. As they rest, place three chocolate chips onto each cupcake in a triangle shape and press them into the chocolate. These will act as your cauldron feet.
5. While the chocolate sets, start on the marshmallow filling. This is the part where everything gets a little tricky, so it’s best to remain patient and level-headed when dealing with the temperamental marshmallow fluff. Combine the fluff, vegetable shortening, vanilla extract, and confectioner’s sugar into a bowl and mix until combined. If you have an icing bag, fill it with the fluff so you can fill the cupcakes later.
6. When the chocolate is hardened, flip the cupcakes over onto their feet. Using your icing bag or two spoons, fill each cupcake with marshmallow fluff to your desired amount. Top with edible glitter to finish.