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You are here: Home / Food / Baked Goods / Cakes / Cauldron Cakes | Harry Potter Series

Cauldron Cakes | Harry Potter Series

Cakes· Harry Potter· JK Rowling

14 Jul

The lunch trolley came rattling along the corridor, and Harry bought a large stack of Cauldron Cakes for them to share.

–Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter Honeydukes Qizilbash Cauldron Cakes Food in Literature

I needed to know, what really is a cauldron cake? We’ve seen the cute ones at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, but is that really what a cauldron cake is?

To get to the bottom of this, here’s what we know about them.

  • cauldron cakes can be bought in ‘a stack’
  • They were given as ‘a batch’
  • They were made by Qizibash Quality Confectionary in Pakistan from 1854 onwards.

The Unofficial Harry Potter cookbook decides they must be pancakes, which kind of makes sense… but it’s in the wizarding world, so it must be a bit more exciting then that, yeah?

And if they’re made in Pakistan, are they Middle Eastern cakes or English cakes that are made in Pakistan?

For this batch I took the Middle Eastern inspiration route. The cakes are shaped like they were baked in the bottom of a cauldron, and are filled with a date filling.

I’d love to know what you think cauldron cakes are! Maybe we can pull enough ideas together to create a cauldron cake recipe that we think is the closest to what it really would be. Leave your thoughts in the comments!

4.7 from 3 reviews
Cauldron Cakes | Harry Potter Series
 
Save Print
Prep time
20 mins
Cook time
15 mins
Total time
35 mins
 
Author: Bryton Taylor; Food in Literature
Ingredients
THE GROUND SPICE MIX
  • ½ tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1¼ tsp ground allspice
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp ground anise (you can buy star anise and grind down yourself)
  • ¼ tsp ground fennel seed (if you can only find whole, grind down yourself)
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
THE RECIPE
  • canola oil spray
  • 150-160g of pitted dates
  • 1½ tsp of the spice mix
  • ½ tsp almond essence
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 2 cups plain flour
  • ½ cup (115g) butter, room temperature
  • ¼ cup water
  • icing sugar for dusting
TOOLS
  • a round bottom tray. You can find them on Amazon under 'mince pie pan' http://amzn.to/2jWIfQD or in Australia you'll find them in most grocery stores/ kitchen stores as 'patty pans'
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 175C/350F.
  2. Mix together the spice mix and place in a air tight container. You'll only be using a bit of this mix for this recipe.
  3. Spray the food processor with the canola oil so the dates don't stick.
  4. In batches, heat up the dates (in a small microwavable bowl) in the microwave for 10-15 secs to soften.
  5. Place in the food processor and blend, then repeat with the rest.
  6. By hand, mix the 1½ tsp of spice mix and ½ tsp of almond essence into the date mixture.
  7. Set aside.
  8. In a mixer, beat the butter, then add in the sugar.
  9. Beat for a few minutes until creamy.
  10. Add in the flour, then the water.
  11. Turn out onto a board dusted with plain flour.
  12. Roll out relatively thinly, and cut out circles.
  13. Spray your cookie tray with canola oil spray.
  14. Place one circle into a cookie hole.
  15. Take a small ball of the date mixture, and press with your fingers into a flattened circle.
  16. Place into the cookie tray on top of the dough.
  17. Place another cookie dough circle on top.
  18. Press the middle down, then press the edges together.
  19. Repeat, then place in the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.
  20. Remove from the oven, use the back of a large spoon to gently press the centres (to keep the indentation), then set aside to cool.
  21. Dust with icing sugar and serve.
Notes
This recipe was inspired (although the end process was completely different) by Ma'amoul recipes, in particular from the book An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair
3.5.3208

 

15 Comments

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Krupa says

    September 26, 2015 at 4:49 am

    Thanks for the recipe! Quick geography note: Pakistan is not in the Middle East, though recipes are often related 🙂

    Reply
  2. Cindy says

    October 16, 2015 at 9:10 am

    Where did you find the boxes to print?

    Reply
    • Bryton Taylor says

      November 4, 2015 at 5:43 am

      TheRPF.com has them 🙂

      Reply
  3. Shereen @ Shereen Travels Cheap says

    October 17, 2015 at 6:16 am

    Thank you! Everything can’t be chocolate. Well, I suppose it can, but I feel like there should be some variety in the treats they have in Harry Potter. I try to be a little creative with my own, so there are different flavors on the treat table. Also, these look totally delicious and I can’t wait to make them for my next HP party.

    Reply
  4. layla says

    January 14, 2016 at 12:42 am

    I agree with this… a hallowed out cupcake. http://allwomenstalk.com/good-eats-chow-down-like-harry-potter/4/

    Reply
  5. Kristen says

    December 22, 2016 at 3:01 pm

    Can you post a link to find a a round bottom cookie tray, I can not find one online, maybe It has a different name. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Bryton Taylor says

      January 10, 2017 at 8:46 am

      Hi Kristen, Well that took me a bit to find! They’re known as patty pans, and are found everywhere in Australia- from grocery stores to kitchen stores. But a look in the US turned up nothing. Finally found them online fortunately. You can order them from Amazon UK here –> http://amzn.to/2icjmT0

      Reply
  6. Britney Wilkes says

    January 14, 2017 at 7:13 am

    Hi! What kind of flour did you use? All purpose? Self-Rising? And what kind of round bottom cookie tray did you use? ?

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Bryton Taylor says

      January 18, 2017 at 8:10 am

      All purpose flour. And the trays are known as mince pie pans in the US. Here’s a link to one on Amazon http://amzn.to/2jWIfQD

      Reply
  7. Shayne Warsing says

    May 23, 2017 at 2:52 am

    Is there anywhere on your site that tells how many cakes can be made with one recipe? I have the Eddington mince pie pan. It’s the same one you provided the link to. I need this information soon. Hopefully, you will see this post in time for a reply
    Regards,

    Reply
  8. Shayne Warsing says

    May 26, 2017 at 7:02 am

    Bryton,
    Do you still monitor this site? Still looking for an answer to my question.
    Thanks,
    Shayne

    Reply
    • Bryton Taylor says

      June 5, 2017 at 4:07 pm

      Hi Shayne, apologies, I’ve been only checking comments sporadically. From memory, the recipe made ~6-8 cauldron cakes.

      Reply
  9. Stephanie says

    July 20, 2017 at 7:05 am

    I always pictured the Cauldron Cakes as a simple cake, with small holes punched in the tops and drizzled with honey while still warm. Then dusted with powdered sugar.

    Reply
  10. Alyssa Cook says

    October 23, 2017 at 10:57 am

    Hi Bryton,

    I was hoping to feature this and four other recipes in an article for my campus food blog, but the pumpkin pasties page has started blocking me (http://inliterature.net/food-in-literature/2012/10/harry-potter-pumpkin-pasties.html). Is there any way I can regain access, so I can finish my article.

    All good features, by the way — especially the cauldron cakes. They were easily the best pastries I’ve ever made!

    Thanks!

    Alyssa

    Reply
  11. Susan Potenzano says

    October 19, 2018 at 3:57 am

    These were really good. I must admit though I didn’t use dates because I didn’t have any on hand was making this for a trip the next day. I didn’t have time to buy dates. But I used finely chopped apples and raisins. YUMM–IE. This recipe seems to have nailed cauldron cakes

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Bryt!
I'm a bookaholic, huge Harry Potter fan, and love throwing full blown themed dinner parties. Read More…

brytontaylor

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A ‘spider’ was a cast iron or sheet metal pan with long legs to stand over the flames, with potentially a long handle–remembering that in the 1700s to early 1800s when The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was both based and written, the kitchen included an open hearth for cooking. You learn something new everyday!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
As our kitchens have evolved since the 1800s, I used an oiled cast iron pan. It was unclear from the original recipe how big the cast iron pan would’ve been, so it’s possible the shortcakes were thinner in size than what I’ve created! Either way, my version of the recipe turned out out like a scone and tasted divine with cream on top.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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There seem to be two things that have, if not inspired, at least played a large part of many writers lives-- being around people and being in nature. While being around people provides the backdrop and spark for characters and stories and situations, I can only suppose nature does the opposite. It can quieten everything around you and therefore, quieten inside your head, where, being a creative person, conversations are always happening.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Instagram post 2158771510341022249_143772191 While not directly related to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, if you're in town on a day that Philipsburg Manor is open, it's a great way of looking back at the period of 1750, when the manor was active as a mill and trading center.  The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was set in 1790, not long after the Philipsburg Manor estate was sold at auction in response to the owners’ allegiance to the British during the American Revolution. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
During October they also decorate the space up, so if you're looking for rustic and pumpkin scarecrows, this is the spot! You'll also want to stop by the gift shop to purchase a copy of Tales of The Old Dutch Burying Ground before you head to the cemetery. A fold-out map will keep you from getting turned around.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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From what I can tell, varieties common during Washington Irving’s day would’ve been the Roxbury Russet, Newtown Pippin and the Rhode Island Greening.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
After our visit to Sleepy Hollow, I beelined us over to Brattleboro in Vermont because I found out that @scottfarmvt grows over 130 heirloom apple varieties. Funnily enough, it was only when I was trying to find a place nearby that I realised that Rudyard Kipling once lived in the area (my trip planning is usually the other way round! Literary first, additional stops second). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Instagram post 2157322097903217140_143772191 The all American apple pie can be traced way back to the 1300’s in England. Fortunately, in the 1700’s, when The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is set, they were using sugar and edible crusts, a big jump from the 1300’s where the crusts were merely dishes, and sugar was too expensive to use. The recipe Ichabod would have tasted would have been similar to the ones we eat today.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Instagram post 2155872555559056207_143772191 The grandpa of the doughnut, olykoek (also spelt olicook and olykoecks), featured in the Sleepy Hollow feast, has numerous recipe variations. In simple terms, it is a ball of dough deep-fried in hot oil. Some recipes in The Sensible Cook, my go-to book on historic Dutch cooking, suggest that citrus, apples and/or almonds be mixed directly into the dough. However, a recipe found from Albany, New York provided an additional recipe for olykoek that folds raisins and dried citrus soaked in brandy, into the middle of the dough.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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