Turkey Cupcakes

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Fun and surprisingly easy to decorate turkey cupcakes taste delicious and will brighten up every dessert plate. I piped the bodies with some chocolate buttercream and a large round tip and all those feathers were made with the flick of a wrist and small petal tips.

These are some turkeys you don’t have to feel bad about eating!

A Few Tips

• You can substitute whole milk yogurt for the sour cream if desired, I do it all the time and can’t really tell the difference.
• If you prefer your frosting to be less sweet then try whipping up a batch of Swiss or Italian buttercream. Silky smooth and delicious!
• If you don’t have a round tip just snip the end off a piping bag and it will work pretty well.
• Try some crazy colors for the feathers. You don’t have to stick with the traditional fall palate.

1. For the cupcakes; preheat the oven to 350 degrees and add papers to a cupcake tin. Start off by sifting the dry ingredients with the sugar into a bowl of a stand mixer and whisk together until combined.
2. Add the wet ingredients into a large bowl and whisk them together. Now add the wet ingredients into the stand mixer with the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is smooth. Distribute batter evenly into the cupcake papers and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow time for these cupcakes to cool before decorating.
3. For the vanilla buttercream; beat the butter until light and fluffy in a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Sift the confectioners sugar into the creamed butter and add the vanilla, salt, and milk.
4. Separate the buttercream into multiple bowls and add food coloring to create yellow, orange, and red. Use cocoa to get the brown base color. Transfer each color to piping bags fitted with wilton 103 piping tips. The brown buttercream will be fitted with a large round tip.
5. For the assembly; start with a red ruffle around the perimeter of the cupcake. Leave a gap open for the body! Pipe an orange ruffle, then a yellow ruffle.
6. Once the feathers are done, pipe one continuous body and head for your turkey. Add a white dot and a mini chocolate chip flipped upside down for the eye. Finally, pipe a beak on the side of the turkey head with yellow buttercream and a thin strip of red for the gobble. There you have your turkey!!

If you’ve tried these turkey cupcakes then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!

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Turkey Cupcakes

These festive turkey cupcakes will charm your guests at first sight but the best part is they're moist rich and delicious chocolate cake on the inside. 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 18

Calories 180 kcal

Author John Kanell

Ingredients

For the Cupcakes:

• ¼ cup sour cream 57g, room temperature
• ½ cup buttermilk 118mL, room temperature
• 2 medium eggs
• ¼ cup hot coffee 60mL
• ⅓ cup veggie oil 79mL
• 2 tsp vanilla extract 10mL
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour 180g
• 1 ⅓ cup granulated sugar 265g
• ¼ cup cocoa powder 20g, nice
• 1 tsp baking soda 6g
• ½ tsp kosher salt 2.5g

For the Vanilla Buttercream:

• 1 2/3 lbs confectioners sugar 700g 900g
• 1 lb butter 450g, unsalted, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 5mL
• 1 tbsp whole milk 15mL
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt 2g
• food coloring

Instructions

For the cupcakes:

1. Preheat to 350F. Add papers to a cupcake tin.
2. Sift the dry ingredients (including the sugar) into the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine.
3. Add the wet ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together.
4. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
5. Whisk until smooth and combined.
6. Distribute batter evenly into the cupcake papers and bake for about 15 -20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Allow time to cool.

For the Vanilla Buttercream:

1. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy.
2. Sift the confectioners' sugar into the creamed butter.
3. Add 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt, and milk.
4. Separate into multiple bowls.
5. Add food coloring to create yellow, orange and red the turkey colors. Use cocoa to get the brown base color.
6. Transfer each color to piping bags fitted with wilton 103 piping tips. Transfer the brown to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.

For the Assembly:

1. Start with a red ruffle around the perimeter of the cupcake. Leave a gap open for the body.
2. Pipe an orange ruffle, then a yellow ruffle.
3. Pipe one continuous body and head.
4. Add a white dot and mini chocolate chip for the eye.
5. Pipe a beak on the side of the turkey head with the yellow buttercream.

Recipe Video

Nutrition Facts

Turkey Cupcakes

Amount Per Serving (1 cupcake)

Calories 180 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 7g 11%

Saturated Fat 4g 20%

Cholesterol 6mg 2%

Sodium 250mg 10%

Total Carbohydrates 30g 10%

Sugars 30g

Protein 1g 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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