Thanksgiving Turkey Cupcakes - The classic vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting gets a Thanksgiving makeover, using candy corn, pretzels, candy eyes and chocolate chips to look like a turkey.
Over the weekend, we had a challenge at work - to bake a cupcake that looked like a turkey. We were given a few pictures as inspiration. I haven't made a lot of cupcakes recently, but I was up for the challenge so I picked up some candy corn and pretzels and got to work!
What are thanksgiving turkey cupcakes?
These cupcakes are your classic, homemade vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting, but they are decorated to look like turkeys. They're perfect for Thanksgiving or fall, and easy enough that kids can help make them too!
Tools you'll need:
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- 16 inch piping bags - I like to use a large piping bag no matter how much frosting I have in it. I find it easier to pipe the cupcakes when there is enough space to twist the top of the bag and push down the frosting as you need it.
- large round piping tip - the larger the opening of the tip, the quicker the frosting comes out. For nearly all of my cupcakes I use a very large piping tip, unless I'm doing detail work. This one will allow you to easily fill the base of the cupcake and create the raised face.
- Candy eyes - I love this 'tackle box' of candy eyes because they come in a variety of sizes. For these cupcakes, I used the smallest ones.
🥘 Ingredients for this recipe
- Vanilla Cupcake Ingredients: unsalted butter, sugar, all-purpose flour, egg whites, vanilla, baking powder, milk and salt.
- Chocolate Frosting Ingredients: unsalted butter, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, salt, milk
- For the Decorations: mini pretzels, candy corn, candy eyes, chocolate chips
🔪Instructions for this recipe
For the Cupcakes:
Beat butter and sugar in a mixer until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add egg whites two the mixer, followed by the vanilla. Then mix half of the flour mixture and half of the milk. Repeat to use the rest of the flour and milk. Fill a cupcake pan with liners. Divide batter to fill each cavity ⅔ of the way full. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 18-20 minutes. Let cool in the pan a few minutes, then transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to finish cooling.
For the Frosting:
Beat butter in a mixer until light and fluffy. Add in cocoa powder, followed by powdered sugar, salt and milk. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
To decorate the turkey cupcakes:
Cover the top of the cupcake with chocolate frosting in an even layer, then pipe the frosting in a circle in the center to create the face. Place two pretzels at the back of the cupcake. In front of that, add 4-5 candy corn with the white tip pressed down. Place 3-4 chocolate chips on either side of the cupcake to create the front feathers. Attach to candy eyes to the top of the raised frosting and gently press in. Use an additional candy corn to press directly under the eyes, creating the mouth/neck of the turkey.
Substitutions
- Store-bought cupcakes and frosting are a great alternative! If the frosting isn't piped on in the way you need, scrape off the frosting and pipe it back on (or use new) to create the raised face in the center.
- Skip the pretzels and make layers of feathers using candy corn.
- If you don't have candy eyes, you can create them by using a small white candy and placing a drop of black food coloring in the center. Or, check out My Name is Snickerdoodle's directions for making your own.
Recipe
Thanksgiving Turkey Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes:
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup milk
Frosting
- 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon milk
Decorations
- 24 pieces mini pretzels
- 60 pieces candy corn candy
- 36 pieces chocolate chips
- 24 pieces candy eyes
Instructions
Cupcakes:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in egg whites and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl. Add half to the mixer, followed by half of the milk. Then add remaining flour and remaining milk.
- Divide batter into cupcake pan cavities, filling each ⅔ of the way full.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting
- Beat butter in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add in cocoa powder. Once combined, add in powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time.
- Add in salt and milk and mix until fully combined.
- Transfer frosting to a large piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
To Decorate:
- Cover the top of the cupcake in a single layer of chocolate frosting. In the center of the cupcake, make smaller, round layer to create the face.
- Place two pretzels into the back portion of the frosting. In front of that add, 4-5 pieces of candy corn, white tips down to create the remainder of the feathers.
- Then press 3-4 chocolate chips into the sides of the frosting to create the front feathers. Press candy eyes into the raised face of the frosting, evenly spaced apart. Finally, place a candy corn, white side down directly under the eyes to create the mouth/neck of the turkey.
Notes
- Store-bought cupcakes and frosting are a great alternative! If the frosting isn't piped on in the way you need, scrape off the frosting and pipe it back on (or use new) to create the raised face in the center.
- Skip the pretzels and make layers of feathers using candy corn.
- If you don't have candy eyes, you can create them by using a small white candy and placing a drop of black food coloring in the center. Or, check out My Name is Snickerdoodle's directions for making your own.
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