There are few things in life I love more than cupcakes and holidays. So this year, I’m combining the two and making yummy chocolate “turkey” cupcakes for Thanksgiving. I have made an entire turkey cake before, but I’m going to go the cuter route this year with mini versions. The only question was where to start.
I’ve had this idea to use chocolate cake and frosting, plus candy corns for feathers, beaks and maybe even feet. After a quick internet search, I found this recipe from Duncan Hines and I think it’s tres adorable (but I think I’ll make mine in chocolate). You can use the little nameplate as a placecard for everyone eating T-day dinner. Get inspired and give it a try!
Recipe and photo from Duncan Hines, duncanhines.com
INGREDIENTS:
• 24 standard Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Spice cupcakes baked in paper liners
• 24 mini Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Spice cupcakes baked in white paper liners
• 1 cup Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Vanilla Frosting
• 24 thin orange flavored scalloped cookies
• 2 cups candy corn
• 1 cup chocolate candy melts, melted (if making the turkeys the night before)
• 1 can (16 ounces) plus 1 cup Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Caramel Frosting
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate jimmies
• 12 marshmallows
• 24 pieces harvest corn
• 1 roll strawberry fruit leather (e.g. Fruit by the Foot)
• 48 brown candy coated chocolate covered sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup Duncan Hines Chocolate Fudge frosting
• 24 graham cracker sticks (e.g. Honey Maid Sticks)
BAKING INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Spoon the vanilla and the chocolate frostings into separate ziplock bags. Snip a small corner from the bag with the vanilla frosting and pipe a dot of frosting near each scallop on cookies, to make 7 dots. Add the candy corn to the dots of frosting, pointed end facing center of cookies. (If making the night before, brush the backs of cookies with melted candy melts, to protect the cookies from moisture, and let set in the refrigerator until set, about 5 minutes) Continue with decorating.
2. Place the chocolate sprinkles in a small bowl. Spread the caramel frosting on top of all of the cupcakes, standard and mini, and make smooth. Roll the edges of the standard cupcakes in the jimmies to cover. Dip one edge of the mini cupcakes in the jimmies to coat.
3. Press the harvest corn in the center of the mini cupcakes, flat side in, to make the nose. Pipe 2 dots of the vanilla frosting on either side of the candy nose and insert the brown candies to make the eyes. Cut the red fruit leather into twenty four 1 1/2 inch tear drop shapes and lay over the harvest corn to make the waddle.
4. Spoon the chocolate frosting into a ziplock bag. Snip a very small corner from bag and pipe names on the flat side of graham cookies.
5. Snip a larger corner (1/4 inch) from bag with the chocolate frosting. Cut the marshmallows in half on the diagonal with clean scissors. Place a cut marshmallow near the edge of the cupcake, cut side down, with pointed end facing the center. Pipe a dot of chocolate frosting on side closest to the center. Place the decorated cookie with the empty edge pressed into the frosting to make the tail feathers. Add the mini cupcake on top and press into frosting slightly to secure.
6. Pipe a small dot of chocolate frosting in front of cupcakes and attach the graham cookies with names.
7. Arrange turkeys on table as place cards. Add 2 candy corns on the table next to the cupcakes to make the feet.
Did you try this recipe or another festive dessert for Thanksgiving? Comment below.
About Marisa Walker
3 responses so far ↓
Logan Nov 21, 2010 at 5:25 pm
Thanks, its super cute!
Logan Nov 21, 2010 at 5:26 pm
THANKS! ITS WAY PRESH BOO!
joan Nov 24, 2011 at 4:59 pm
This recipe is originally from a book called What’s New, Cupcake. Duncan Hines must have taken it from the book.
Comment or Share Your Experience