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Turkey Cupcakes

Turkey cupcakes turn chocolate cupcakes into festive treats with buttercream frosting, candy corn tail feathers, and peanut butter cup faces. Bake them until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, then decorate once completely cool.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
cooling 5 minutes
Total Time 47 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 475
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the cupcakes
  • 1.33 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 egg large
  • 0.5 cup buttermilk
  • 0.5 cup neutral oil
  • 0.5 cup hot brewed coffee
For the frosting
  • 0.5 cup salted butter softened
  • 2 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
For decorating
  • 96 candy corn pieces
  • 12 peanut butter cups mini, unwrapped
  • 24 candy eyes
  • 1 tube orange decorating icing small
  • 1 tube red decorating icing small

Equipment

  • 1 12-cup muffin pan
  • 1 electric mixer

Method
 

Make the cupcakes
  1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
  3. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
  4. Whisk the egg, buttermilk, and oil in a separate bowl.
  5. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until combined.
  6. Whisk in the hot coffee until the batter is smooth.
  7. Divide the batter among the liners.
  8. Bake for 18–22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  9. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 5 minutes.
  10. Transfer the cupcakes to a rack and cool completely.
Make the frosting
  1. Beat the butter with an electric mixer until creamy, about 1 minute.
  2. Add the powdered sugar in two additions.
  3. Beat in the milk and vanilla until smooth and spreadable.
Decorate the cupcakes
  1. Spread frosting over each cooled cupcake.
  2. Arrange 8 candy corn pieces around the back half of each cupcake with their pointed ends pressed into the frosting and their wide ends fanning outward.
  3. Press a mini peanut butter cup onto the front of each cupcake on its side, with the flat round bottom facing forward.
  4. Attach two candy eyes with tiny dabs of frosting.
  5. Pipe an orange beak and a red wattle onto each cup.

Notes

For neat decorations, make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before frosting and placing the candy. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; freeze undecorated cupcakes for up to 2 months. For a dairy-free adaptation, use plant-based butter and milk and dairy-free buttermilk.