Description
These festive Turkey Cupcakes are a delightful and creative treat perfect for Thanksgiving celebrations. Featuring rich chocolate cupcakes made from scratch with a luscious cocoa-based batter, topped with creamy chocolate frosting and playful decorations to resemble little turkeys, they bring fun and flavor together in one sweet dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcakes
- 1 ¼ cup (156 g) all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (96 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (nonalkalized)
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder (or coffee powder)
- 1 cup (240 mL) boiling water
- ½ cup (120 g) sour cream or plain Greek yogurt (room temperature)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
Frosting
- 1 cup (226 g or 2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 2 cups (240 g) confectioners’ sugar (sifted)
- ½ cup (48 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons milk (room temperature)
Decorations
- ½ cup Reese’s Pieces
- 20 mini Reese’s cups
- 40 candy eyes
- 10 red gummy worms (cut in half)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 20-cupcake muffin pan with paper liners or grease well to prevent sticking.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, unsweetened cocoa powder, and espresso powder. Set aside.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a large bowl, stir together the boiling water and sour cream (or Greek yogurt) until smooth. Add the vanilla extract and mix well.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a separate bowl, using a mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Incorporate dry and wet mixture: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with the sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Fill cupcake liners: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds full.
- Bake cupcakes: Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Prepare frosting: Beat the butter until creamy, then gradually add confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder, mixing on low speed. Add vanilla and milk 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Beat until smooth and fluffy.
- Frost cupcakes: Once cupcakes are completely cooled, frost each generously with the chocolate frosting using a spatula or piping bag.
- Decorate turkeys: For each cupcake, place one mini Reese’s cup in the center as the turkey body. Stick 2 candy eyes on the Reese’s cup for the face. Arrange 4-5 Reese’s Pieces behind the body to mimic tail feathers. Insert half a red gummy worm in front of the face as the turkey’s wattle. Repeat until all cupcakes are decorated.
Notes
- These cupcakes are perfect for Thanksgiving celebrations and great fun for kids to help decorate.
- You can substitute boxed chocolate cake mix to speed up the process if desired.
- Ensure cupcakes are completely cooled before frosting to prevent melting.
- Use nonalkalized cocoa powder for richer flavor.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 411 kcal
- Sugar: 36 g
- Sodium: 149 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 69 mg
