Have some fun with your creative side and decorate turkey cupcakes this Thanksgiving! These easy cupcakes can be made from scratch or using boxed cake mix.
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line two standard muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and espresso powder. Add the boiling water and whisk until smooth. Allow mixture to sit until room temperature, then whisk in sour cream and vanilla. Set aside.
In a the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), combine butter and sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time beating until combined after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Add one-third of the flour mixture to the large mixing bowl and mix on low speed just until combined. Add half the chocolate mixture and mix until combined. Repeat process, then end with remaining third flour mixture. Use a silicone spatula to scrape the bottoms and sides of the bowl. Mix once more for 10 seconds to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.
Transfer batter to prepared muffin tins and fill each cup two-thirds full (I like to use an ice cream scoop for this step). Bake cupcakes 18 to 22 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out with little to no crumbs. Allow cupcakes to cool for 5 minutes in the pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
With the mixer on low speed, gradually add in the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder until completely incorporated. With the mixer on medium speed, add the vanilla and mix for 30 seconds. Add milk until desired consistency is reached.
Decoration
For the turkey head, gently press a mini Reese’s cup slightly forward of center.
Cut some of the orange Reese’s pieces in half for the beak. Use chocolate frosting to adhere the beak, candy eyes and wattle.
Arrange remaining Reese’s pieces on the back half of the cupcake to look like feathers. Orange in the back, brown in the middle and yellow in the front.
Notes
Cupcakes: If you prefer, you can use store-bought cupcake mix and follow the instructions on the box.Frosting: If the frosting is too soft, put it in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes, then mix for 5 seconds. You can also use store-bought frosting if you prefer.Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freeze cupcakes for up to 1 month. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight.