Thanksgiving Cupcakes
About the bake
These cute chocolate cupcakes are a great way to celebrate Thanksgiving and are fun for all the family to enjoy. Kids will love moulding the chocolate sugarpaste and can really let their creative side go wild decorating the Turkey tailfeathers.
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven at 200°C (180°C, gas mark 6) and line 12 muffin tins.
Which cupcake cases to use
Thin cup cake cases can allow the butter from the mixture to seep through making them look greasy. Thicker cupcake cases will hold their shape more and look more presentable. Shallower cake cases are ideal for fairy cakes, deeper ones for cupcakes and larger ones for muffins. Try to get the right size to match your cake tin.
Step 2
Sift the cocoa powder into a bowl and mix with the boiling water to create a thick paste.
Ingredients for this step
- Cocoa powder (40g)
- Boiling water (4 tbsp)
Step 3
Add the remaining cake ingredients and beat together.
Ingredients for this step
- Free range large eggs (3)
- Billington's Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar (165g)
- Unsalted butter (softened) (175g)
- Allinson's Self-Raising White Flour (115g)
- Baking powder (1 tsp)
Step 4
Divide the mixture evenly between the cases, filling them 2/3 full.
This video shows you how to make sure your cupcakes are even.Step 5
Bake in a pre-heated oven for 20 minutes until well risen and cooked throughout.
Testing if your cupcakes are baked
To test that your cupcakes are cooked throughout, insert a skewer or cocktail stick into the centre of each cupcake, if the skewer/stick comes out clean then the cakes are ready. If there is still mixture present, bake for a further 5 minutes and repeat the test.
Step 6
Leave the cupcakes to cool on a wire rack.
Step 7
To make the buttercream, beat the butter until softened and add the icing sugar and cocoa powder.
Ingredients for this step
- Unsalted butter (softened) (175g)
- Silver Spoon Icing Sugar (300g)
Step 8
Gradually add the milk to loosen the buttercream to a piping consistency.
Ingredients for this step
- Whole milk (40ml)
Step 9
Fill a piping bag and carefully pipe the buttercream on to each cupcake.
Decorating- How to full and use a piping bag
To fill a piping bag, fold back the top third of the bag over your hand or stand up in a large glass if you need to use both hands, place the icing into the bag with a spoon or spatula and squeeze it down to the tip. Fold the top of the bag back up and twist it tightly to push the icing into the tip. Grip the twisted top of the bag between your thumb and palm keeping it tightly twisted to avoid the icing coming out of the top of the bag. Use pressure from the palm of your hand rather than your fingers and squeeze gently to begin piping.
Step 10
To make the turkeys head, roll a ball of chocolate sugarpaste.
Step 11
Make the eyes using small balls of white sugarpaste with black centres.
Step 12
The beak is made using orange sugar paste.
Step 13
For the tailfeathers, use an ice cream fan wafer and insert the bottom point into the cupcake sponge to hold in place.
Ingredients for this step
- Askeys fan wafer (12)
Step 14
Using writing icing to make coloured dots on the fan wafer.
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes
- 4 tbspBoiling water
- 40gCocoa powder
- 3Free range large eggs
- 175gUnsalted butter (softened)
- 165gBillington's Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar
- 115gAllinson's Self-Raising White Flour
- 1 tspBaking powder
For the Buttercream
- 300gSilver Spoon Icing Sugar
- 100gUnsalted butter (softened)
- 40gCocoa powder
- 40mlWhole milk
For The Decoration
- 12Askeys fan wafer
- 30gOrange sugar paste icing
- 30gWhite sugar paste icing
- 1Writing icing pen
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