Thanksgiving Turkey Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup grape seed oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup black coffee, cooled
• 1 cup milk

Frosting

• 2 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup shortening, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoon vanilla (or to taste)
• 5 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup milk (more or less)
• ** you can change shortening to butter. Shortening stabilizes the icing. A straight butter icing may have tendency to melt in warmer temperatures
• Food color gels
• ** you can use normal food coloring but this will thin out your icing. With the gels, it keeps the consistency of the icing and gives you more vibrant colors. (plus more variety of colors)
• Cake decorating tips. (single pointed end, large single end and a flat leaf opening tip such as a #3, #12,and #103
• (Makes 24 cupcakes)

Directions

Cupcakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners.
3. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
4. Using an electric mixer and large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, oil, vanilla and coffee together.
5. Alternating the flour and the milk, beat into the egg mixture. The batter will be runny.
6. Divide the batter into the 24 muffin cups, filling each one 3/4 full and place into the preheated oven for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7. Remove and place onto cooling racks. After 5 minutes place the cupcakes directly onto the cooling racks and let cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

1. Cut up butter and shortening and put them in a mixing bowl. Mix them on high speed until light and fluffy.
2. Add in confectioners and vanilla, mix slowly until incorporated, them mix on high speed for at least 10 minutes or longer. (you can't over mix this, the longer the better)
3. Add milk if you feel the icing is too thick. Otherwise just omit. Also take a taste of the icing and add more vanilla for more flavor.
4. Separate your icing into 4 different bowls and add coloring as needed for the red, orange and yellow.
5. Combine until you get the three colors you like.
6. Using the #103 leaf tip and the red food coloring in a pastry bag, make a row of red along the outside of the cupcake. Switch to the orange frosting and add a second row inside the red row. Finish with a row of yellow inside the orange ones.
7. Switch to the chocolate frosting and the larger opening tip and pipe the turkey head in the center of the cupcake. Decorate with red yellow and vanilla frosting as shown above to decorate the turkey face.