I wasn't about to let Thanksgiving slip by without making some kind of festive cake treat! I can't take the credit for this particular design, I saw a video on MyCakeSchool.com several months back about these adorable cupcakes. I decided they needed to be shared. Melissa has such wonderful, easy, cost-effective and creative ideas on her site. I also appreciate her skill and teaching techniques and am determined to share my new knowledge with all of you. These are just too dang easy and adorable not to make!
I am also an avid follower of the Cake Wrecks site, and for anyone who hasn't yet jumped on that bandwagon, cake-obsessed or not, you really need to look at this website. One of the highlights this time of the year, you will notice, are all the professional fall and Thanksgiving cakes that resemble piles of poo....i.e. the turkeys, cornucopia, acorns, etc. As funny as it is, it's also very sad! I promise you, I will do justice to the turkey cupcake!
Let's get started!
First you will need caramel squares. Easy and very inexpensive to find. Heat them in the microwave for about 6-10 seconds to soften them, and they will be as easy to work with as fondant. If they are too sticky, lay them out on parchment paper until they cool just a bit.
Then you need some colored buttercream for the tail feathers. I chose red and yellow. Orange is also very nice!
You will also need some piping tips. This one is the #81 crescent tip, it's not necessary, but makes some fun detailed "feathers" on the body of the turkey.
The Wilton #104 petal tip is for piping the tail feathers.
You will also need at least one small piping tip, Wilton #1-4. You only need one. I used the #2 tip for the wattle.
I used the #4 tip for the beak. Please don't judge. Yes, my tip has been eaten by the garbage disposal!
First, roll the caramel into a ball. You can break some off if you want a smaller turkey body. I didn't do that.
Then flatten and round the bottom out, to form the shape of the turkey's body.
Roll the upper half between your fingers to form the neck.
Flatten the top to form the head. Reshape the body, neck and head to your liking.
Use the #81 crescent tip to make feathers on the body.
Voila!
Next I used a Food Writer Pen to make the eyes. You can use gel coloring as well.
Now to work on the tail feathers. Take your cupcake, and with a Wilton #104 petal tip, hold the skinny side of the tip facing away from you. Make loops with your piping tip, going out and back in, as if you were drawing a flower petal. Depending on how you hold your tip, you can create thinner loops, wider loops, flat loops, or loops that stand up.
Don't go all the way around with your feathers.
Next, begin your second row of feathers. Make smaller loops for the second layer, so the bottom layer of feathers will show. Also again, don't make a complete 360 degree circle.
Now place the turkey body on the cupcake. It's time to make the beak! Using the #4 Wilton tip, apply pressure to your piping bag, make a dot, and release the pressure as you lift the tip to create a point for the beak.
Using the Wilton #2 tip, pip the wattle. This is done the same way as the beak: apply pressure to your piping bag to make a dot, and drag the tip down to form the wattle and release pressure as you pull away.
And there you have it. In literally minutes you have fantastic cupcake toppers for Thanksgiving!
Gobble, gobble. Happy Thanksgiving!
