CRANBERRY SPICE "TURKEY" CUPCAKES WITH VANILLA CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Cranberry Spice

Serve these Thanksgiving cupcakes at a holiday potluck, or on a party dessert buffet.

Provided by Katherine Kallinis Berman

Categories HarperCollins Thanksgiving Cupcake Cranberry Spice Cinnamon Nutmeg Vanilla Potluck Dessert

Yield Makes 24 cupcakes

Number Of Ingredients 21

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:
1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup water
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
For Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
6 ounces cream cheese
For the decoration:
1/4 pound each brown, white, black, and orange fondant
Fondant roller
Piping gel
144 pieces of candy corn

Steps:

For the cupcakes:
To make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350˚F, and line two cupcake pans with twelve paper baking cups each. Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl, and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
Add each egg slowly, one at a time, mixing after each addition.
Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by one third of the water. Mix slowly. Then add another third of the flour mixture, followed by another third of the water. Mix slowly again. Finally, add the last third of the flour mixture and the last third of the water. Mix until all the ingredients are incorporated.
Scrape down the bowl, and add the cranberries. Fold in using a spatula until the cranberries are scattered throughout the batter.
Using a standard-size ice cream scoop, fill each baking cup so that it is two-thirds full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let the cupcakes cool and then frost with Georgetown Cupcake's signature swirl (see note)
For Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer or in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer, mix all the ingredients for approximately 3 to 5 minutes, until frosting is light and airy. Frost each cupcake with a thick layer of the frosting using an offset spatula.
For the fondant turkeys:
Roll out a small ball of brown fondant, approximately the size of a golf ball, to form the body of your turkey. Then roll out a ball of brown fondant, approximately half the size of the first ball, to form the head of your turkey. Attach the head to the body using piping gel or water.
Roll out two small balls of white fondant, each approximately the size of a pea, to form the eyeballs of your turkey.
Roll out two small balls of black fondant, each approximately the size of half a pea, to form the pupils of your turkey's eyes. Using piping gel or water, attach the pupils to the eyeballs, and the eyeballs to the turkey's head.
Roll out a small piece of orange fondant, and shape it into a crescent to form the turkey's beak. Attach it to the turkey's head using piping gel or water.
Roll out four small pieces of brown fondant and shape them into rounded teardrops to form feathers.
Let the fondant turkey and feathers set for 5 to 10 minutes, and then place the turkey on top of a cupcake, with the feathers placed behind.
Line up six pieces of candy corn, pointed side down on the brown fondant feathers behind the turkey's body to form another layer of feathers.