Thanksgiving Turkey Cake Food

TURKEY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of 3 greased 8-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease paper. In a large bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Transfer batter to prepared pans. , Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely., For frosting, sift confectioners' sugar and cocoa together. In a large bowl, beat butter and vanilla until blended. Beat in confectioners' sugar mixture. Beat in enough milk to reach desired consistency. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake., For decorations, place each color of melted candy coating in a piping bag fitted with a medium round tip; pipe various size circles of each color onto parchment. Drag the back of an offset spatula through each circle, creating oblong shapes for turkey feathers. Let stand until set. , Arrange turkey feathers upright into top of cake. Using a small round tip, pipe melted white candy coating into two small discs, adding a black nonpareil in the center for the eyes. With another small round tip, pipe melted red candy coating into a comma shape for the wattle. Cut a yellow candy coating disc into a triangle for the beak. Attach eyes, beak, and wattle to the front of the cake using extra frosting.

THANKSGIVING TURKEY CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
• For the cupcakes: Stir together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the granulated sugar, brown sugar and eggs together in a large bowl until smooth and light. Whisk in the oil until combined. Whisk in the pumpkin until completely smooth. Add the dry ingredients and fold until the batter is just smooth.
• Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the muffins comes out just clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool 5 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pan and cool on the rack completely.
• For the chocolate buttercream: Sift the confectioners' sugar and cocoa onto a piece of parchment paper. Beat the butter and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners' sugar mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon cream. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, adding more cream as needed to make a light, spreadable frosting.
• Generously frost the cupcakes. Use an offset spatula to make the tops smooth and flat.
• For decorating: Combine the confectioners' sugar and a tablespoon of lemon juice in a small bowl and whisk with a fork until smooth. Add more lemon juice, as needed, to make a frosting the consistency of glue.
• Use the confectioners' sugar glue to adhere 7 peanut butter candies to each ginger cookie like the feathers of a turkey's tail (make a row of 5, then place 2 underneath). Lay flat until set, about 15 minutes.
• To make the heads, cut a small slice from the side of each doughnut hole so the heads will sit flat on the cupcakes. Glue 2 eyeballs to each head. Cut the yellow end from each piece of candy corn and discard it. Use a paring knife to cut a slit just below the eyes in a head and stick in a candy corn to make a beak. Repeat with the remaining heads. Cut each of the 4 red jelly candies into 3 half-moons. Glue each to the side of the candy corn for the wattles.
• Cut two "wings" from each peanut butter cookie by laying the cookie horizontally and cutting each side on an angle to make 2 wings; a triangular piece of cookie will be left over in the middle (snack on it, or save it for another use).
• Stick the tails into the back of the cupcakes at a slight angle. Add the heads on top and the wings on the sides.