Surprise your family this Thanksgiving by serving a roasted turkey for dessert. Bake up some fun for the holiday by making a realistic-looking Turkey Cake that is filled with cake cube stuffing and candy.
This cake looks so real that your Thanksgiving dinner guests just might think it's the main course.
But, I guarantee that everyone will be thrilled to know it will be the sweet ending to their meal.
You can surprise everyone again when you cut into the cake to reveal candy hiding inside. It will be so much fun!
This cake does require some time to create but it's easier than you would imagine. Check out the step-by-step tutorial below.
See all of my Thanksgiving Recipes.
You'll start by baking three 9x13-inch yellow cakes. Once the cakes are baked and cooled, level them if the tops are domed. Keep any scraps of cake to make the cake cube stuffing.
Cut the shape of a roasted turkey out of a cardboard cake board. Then set it over a cake and cut it out around it. Do the same with all three of your sheet cakes. Reserve all the scraps of cake!
Freeze the cakes for at least 3 hours. This will help keep the cakes from cracking while you stack and carve them.
Set the turkey-shaped cake board on the counter and place one cake on top. Use vanilla frosting to frost around the edge of this cake.
Then, cut a hole in the middle of a second cake and place it on top of the bottom cake.
Fill the hole with candy. I used candy corn. Then, add a layer of frosting around the edge of the cake. Do not get the frosting on the candy.
Top with the third cake. Then, carve the cakes into the body of the turkey.
Use a spoon to scoop out a hole in the pointed end of the cake so you have room to place the stuffing.
Frost the cake with light brown frosting. I added a thin layer to crumb coat the cake, allowed that to dry for 30 minutes, then added a second layer.
Let the frosting dry for at least 30 minutes before adding the other parts of the cake.
Cut out enough Β½-inch cubes from the cake scraps to fill about β of a baking sheet. Place the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in a 350-degree oven for 12-14 minutes until golden brown and nicely toasted.
Crumble the remaining cake scraps into a bowl and add small spoonfuls of frosting, stirring after each addition, just until the cake ball dough holds together.
Break off small pieces of the cake ball dough and roll them into jagged pieces to resemble sausage. Roll them in cocoa powder.
Set the turkey cake on a platter or in a roasting pan. Sculpt two turkey legs and two wings out of the remaining cake ball dough. Attach them to the cake.
Frost the legs and wings and allow the frosting to dry.
This step is optional but it will make your turkey cake look super realistic.
Once the frosting has dried enough that you can touch it without sticking, press a paper towel that is imprinted with dots, all over the cake. Press just firmly enough to make the impressions then lift off the paper towel.
Spray orange, red, and black color mist over the surface of the cake to give it a more realistic appearance. You can also air brush the cake if you prefer.
You can adorn your cake platter with veggies made out of fondant or homemade modeling chocolate.
Add your cake cubes and sausage to the cavity in the front of the turkey cake. Then sprinkle the remaining cake stuffing in front of the cake.
Your cake is not ready to carve and serve.
RECIPE
You can find the actual recipe to make this cake over at Tablespoon.com.
Click the link to head over to Tablespoon for baking instructions.
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Farm Quilter
Love this - totally fun!! I went to tablespoon.com and checked out the recipe you did and tried to leave a comment, but there were no hot-links to do so π This is a fabulous idea!
Judy @ Season of Sweets
How fun is that?!!! My family would get a real kick out of that π Even the "skin" looks so real!
Veronica Spriggs
Very creative I was wondering what you used to make the stuffing!
beth
Thanks, Veronica. I really wanted realistic looking stuffing so I added cake ball "sausage" to my toasted cake stuffing. I was really happy with how it turned out.
Sumo @ Sumo's Sweet Stuff
This is amazing! How fun would this be to have on Thanksgiving Day?!? I'll be featuring this on my blog tomorrow.
http://www.sumossweetstuff.com
Thanks for linking up to the Block Party!
Sumo:)
beth
I'm so happy to be featured! Thanks so much.
Michelle | Creative Food
This is just brilliant Beth!! So creative and genius! LOVE it!
Anonymous
Wings are backwards.
beth
No, they actually are not. I used a real turkey as my guide!
Lisa FlourMeWithLove
Oh my goodness is this cute and it's our Spotlight of the Week! Thank you so much for sharing at Mix it up Monday π
http://www.flourmewithlove.com/2013/11/featuring-you_20.html
beth
Thanks so much for featuring this cake! I'm glad you like it.
Chelsea @ Gal on a Mission
This is just amazing and creative. Stopping by Two Cup Tuesday
beth
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Karen @ Sugartown Sweets
As soon as I saw this turkey I said, WOW..and I know Beth had to make it! This is awesome! I'm not even gonna lie and say I'm making one of these..but I sure wouldn't mind eating it..lol. (I tried to leave a comment at Tablespoon, but it would not accept my username. I even changed it up a couple of different ways) Love~Love~Love this cake!
beth
I totally get it, this cake was a lot of work!! I do appreciate you trying to leave a comment over at Tablespoon. They recently revamped their website, and they are having some issues.
The Crafting Foodie
What an amazing cake! The turkey looks so realistic, and the stuffing - it looks so much like the real thing I can't get over it! Brilliant!
beth
Thanks. The stuffing is my favorite part of this cake design too!
Lori @ A Bright and Beautiful Life
This is one of the funniest cakes I've ever seen. It would be so fun to serve it up!!! Yours looks just about like the real deal. Would you be willing to share this recipe post and any of your other great ones at our Making Monday link party? We would love it and think our readers will, too. Thanks. Have a fantastic day. http://www.abrightandbeautifullife.com/making-monday-14/
beth
Thanks, Lori. I just linked up!
Lori @ A Bright and Beautiful Life
Hi Beth. I just wanted to let you know that we are featuring this Turkey Pinata Cake post at our Making Monday Features. Come take a look ~ thanks for linking up. π Happy Thanksgiving. http://www.abrightandbeautifullife.com/making-monday-features/
Mom of 3
Wow, I don't know if I'd have your patience, but it's impressive.
beth
You do need lot of patience and time to make this cake. It was a labor of love!
Anonymous
You are so talented!!!
Sarah Fuller
So creative. This is awesome!
The Partiologist
You did it again, that is, made another beyond amazing cake!
beth
Thanks, Kim. I've made and decorated more cakes this year than I have in years. It's been fun.
Lisa@hooplapalooza
OMG!!! this is beyond ahhhhh-mazing! :>O i bow to you oh Queen of Awesome Creative Food! :>D
beth
LOL! Thanks, Lisa:)
Dani B.
This is genius! So creative! My family would die if I brought this over for dessert! Thanx hun, I love your website! xoDani
Dani B.
This is genius! So creative! My family would die if I brought this over for dessert! Thanx hun, I love your website! xoDani
beth
Thanks so much, Dani:) I shared this turkey cake with some friends and they all thought it was really fun!