Add some color and fun to your Thanksgiving dessert table this year by serving a festive Cream Filled Chocolate Cake Roll Turkey decorated with sugar-coated marshmallows, chocolate sprinkles, and more.
My friend, Meaghan, from The Decorated Cookie, creates amazing marshmallow treats, and last Thanksgiving she designed the cutest turkey cake made using a bundt cake and a colorful plumage of marshmallow feathers. I loved it.
This year, I was inspired by her creativity, to turn a chocolate cake roll into a turkey for Thanksgiving dinner.
I used brightly colored marshmallow pops for the feathers, covered the entire body of the turkey (the cake roll) in chocolate sprinkles, and added a chocolate head, wings, and feet. The facial features are all created out of marshmallows too.
If you've never made a cake roll before, and worry about the cake cracking, this is a good one to try out first, as the frosting and sprinkles cover up any tiny or large imperfections.
If you are looking for a really fun Thanksgiving dessert to serve this year, that might even get a few laughs, you've got to make these turkey cakes. They look like they jumped right out of a cartoon.
These turkeys' with their colorful marshmallow tail feathers were inspired by the CHOCOLATE-DIPPED MARSHMALLOW TURKEY CAKE created by Meaghan of The Decorated Cookie. The brightly colored sugar coated marshmallow pops are simple to make and add just the right pop of color to the chocolate sprinkle covered cake rolls.
Each recipe creates two cake rolls filled with whipped cookies and cream marshmallow filling. So decorate one or both and bring them along to your Thanksgiving dinner. Your family is going to love them.
PHOTO: Cake Roll Turkey hero shot
If you've never made a cake roll before, the most important step in the process is rolling the cakes immediately as they come out of the oven, so be sure you have everything set up and ready to go because the cakes bake very quickly.
Start by making your life easier and line two two 10x15 baking pans with non-stick tin foil or parchment paper. Make the cake batter then spread half of the batter into each of the two pans.
PHOTO: cake batter in pans
Bake for 10-12 minutes. To tell if the cake is done, press a finger on top of the cake, and the cake should spring back. While your cakes are baking sprinkle cocoa powder over two clean kitchen towels. As soon as the cakes are ready, remove them from the oven and immediately flip one onto each kitchen towel. Peel away tin foil or parchment paper.
PHOTO: cake on towel
While cakes are still hot, carefully roll up the cake and the towel from the narrow end. Allow the cakes to cool for just 30 minutes.
PHOTO: roll cakes
While the cakes are cooling make the filling. Beat Betty Crocker Cookies ‘n Cream Frosting with marshmallow cream. Add whipped topping.
Unroll the cakes and spread half of the filling over each cake.
PHOTO: marshmallow filling
Carefully roll the cakes back up.
PHOTO: roll filled cake
If the filling starts to ooze out the ends, just remove the excess. If the cakes have cracked a little, don't worry they will get covered in frosting next.
PHOTO:
Spread chocolate frosting over the outside of each cake roll. You can heat the frosting and pour it over, but I found it just as easy to spread it over the cake. You can cover the ends in frosting, or just leave them as they are, so the swirl shows.
PHOTO: frost cakes
To add some texture to the turkeys, sprinkle chocolate jimmies all over the frosted cake.
PHOTO: add sprinkles
To create the colorful tail feathers, you'll need to dip some marshmallows in water, then dab with paper towels and roll in colored sugar. Color 9 marshmallows yellow, 9 orange, and 9 red. You'll also need to cut one marshmallow in half, and another into thirds. Dip these pieces in red sugar. You'll only use two of the ⅓ cut pieces, so you can enjoy a little snack.
PHOTO: color marshmallows
Skewer 1 red, 1 orange, and one yellow marshmallow onto 5 lollipops sticks.
PHOTO: marshmallow pops
Create two skewers with a ⅓rd red marshmallow and a red, orange, and yellow marshmallow. Create two skewers with ½ red marshmallow and a red, orange, and yellow marshmallow. These will be used to create a more rounded appearance to the tail feathers. Depending on the size lollipop stick you are using, you may want to cut them so that when they are arranged in a half circle the sticks don't touch.
PHOTO: arrange pops
Set your cake rolls on serving dishes and arrange 9 marshmallow pops into a half circle around the top part of the cake rolls using the larger pops at the base of the half circle.
PHOTO: add pops to roll
To create the features of the turkey, pipe candy melts into two 4 inch circles and four wings onto parchment paper. Freeze for 5 minutes until set.
PHOTO: head and wings
Pipe a turkey foot and immediately sprinkle with orange sugar. Repeat, creating 4 feet. Pipe two wattles, the red skin that hangs down from the turkey's beak, and immediately sprinkle with red sugar.
PHOTO: feet and wattle
Cut a marshmallow into two triangle beaks. Roll in water, dab in paper towels, and roll in orange sugar. Cut the remaining two marshmallow in half. Draw pupils onto each marshmallow using a black food coloring marker.
PHOTO: eyes and beak
Attach two eyes, one beak and one wattle to each chocolate head using any remaining candy melts or frosting. Then attach the head, two wings and two feet to each turkey.
PHOTO: turkey cakes
Cut cakes into slices to serve.
PHOTO: cake roll turkey hero shot
For more fun turkey-shaped Thanksgiving treat ideas, check out these tutorials too:
Chocolate Thanksgiving Turkey Truffles filled with Pumpkin Ganache • Cocoa Banana Ice Cream Turkeys
Turkey Pretzel Pops • Turkey Topped Pumpkin Pie
Mini Chocolate Cheesecake Turkeys • Chocolate Dipped Rice Krispie Treat Turkey Pops
Chocolate Turkey Box • Turkey Pinata Cake
Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Turkeys • Chocolate Cake Roll Turkey
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Karen @ Sugartown Sweets
IIII love this awesome "turkey roll" cake. Marshmallows, chocolate cake and frosting..this turkey is a winner!
Beth
Thanks, Karen:)
lisa@hooplapalooza
SQUEEE! i LOVE this turkey roll! and there's no lettuce, mayo, or weird spicy dressing on it-perfect! 😉
Beth
No condiments, whatsoever, unless you consider sprinkles one:)
The Partiologist
Oh my goodness, this turkey is loving the turkey cake roll! 🙂
Beth
Gobble, gobble:)