How to Make a Turkey Brushstroke Cake
Thanksgiving is less than 3 weeks away. Can you believe it?!
Whether you’re cooking the whole dinner or just bringing the dessert, I’ve got the perfect centerpiece for your Thanksgiving: a Turkey cake! This cake is simple to make and great for kids to help with. It can be replicated with any cake recipe and customized with your favorite frosting flavors.
Turkey Brushstroke Cake
You will need:
Wilton Candy Melts
Crumb Coated Cake
Orange Buttercream
Black Buttercream
Brown Buttercream
Disposable Decorating Bags
Paint Brush
Parchment Paper
(2) Wilton #2 Decorating tip
Directions:
Starting with a crumb coated cake, cover cake in brown buttercream icing using a disposable decorating bag fitted with a cake icer. Smooth sides and top of cake with a cake spatula. Set cake aside.
Melt red, yellow, orange and brown Wilton Candy Melts in separate microwave bowls at 30% power for 30 second increments. Stir and repeat until completely melted.
Using a 1” paint brush, paint a variety of thin brushstrokes about 2”-3” onto parchment paper, creating turkey feathers. Allow to dry 10 minutes.
Starting in the back of the cake, begin adding candy melt “feathers” along the edge of the top of the cake. Gently push feathers down into cake until they stand on their own. Rotate feather colors to give cake depth.
Repeat layer of feathers in front of the first layer, giving the cake three rows of feathers.
Once all feathers are placed on cake, draw a beak and eyes onto cake with black and orange icing using decorating bags fitted with #2 tips.
Once cake is complete, store in refrigerator until serving.
Turkey Brushstroke Cake
Equipment
- Wilton Candy Melts
- Crumb Coated Cake
- Orange Buttercream
- Black Buttercream
- Brown Buttercream
- Disposable Decorating bags
- Paint Brush
- Parchment paper
- (2) Wilton #2 Decorating tip
Instructions
- Starting with a crumb coated cake, cover cake in brown buttercream icing using a disposable decorating bag fitted with a cake icer. Smooth sides and top of cake with a cake spatula. Set cake aside.
- Melt red, yellow, orange and brown Wilton Candy Melts in separate microwave bowls at 30% power for 30 second increments. Stir and repeat until completely melted.
- Using a 1” paint brush, paint a variety of thin brushstrokes about 2”-3” onto parchment paper, creating turkey feathers. Allow to dry 10 minutes.
- Starting in the back of the cake, begin adding candy melt “feathers” along the edge of the top of the cake. Gently push feathers down into cake until they stand on their own. Rotate feather colors to give cake depth.
- Repeat layer of feathers in front of the first layer, giving the cake three rows of feathers.
- Once all feathers are placed on cake, draw a beak and eyes onto cake with black and orange icing using decorating bags fitted with #2 tips.
- Once cake is complete, store in refrigerator until serving.
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What do you think?!
A. My Thanksgiving won’t be complete without this cake.
B. I’ll stick with Pumpkin Pie.
C. Running to get ingredients now.
D. Perfect to pair with to my Pumpkin Pie.
Photos by Kelly Clare Photography
Pin this idea for later!
My baby boy’s first birthday is on Thanksgiving this year and you have just given me the most perfect inspiration for his cake!! I’ve been trying and trying to find something that was cute and not cheesy or ridiculous. This is perfect. Xo!
So cute! I’m having a Friendsgiving party next weekend and a crazy, busy week. How far in advance could I do the cake or the brush strokes? I love your blog, it always makes me happy!
so cute Jenny!!
I love the cake and am making it for my daughters birthday that falls on thanksgiving this year. How do you make your brown buttercream? Thanks for your tips and tricks!!
IM RUNNING TO GET INGREDIENTS RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!!
Darling cake. Your brushes look more like spatulas. What exactly are they?
Jenny! So cuuute!! I’ve been dying to learn how to make a cake and crumb coat it. Would you consider doing a little how to video? Like a boxed cake? Or a recipe from scratch? What are the secrets for doing a crumb coat? When I try. My cake falls apart!!