These Turkey Cake Pops turn a simple chocolate cake into an adorable Thanksgiving dessert. Made with crumbled chocolate cake, buttercream, melted milk chocolate, and colorful candy decorations, they’re shaped into little turkeys that bring a playful touch to any holiday dessert table.
Each cake pop has a soft, fudgy cake center covered in a smooth chocolate shell, with pretzels and candy corn creating the turkey’s feathers and other details. They’re a fun baking project for Thanksgiving, especially when decorating becomes part of the celebration.
Why These Turkey Cake Pops Are Fun to Make
- Festive Edible Decorations: The little turkey designs double as desserts and decorative additions to a Thanksgiving table.
- Easy to Customize: Use different candy colors and arrangements to create unique turkey faces and feather patterns.
- Great for Sharing: Individual cake pops are easy to distribute at holiday parties, classroom celebrations, and family gatherings.
- A Clever Use for Cake: Crumbling a baked cake makes it easy to create uniform, decorated treats without worrying about perfect cake slices.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: The cake balls can be chilled before dipping, breaking the project into manageable stages.
- Kid-Friendly Decorating: Adding candy corn, pretzels, and candy details is a fun activity for children with adult supervision during the melting and dipping steps.
The Ingredients Behind the Recipe
1. Chocolate Cake Mix: A prepared chocolate cake provides the base for the cake pops. Let the cake cool completely before crumbling it so the buttercream doesn’t melt when mixed in.
2. Buttercream Icing: Buttercream binds the cake crumbs into a moldable mixture. Add it gradually rather than all at once, since the amount needed depends on how moist the cake is.
3. Milk Chocolate Chips: These form the outer coating. Smoothly melted chocolate makes dipping easier and gives the decorations a surface to adhere to.
4. Pretzel Sticks: Pretzels help create the turkey’s feather details. Their shape also adds a salty crunch that contrasts with the chocolate coating.
5. Candy Corn and Brown Peanut M&M’s: Candy corn works well for colorful feathers or beak details, while brown Peanut M&M’s can be used to create the turkey’s body or face, depending on the design.
6. Wilton Rainbow Chip Crunch: These colorful pieces add decorative detail and help make each turkey cake pop look distinctive.
Turkey Cake Pops
Equipment
- Cake Pan
- Large mixing bowl
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Lollipop sticks
- Microwave-safe bowl or double boiler
- Spoon or spatula
- Styrofoam block or cake pop stand for drying
Ingredients
- 1 box (15.25 oz ) chocolate cake mix, prepared according to package directions
- 1½ cups buttercream icing
- 40 cake-pop sticks
- 40-50 pretzel sticks broken into smaller pieces as needed for turkey feathers
- 12 oz milk chocolate chips
- 80 candy corn pieces for beaks and feet
- 40 brown Peanut M&M’s for the turkey bodies/faces
- 1 cup Wilton Rainbow Chip Crunch for decorating
Instructions
- Prepare the chocolate cake mix according to the package directions and let it cool completely. Crumble the cake into a large mixing bowl.
- Add 1½ cups buttercream icing to the cake crumbs and mix until the mixture holds together.
- Shape the cake mixture into 40 small cake balls, about 1 tablespoon each. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm.
- Melt the 12 ounces milk chocolate chips until smooth. Dip the end of each cake-pop stick into the melted chocolate, then insert it into a chilled cake ball.
- Dip each cake pop completely into the melted chocolate, allowing the excess chocolate to drip off.
- Decorate immediately with pretzel sticks, candy corn, brown Peanut M&M’s, and Wilton Rainbow Chip Crunch to create the turkey design.
- Place the decorated cake pops upright in a cake-pop stand or Styrofoam block and allow the chocolate to set completely.
Notes
- Chilling the cake balls before dipping helps them stay firm.
- If the melted chocolate is too thick, it may be difficult to remove excess coating.
Nutrition Information
Approximate nutrition per cake pop. Exact values will depend on the cake mix, buttercream, chocolate, and candy quantities.
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 190 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 28 g |
| Protein | 2 g |
| Fat | 8 g |
| Sugar | 20 g |
| Sodium | 120 mg |
How to Get Smooth, Securely Coated Turkey Cake Pops
- Chill Until Firm, Not Rock-Hard: The cake balls should be firm enough to dip but not frozen solid. Extremely cold cake balls can cause the chocolate shell to crack as temperatures change.
- Keep the Chocolate Smooth: Melt the chocolate gently and stir regularly. Overheated or thick chocolate makes dipping and coating difficult.
- Remove Excess Coating: After dipping, gently rotate the cake pop and tap the stick lightly against the bowl to remove excess chocolate.
- Decorate Before the Coating Sets: Candy corn, pretzels, and other decorations adhere best while the chocolate is still wet.
- Handle the Cake Pops Carefully: Insert the sticks straight and avoid twisting or moving them excessively once the cake pops are coated.
- Use a Stable Drying Stand: A cake-pop stand or Styrofoam block keeps the treats upright while the coating sets, preventing smudged designs.
Creative Turkey Cake Pop Designs for Thanksgiving
- Colorful Feather Fans: Arrange candy corn in a semicircle behind the cake pop to create a bright fan of turkey feathers.
- Chocolate Feather Turkeys: Use pretzel pieces dipped in colored chocolate for a different feather design.
- Silly Turkey Faces: Position the Peanut M&M’s at different angles to create funny expressions.
- Mini Pilgrim Turkeys: Add a small chocolate candy hat to turn the turkey design into a Thanksgiving character.
- Golden Thanksgiving Turkeys: Use gold-colored edible sprinkles or edible shimmer dust for a festive dessert-table display.
More Desserts to Try
- Brown Sugar Pop Tart Cookies
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Truffles
- Pumpkin Pie Crisp with Cinnamon Streusel
- Chocolate Mousse Cups
- Gordon Ramsay Sticky Toffee Pudding
How to Store Turkey Cake Pops
- Room Temperature: If the buttercream and cake mix are shelf-stable after preparation and the chocolate coating is fully set, follow the storage guidance for your specific ingredients. When in doubt, refrigerate.
- Refrigerator Storage: Place the finished cake pops in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days for best quality.
- Prevent Decoration Damage: Arrange cake pops in a single layer or use a cake-pop stand to avoid crushing the candy decorations.
- Bring to Serving Temperature: Allow refrigerated cake pops to sit briefly at room temperature before serving if you prefer a softer cake center.
- Avoid Condensation: When taking chilled cake pops out of the refrigerator, keep them in their container while they warm slightly to reduce moisture forming directly on the chocolate coating.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why are my cake balls falling off the sticks?
This usually happens when the cake balls are too heavy, the sticks are not anchored properly, or the mixture is too soft. Chilling the cake balls and dipping the stick ends in melted chocolate before inserting them helps secure the connection.
2. How much buttercream should I add to the cake crumbs?
Start with a small amount and gradually add more until the cake crumbs hold together when pressed. Too much buttercream can make the mixture greasy and difficult to shape or dip.
3. Can I use homemade chocolate cake instead of cake mix?
Yes. Homemade chocolate cake works just as well. Make sure it is fully cooled before crumbling, and adjust the buttercream amount according to the cake’s moisture.
4. How do I prevent cracks in the chocolate coating?
Avoid dipping frozen cake balls directly into warm chocolate. Let the chilled cake balls lose some of their extreme cold before coating them, and keep the melted chocolate at a moderate temperature.
5. Can I use white chocolate instead of milk chocolate?
Yes. White chocolate creates a lighter-colored coating that can be tinted with suitable oil-based candy coloring. Avoid water-based food coloring, which can cause melted chocolate to seize.
6. What can I use if I don’t have a cake-pop stand?
A clean Styrofoam block works well for holding the cake pops upright. You can also use a sturdy cardboard box with small holes made in the top, provided it can support the sticks without tipping.
7. How do I make the turkey decorations stick properly?
Add the candy and pretzel decorations while the chocolate coating is still wet. If the coating has already hardened, use a small dab of melted chocolate as edible glue to attach individual decorations.
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The Freshman Cook started as a place to keep track of recipes I wanted to make again. Somewhere along the way, it grew into a collection of meals that friends requested, desserts that disappeared too quickly, and weeknight dinners that made life a little easier.
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