"Turkey" Cake

By ltrodrigu

1. Make turkey body: Slice one 1¼-inch-thick piece from right and left sides of large cake, about 2½ inches apart.

2. Make drumsticks: Cut snack cake in half crosswise. Using vanilla frosting, stick cut side of 1 half of snack cake to side of 1 small cake. Repeat with other half of snack cake and small cake. Cut 1 (3-inch) piece from each end of pretzel stick. Poke 1 into end of each snack cake. Freeze until firm.

Ingredients

• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 48 soft caramels
• 16-ounce can vanilla frosting
• 1 cream-filled vanilla snack cake
• 1 plain pretzel stick
• 1 1/2 cups diced frozen pound cake

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 2½-quart glass ovenproof bowl and 2 small (about ⅔ cup) glass ovenproof bowls.

Prepare cake mix as package directs, but substitute buttermilk for water. Pour ½ cup batter into each small bowl and remaining batter into large bowl.

Bake until toothpicks inserted into centers come out clean, 20 to 25 minutes for small bowls and 40 to 45 minutes for large bowl. Transfer to a rack and cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out of bowls and let cool.

Meanwhile, knead 12 caramels into a ball (if they don’t soften easily, microwave 2 seconds). Press into a rectangle; roll out, between 2 sheets parchment paper, into an 8-by-6-inch rectangle. Transfer to waxed paper. Repeat with 12 more ­caramels. Soften 24 ­caramels the same way, then roll out to a 13-inch circle. Transfer to waxed paper.

Trim flat sides of cakes to make level and put large cake on a plate, domed side up. Form body and drumsticks as described in "description" above.

Working 1 drumstick at a time, spread some frosting over cake and snack cake, leaving pretzel stick plain. Wrap 1 small caramel rectangle around drumstick; smooth. Trim any excess. Repeat with other drumstick.

Spread most of remaining vanilla frosting over large cake. Drape large sheet of caramel over large cake, leaving an opening at tapered, trimmed end. Smooth caramel. Use a dot of water to attach drumsticks to either side of the cake at tapered end, crossing pretzel sticks.

Pile pound cake cubes in caramel opening and under drumsticks, as stuffing. Toss coconut with green food coloring to tint and sprinkle over stuffing. Garnish, if desired, with marzipan fruit and fruit leather cut into leaf shapes.