Thanksgiving Turkey Cake Recipe
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Whether this Thanksgiving centerpiece incites horror, amazement, or confusion when it’s served, it’s certain to evoke some kind of outburst. Warning: This dish is not recommended for people who require an inch of space between food groups.
Game plan: The mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes can be made ahead. Rewarm them just prior to assembling the cake, so they are easy to spread.
If your attention lapses and the marshmallows happen to burn or catch fire while broiling (this actually happened to us), relax and just blow out the flames. Peel away the burnt marshmallows, leaving the sweet potato layer intact, and start over with a fresh topping of marshmallows.
This recipe was featured as part of our 6 Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes, Traditional to Trippy.
INGREDIENTS
For the turkey layers:
- Unsalted butter, for coating the pans
- 2 pounds ground turkey breast
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated on the small holes of a box grater
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
For the sweet potato layer:
- 1 pound sweet potatoes
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick)
- 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- Pinch ground mace or nutmeg
- Freshly ground black pepper
To assemble:
- About 5 cups or 1 recipe Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes warm
- 1/2 cup cranberry sauce, such as our Cranberry and Citrus Sauce chilled, excess liquid drained
- 2 1/2 cups Sausage Stuffing warm
- 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
- Gravy for serving (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
For the turkey layers:
- Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat 2 (8-inch) cake pans with butter; set aside.
- Place all of the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and mix, using clean hands, until combined (don’t squeeze or overwork). Divide the mixture evenly between the pans, spreading it to the edges and smoothing out the top. Bake until cooked through and the cakes begin to pull away from the edges of the pans, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven (but leave the oven on) and let cool for about 10 minutes. Using a paper towel, blot away any excess fat from the cake layers’ surface; set aside. (While the turkey cakes are cooking, make the sweet potatoes.)
For the sweet potato layer:
- Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan with a tightfitting lid. Add enough water to reach just below the basket; bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and gently simmer.
- Meanwhile, peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Once the water is simmering, place the cubes in the steamer basket, cover, and steam until the potatoes just give when pierced with a fork, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the steamer basket with the potatoes to a plate; set aside.
- Discard the water in the saucepan. Place the milk and butter in the saucepan and heat over low heat until the butter has melted. Turn off the heat, add the reserved sweet potatoes and the brown sugar, measured salt, and mace or nutmeg, and mash with a potato masher until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired; keep warm.
To assemble:
- Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven.
- Run a knife around the edge of the turkey cakes. Unmold one of the turkey layers and place it bottom-side up on an overturned 8-inch cake pan or in an ovenproof serving dish.
With a long knife or offset spatula, evenly spread 1 1/4 cups of the mashed potatoes over the top of the cake, leaving a 1/2 -inch border (keep the remaining potatoes warm). 
- Using the back of a clean spoon, spread the cranberry sauce evenly over the mashed potatoes.
- Using your hands, gently pack the stuffing in an even layer over the cranberry sauce, using one hand to keep any stuffing from falling off the side.
Press gently on the stuffing to make sure it adheres to the mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. - Evenly spread another 1 1/4 cups of the mashed potatoes over the stuffing (keep the remaining potatoes warm).
- Unmold the second turkey layer and place it bottom-side up on top of the mashed potatoes.
- Transfer the cake pan or serving dish with the partially assembled cake to a baking sheet and bake until heated through, about 30 to 40 minutes (an instant-read thermometer should register 165°F).
- Remove from the oven and set aside. Heat the oven to broil.
- With a long knife or offset spatula, evenly coat the outside (but not top) of the entire cake with the remaining mashed potatoes (you may have a little left over).
- With a clean long knife or offset spatula, evenly spread all of the sweet potatoes on top of the cake.
Arrange the marshmallows across the top and gently press them into the sweet potatoes. 
- Return the baking sheet with the assembled cake to the oven and broil until the marshmallows are golden, about 1 to 2 minutes (watch closely so the marshmallows don’t burn).
Using two flat spatulas, carefully transfer the cake to a serving dish. Serve immediately with gravy, if desired.
Out of curiousity and at the behest of my 11 and 14 year old boys, i prepared this for a boy scout xmas dinner... all i can say is WOW... i really thought this recipe was more for shock value than anything else, but it tasted really good... got lots of compliments... i will definitely make this again :0)
An interesting way to serve a meatloaf.
I made this cake tonight for dinner. It was a raving success. Everyone loved it I used some Thanksgiving leftovers and some I made fresh. Thank you!
Best linkbait of the season. Kudos!
This is the most wonderful leftover fun recipe, ever! I just may be the "bestest" mother, mom, and mommy ever! Thank you, keep them coming.
You are using your leftover, cooked turkey, Citrus. You are letting the potatoes cool down (so you won't scald yourself)....not turn cold.
Please . . . stop . . . bleaaaaach! (the gravy suggestion put me over the edge)
oh, fun!!!
This recipe is VERY unclear. Please be more specific next time because when making this, this became very difficult to actually pull off. For example, do we cook the turkey meat before, or AFTER, you mix together the ingredients? Also, spreading the potatoes after they cool down is much harder than it seems, even with reheating it up.
I am totally going to make mini versions of this with the Thanksgiving leftovers!
WOW! YES! YUM! Now this is what I'm talking about. Something completely different AND delicious. Thank you!
I think this may be my son's birthday cake next month. My BIL would love it too, as he is not fussy about cakes or desserts.
Verrrrry interrrresting! Hmmmm. Being kosher, I'd leave out the cheese in the preparations, of course. I think I'd skip the marshmallows just on account of that seems a bit much. Otherwise, it not only looks quite interesting but also given to some improvisation as to adding some other elements to the filling, judiciously as far as not overwhelming the palate. Maybe some sauteed onions, or sauteed sliced mushrooms? Also, to those to whom the novely of its appearance may make it just a bit over the top, I bet you can assemble it in a long, deep meatloaf-type pan, or maybe even a rehruken mold? Might be easier to serve too.
FABULOUS! My son and his friends would LOVE this! I will have to make it for his birthday.
not for me, but appreciate the ingenuity.
Made this over the weekend for a pre-thanksgiving and it was a huge hit!!! One complaint was that the turkey layers weren't thanksgiving enough (more sage, thyme and maybe rosemary and less Worcestershire). Also I added more nutmeg and cinnamon to the sweet potatoes and that went over well. Thanks for the idea.
OMG that is disgusting
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what a great imagination. picture were explicit, explanation and steps were precise, and the outcome was fantastic, my mind is spinning with variations of this one slice and garnish w/a side of giblet gravy and some hot buttered homemade rolls
I thought it was a joke when I got if from my mom, but after reading it, I wish I had the time to make it. This really is ideal for those of us who are working the holiday and need an easy to eat meal, truck drivers, that has all the goodies. I love the cranberry sauce, but can do without the marshmellows, but those can be removed. Who ever did this was a genius.
Hmmmm, this looks great. Nothing EWWWW about it. I would go for this faster than a Tofurkey. I don't see any difference between this, and all of them separate on a plate.
Gorgeous! And hilarious! But I'd probably do a layer of gruyere over the top instead of marshmallows, if I actually intended people to eat it. Looks delish!
OMG. This almost made me puke. Love all the ingredients, but--no, ew, vomit.
Seriously?? Do people actually eat this?
My English Fiance has threatened to call it off if I make this dish.
I'm an adventurous eater but um...gross. LOL
This is the most disgusting thing I've ever seen. Even worse than the KFC Bowls. No offense at all.
You have great hands
Definitely needs a layer of green beans mixed with cream of mushroom soup and sliced almonds topped by a layer of french-fried onion pieces
Great idea; I'll surely have to share this with my clients! What a fun way for kids to eat these foods! Best, Amie The Healthy Apple www.TheHealthyApple.com
Made this last night for a our annual Thanksgivinger pot-luck. Everyone love it. Since I'm not a yam fan, and cooking the cranberry into the stuffing and mashies seemed strange, I made the following modification: no yams and dressed the top with the old-school canned cranberry jelly. Just cut the cran-cyliner into thin disks and layered on the top with orange slices to look like a tart. Also served it with gravy. Turkey cake for the win! A great tasting novel crowd-pleaser.
Wow! This is just amazing! I can't wait to try this. I'm thinking that turkey is a little cheaper during this time of year so I could experiment. I saw an article where a woman make "cakes" out of other meat and vegetables shaped into loaf pans. When all was pressed together she coated all with a thick layer of cream cheese. She served this at the end of her parties to sober up her friends before they left for the evening. Such a delicious and fun idea!
Brilliant! Love this idea. Kudos Amy!!!
squeezit: you rock; that's absolutely brilliant. maybe, space the beans and press "french fried onions" into the exposed mash, for that green bean casserole taste. XD
maybe add upright green beans all around the perimeter of the cake, stuck into the mashed potatoes!
I have had about 7 friends of mine comment about this cake. GREAT JOB AMY! :)
wheeeeere's the GREEN?
This really reminds me of this Christmas Turkey Cake recipe I saw on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFjSGalLmE0 This is just part 1 of 4, but I definitely recommend watching through them all. Definitely my favorite youtube cooking series.
This will be at the children's table - what a fun idea!
I think I'll do this in loaf pan shape and take to my club meeting.
I will be making this with leftovers for my brothers birthday since it is his birthday on Thanksgiving----What a stitch!
EmmySnacks, nope, can't taste the oats at all. They are in there just as a binder and to lend a little texture to the ground turkey. Amy Wisniewski Assoc. Food Editor, CHOW
I'm wondering if the oats taste strange in the turkey layer. Looks amazing, can't wait to try it with turkey leftovers.
I'm horrified!
i'm amazed. bottom line. I can only pray for one of these to magically show up at my thanksgiving
Holy S@!#, I am equally enthralled and grossed out! I have to try this, I'm just afraid no one else would...
I would not try this for the "holiday", maybe another "turkey" day tho. I agree w/diana45--no marshmallows!!! I think they ruin sweet potatoes!!! Just add more BUTTER@!!!
i'm not going to make this, but if i was i would be using extra thin slices of turkey doused in gravy for one layer and would omit the marshmellows and top with potato dauphinois; and it all needs a great gravy.
This sounds totally fabulous!!!!
I'm so there!
LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm all over this! I was going to sit out Thanksgiving this year, but this is too cute to pass up. (Though, the healthnut in me is trying to find a way to work some veggies in.)
I AM SO CONFUSED.
My sister is going to try to make this. Epic fail in three...two...one....
I've been looking for Thanksgiving "twists", this is it!
sounds great to take to a group thanksgiving/covered dish
How fun is this! I can bed kids would love this on the thanksgiving table (provided they are not averse to mixing their food).
WOW:} Though I'm not a huge thanksgiving fan, I would try this for the shock value, just sans cheese.
Oh, I think not!
Gotta say, I LOVE IT!
foul fowl!
I hate it. It's so pretty and cake-looking, it shouldn't taste like turkey, at least not on Thanksgiving. Try it in February, say.
reminds me of many recipes from 50's and 60'd party cookbooks. I would make mine with a green bean casserole on top. Not a fan of marshmallows.
I cannot wait to make this. The person who thought this up is a GENIUS! An evil genius. :D
aaaaaaghhh! Why???!!
This is utterly amazing and slightly horrifying. Who on earth came up with this!
you have to be nuts to try making the turkey cake, some things you just don't muck with
NO EFFING WAY!!! : O
This is from the trippy category, right?