This Turkey Cookie Cake is a must at this year's Thanksgiving dinner table! A classic chocolate chip cookie base frosted with an adorable buttercream turkey. Everyone will love the taste and you'll love this easy recipe and step-by-step decorating photos.

Turkey Cookie Cake with a buttercream turkey with an orange buttercream border on black wire trivet on a stone background.

Have you seen a more adorable cookie cake for Thanksgiving?! Impress your friends and family with this easy cookie cake recipe with a charming buttercream turkey. No need to worry about what variety of pies to make as everyone loves cookie cake! The cookie cake is soft and chewy with lots of chocolate chip and a simple buttercream.

If you're looking for more ideas for your Thanksgiving feast check out my Thanksgiving Chocolate Covered Oreos, Apple Brie Salad, Truffle Honey Baked Brie and Pumpkin Ricotta Pasta.

Turkey Cookie Cake with a buttercream turkey with an orange buttercream border on black wire trivet on a wood plank background. A slice of cookie cake is cut off and on a small white plate off to the side.

Why You'll Love this Recipe

An Adorable Design - This buttercream turkey design is so cute and festive for Thanksgiving!

Step-by-Step Design Instructions - to help create your own buttercream turkey.

Perfect for All Ages - Kids will love the playful design and adults can appreciate the nostalgia. But, everyone will love the sweet and classic taste of cookie cake.

Ingredient Notes

Cookie cake ingredients on a stone background. Each ingredient is labeled with a white rectangle box with text in black colored font and all capitalized.

Shorting - room temperature, makes the cookie cake super tender and thick.

Unsalted Butter - room temperature, helps crisp up edges and gives the cookie cake a buttery taste. I use unsalted butter to control the salt levels in the recipe.

Granulated Sugar + Brown Sugar - to give our cookie cake that classic cookie taste. I like dark brown sugar for a more rich caramel flavor.

Egg - One egg for the richest, softest and chewiest cookie cake ever.

Vanilla Extract - for extra flavor. I recommend a pure vanilla extract for best flavor.

Baking Soda + Baking Powder - Leavening agents for an extra thick cookie cake.

Salt -A pinch of salt will keep your cookie cake moist and flavorful.

Milk - keeps the dough moist and adds color to cookie cake.

Chocolate Chips - I used normal sized semi-sweet chocolate chips but you could use milk or dark chocolate chips. Or, even chunks!

Buttercream Frosting Ingredient Notes

You can use store bought frosting BUT I love the taste of homemade.

Butter - I used unsalted butter. Should be room temperature!

Powdered Sugar - also known as confectioners sugar.

Vanilla Extract - extra flavor! Real pure vanilla extract for best flavor.

Heavy Whipping Cream - helps create a light and fluffy whipped texture

Cocoa Powder - Just a touch to help make a deeper brown color. Does give the vanilla buttercream a slight chocolate taste. Alternative, you could use a true chocolate buttercream.

Food Coloring - I recommend this Americolor Bundle of Gel Paste Colors. They are super saturated and only require a tiny amount to get great color.

Equipment

Stand mixer or electric handmixer

9-inch spring form pan

Cake carrier with locking lid - I use to store cookie cake! It is quite large but the locking lid keeps it airtight!

Piping Bags

Piping Tips - For this recipe, I use a bunch of smaller sized tips. I have this Ateco 783-55 Piece Cake Decorating Set specially #264, #199, #6 and #2. Additional I used a Wilton 1A round piping tip and (x3) Wilton 2A piping tips.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Side by photos.On the left it shows butter and shortening beaten in a large red stand mixer with a beater attachment. A cookie cake with white rosettes and drop flowers on top. The cookie cake sits on a black wire trivet on a stone background. In the upper left corner is a dark red square with a white '1' in the center. On the right it shows Sugar creamed together with the shortening and butter in a large red stand mixer with beater attachment. A cookie cake with white rosettes and drop flowers on top. The cookie cake sits on a black wire trivet on a stone background. In the upper left corner is a dark red square with a white '2' in the center.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter or spray a 9-inch round springform pan and set aside. Start the base: Cream together butter and shortening together with a stand mixer for roughly 1 minute.
Add in sugar and beat again for another 2-3 minutes. Scrap bowl the bowl as need.

Side by side. On the left is a wet cookie cake batter beating beaten in a large red stand mixer with beater attachment. A cookie cake with white rosettes and drop flowers on top. The cookie cake sits on a black wire trivet on a stone background. In the upper left corner is a dark red square with a white '3' in the center. One the right is Dry ingredients added to the cookie cake dough in a large red stand mixer with beater attachment. A cookie cake with white rosettes and drop flowers on top. The cookie cake sits on a black wire trivet on a stone background. In the upper left corner is a dark red square with a white '4' in the center.

Add in egg to the stand mixer. Beat it together until everything is combined for about 1-2 minutes. Scrap bowl the bowl as need. Then, add in vanilla and milk and beat again for another 1-2 minutes.
Add in all the dry ingredients to the stand mixer and mix until just combined (it's okay if there's are a couple of streaks of flour).

Side by side photos. On the left is a photo with a large stand mixer bowl removed with chocolate chips being hand mixed in with a grey silicone spatula on a cement background. A cookie cake with white rosettes and drop flowers on top. The cookie cake sits on a black wire trivet on a stone background. In the upper left corner is a dark red square with a white '5' in the center. On the right is a baked cookie cake in a red spring form pan on a cement background. In the upper left corner is a dark red square with a white '6' in the center.

Set aside 2-3 tablespoons of chocolate chips and add the rest of the chocolate chips to the dough. Gently fold into the cookie cake dough with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula.
Press the dough into the prepared 9-inch springform pan. Gently press extra chocolate chips onto the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes in the pre-heated oven, until the edges turn a golden brown. Cool: in the pan on a cooling rack until completely cooled. Carefully remove the cookie cake from a spring form pan.

Frosting Instructions

Butter being beaten in a large red stand mixer with beater attachment. A cookie cake with white rosettes and drop flowers on top. The cookie cake sits on a black wire trivet on a stone background. In the upper left corner is a dark red square with a white '1' in the center.

Start by beating butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a handheld mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes until creamed.

Vanilla buttercream beaten in a large red stand mixer with beater attachment. A cookie cake with white rosettes and drop flowers on top. The cookie cake sits on a black wire trivet on a stone background. In the upper left corner is a dark red square with a white '2' in the center.

Then, add in powdered sugar, vanilla extract and heavy cream. Beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, increase to medium speed for 30 seconds and then increase to medium-high speed and beat for another 2 minutes.

Brown, orange, red and yellow buttercream in separate bowls on a stone background. In the upper left corner is a dark red square with a white '3' in the center.

Divide and color frosting. I am estimating how much frosting I used. The most you would need is about 2.4 cups of frosting. My frosting recipes make about 2.5 cups! I used the colors brown, red, yellow and orange.
- Brown/Chocolate Frosting - ⅔ cup - I used a bit of cocoa powder ( ~2-3 teaspoons) and brown food coloring gel. I use a Wilton No. 1A Round Decorating Tip for the body, head and wing. And, an Ateco 6 round tip for the turkey neck and legs.
- Orange - 1 cup - I use a Wilton No. 2A Round Decorating Tip for the feathers and Ateco 199 small star piping tip for the border.
- Red - ¼ cup - I use a Wilton No. 2A Round Decorating Tip for the feather and an Ateco 264 for the turkey snood.
- Yellow - ½ cup - I use a Wilton No. 2A Round Decorating Tip for the feathers and and an Ateco 2 round tip for the feet and beck.

Recipe Note - I use a couple different pieces from my Ateco 783-55 Piece Cake Decorating Set.

Decorating Instructions

A cookie cake on a black wire trivet on a stone background. The cookie cake has 5 feathers that are tear drop shaped. From left to right, the feathers are orange, yellow, red, yellow and orange. In the upper left corner is a dark red square with a white '1' in the center.

Starting with orange frosting, pipe a feather shape that's tear drop with a rounded end shaped that's about 2.5 inches long. Repeat the shape with then yellow, red, yellow and finally orange frosting. The feathers should be touching each other.

Next with the brown/chocolate frosting, pipe a large circle about 3 inches in diameter, making sure it covers the bottom of the feathers. Slightly above the body, pipe a small circle about 1 inch in diameter that will be the turkey head. Finally, pipe the wings of the turkey, by piping a dot and pulling straight up as you release pressure. You'll want one right next to the body but underneath the feather and one on the left of the body and again right underneath the feathers.

Using an Acteo #6 round piping tip or small round piping tip with brown frosting, connect the head and the body of the turkey, by piping a neck with brown frosting. Also pipe 2 thin rectangles from the body to represent the legs.

A cookie cake on a black wire trivet on a stone background. The cookie cake has buttercream turkey on top. In the upper left corner is a dark red square with a white '4' in the center.

Add the details by using an Ateco 2 with yellow frosting to pipe the feet by piping a thin line and then adding 3 off set lines. Repeat on the other leg. Next pipe the beak by piping a triangle on the face of the turkey. Add 2 candy eyes and finally pipe the turkey snood with red frosting on the beck.

A cookie cake on a black wire trivet on a stone background. The cookie cake has buttercream turkey on top with an orange buttercream border. In the upper left corner is a dark red square with a white '5' in the center.

Optionally add a border around the cookie cake. Additionally, I added another circle on top of the existing body to create a bit more dimension on the turkey. I made it slightly smaller than body.

Expert Tips

Cool it completely! - Make sure to let the cookie cake cool completely before you frost it. It takes about 90 minutes - 2 hours roughly for my cookie cake to completely cool. But you can make this cookie cake the night before serving, let it cool completely overnight, and frost it the next day.

Properly Measure Flour - If you just dip your measuring cup into a bag of flour, chances are you have way too much flour due to packing. I keep a small digital scale to accurately measure flour BUT you can also use the spoon and level method too if you don't have a scale. To do this, use a spoon to fluff up the flour within your flour bag or container. Then use a spoon to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and finally use the straight edge of a knife to level the flour across the measuring cup.

Room Temp Ingredients are Key - a room temperature egg and butter form an emulsion and traps air and blend/combine together very easily since they are warmer creating a seamless dough. Cold ingredients don't incorporate together easily and can result in dense puffy baked good and also seize up the dough.

Warning! Weird Taste From Cooking Spray - I found that olive oil cookie sprays, can sometimes create a bitter taste in the cookie cake. I recommend using original pam or a neutral cooking stray.

Frosting Tips! - Gel color can be incredibly concentrated. You only need just a little bit to get your desired color. Also, color develops after waiting some time so you can make and color the frosting as the cookie cake cools and that should be enough time to allow the colors to fully develop. Note, if you use TOO MUCH food coloring that can negatively effect the texture.

Need Decorating Help - Check my Step-by-Step Instructions in the body of the post to see step-by-step photos on how to pipe your own buttercream turkey.

Close up of a Turkey Cookie Cake with a buttercream turkey with an orange buttercream border on black wire trivet on a wood plank background.

Recipe FAQ

Why does this recipe use both shortening and butter? Can I use just one?

I like to use both shorting and butter in my cookie cake. Shortening is made up of 100% hydrogenated vegetable oil and contains no water while butter contains 80% butterfat and 20% water. Shortening traps more air bubbles and produces a soft interior texture along with holding its shape during baking.

Technically, yes you can use just one if you have it on hand BUT for best results I do recommend both shortening and butter.

What do I do if I don't have a springform pan?

You could use a pizza pan or a 9x13 pan in a pinch you will just need to adjust your baking time.

Storage

If your cookie cake is unfrosted, keep it in an airtight container at room temperature with a slice of bread for 2-3 days.

If your cookie cake is frosted and the frosting contains heavy cream, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge with a slice of bread for up to 2-3 days.

White bread is recommended as it has no additional flavor BUT I have done this with wheat bread, etc. in a pinch. It's a great way to use the heels of your bread. The cookie cake will absorb the moisture from the bread and keep it softer longer. If you feel the bread has become dry and hard after a day or so, replace it with a new piece of bread.

I use a cake carrier for storing my whole unsliced cookie cakes. They are quite large BUT the locking feature acts like an airtight seal.

PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page? I always appreciate feedback. You can also follow me on Pinteres t, Facebook or Instagram.

Turkey Cookie Cake

Why You'll Love this Recipe