Learn how to make bird seed cakes for your backyard birds. They're also excellent holiday hostess and teacher gifts that the kids can help with!
One of my favorite things to do once the weather starts cooling down and the birds have fewer natural things to eat in the yard (berries and worms) is to make suet bird seed cakes.
Birds can benefit from suet because it's high in fat and protein and gives them much-needed energy during the cooler months when they don't have access to as much fat out in the wild.
You can make them in traditional square shapes, but why limit it to that when you can make them in fun shapes too!
For instance, I recently found this heart-shaped jello mold at a thrift store.
I didn't make jello with it because that would just be too obvious. And who wants to hear about making jello anyhow? Snoozefest!
I made suet cakes for birds with it!!!
That uses gelatin. So, come to think of it, I sort of made jello for you after all.
Come along as I take you through the journey of how to make something you can probably buy in the store for $1. It's so much more fun to make it yourself though!
Homemade Birdseed Cakes
Ingredients:
- 3 cups wild bird food
- ½ cup boiling water
- 3 tablespoons Karo syrup
- 1 packet unflavored gelatin powder (Knox or a generic version)
- ¾ cup flour
- non-stick cooking spray - I prefer Pam, for obvious reasons 🙂
- a mold of some sort - jello mold, bundt pan, cookie cutters, etc
- string, twine, ribbon or yarn
- a straw if your mold doesn't have a hole for easy hanging
Directions:
Spray your mold with cooking spray
Mix the gelatin packet into the boiled water until it is dissolved.
Add flour and syrup until it is mixed well. It's going to look like a thick cake batter.
Add birdseed into the mixture and mix well.
Spoon ½ the mixture into your mold.
Push straw through the seed mixture to the bottom of the mold.
Add a bit of string (this is going to act like a piece of rebar in cement and add extra stability).
Spoon the remaining seed mixture into the mold and compress it down as much as humanly possible.
Put the mold into the fridge or freezer overnight to harden up and allow the gelatin to set.
In the morning remove your cake from the mold. If your seed cake doesn't slide out of the mold easily when you turn it upside down, sit the bottom of the mold in a shallow pan of warm water for a few minutes and the cake should pop out.
Gently remove the straw and thread a piece of string through the hole for hanging.
I figure the birds can steal the "rebar" string to make their nests with when they're done eating through the cake.
I added an extra step of putting a twig in the hole as a little perch for the birdies.
I did not put that in the official directions, because so far none of the birds are using the darn twig. They'd prefer to just stand precariously on the top and eat the seed.
So much for my plan of a quaint photo of a cardinal sitting on the twig, eating the birdseed cake and smiling at the camera.
Tips For Making Your Suet Cakes:
This recipe is for a medium-sized jello mold. If you were going to use a large bundt pan as your mold, you may want to double the recipe.
Do not dilly-dally when making this. Once the mixture starts to cool, you don't have a lot of time to work with it in the molds before it starts setting up.
If you plan to give these as gifts, please keep them refrigerated or in a cool place until you gift them.
If you're looking for a low-melt suet recipe that holds up better on warmer days, I have a recipe with peanuts and berries that the birds LOVE → No Melt Suet Cakes For Birds.
I also use suet when I show you how to make a rustic Log Bird Feeder.
This Explains So Much:
About Karo syrup - My mom used to use Karo syrup for pancakes and waffles and such. The first time I ever had maple syrup was in college and I about gagged. It's funny that Karo syrup is what I thought syrup was supposed to taste like.
Needless to say, my Mom was not the best cook 🙂 I won't get into what she used for spaghetti sauce.
Now get out of here and feed the little birdies! They need to gain their winter five ten pounds like the rest of us.
Some "Repurposed" Bird-Related Content:
DIY Bird Bath
Vintage Snack Set Bird Feeder
Vintage Tin Dollhouse Repurposed Into Birdhouse
Bird Feeder From Repurposed Cookie Tins
Anonymous
I will be doing this with my Montessori preschool class in small groups for a Valentines Day project. I love this idea and recipe however I am modifying it to be "nut free" and with cookie cutters. How quickly does it set? I'm wondering if I have time to pass the cookie cutter to each child? Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Amy Marie Adams
These are beautiful and I want to make them. Wondering if you have a substitute ingredient for Karo syrup? I just read that Karo syrup is corn syrup sweetened with vanilla (never heard of it before) I don't know if that is a brand name, and if it is not sure I can get it where I live. Or can I use any corn syrup? Thanks.
Pam Kessler
I just Googled it and it appears that you can melt 1 cup sugar into 1/4 cup hot water and make a Karo substitute. Or I would think any corn syrup would work out also. Hope you enjoy making them - and the birds enjoy eating them 🙂
Biker1100
Followed the recipe for the most part.. I didn't have any Karo in the pantry so I used molasses instead. Also added some PB and a quarter cup or so of cornmeal that was out of date. Seeing that 2 of my feeders are 8x8x2 I doubled the recipe and made 2 seed cakes using square pans.
Minnie's Milestones
I love this recipe, definitely will try. Pinned!
Jeanette Shaw
This is an awesome idea :} I started making them & couldn't stop. Couple tricks I found was to keep your hand wet & it won't stick to your hands while putting it in the molds & you can work with it much longer. . I used a couple aluminum muffin tins & a old tart pan. There in the freezer now & I'm excited. Here at the Jersey Shore we have a black bird called a Grackle (very destructive to suet) made them there own with sunflower seeds & larger kernel type bird food. Also took care of the squirrels (maybe they'll stop terrorizing my bird feeders) & used corn & old stale cookies & cereal I was gonna throw out.
My parents also enjoy watching & feeding there birds in NY State all year long, What a huge variety they have, especially finches. They buy suet by the 10 pack box. I'm sure they are gonna love getting these. Anyone who enjoys feeding the birds will love this. SOOO EASY. Let ur imagination run wild. NEXT PENNY GAZING BALL. Thank you again for a awesome idea
Carole Burkhard
What a great idea! My birds are eating me out of house and home {grin}! If I make some of these, maybe it will slow them down because it will be harder for them to eat, but they'll still get some treats! Pinning to Pinterest!
Brenda Young
Oh Pam my kids are so going to love making this project with me! Nice tutorial recipe that will hold up much better than peanut butter on pinecones! Karo on pancakes? I can't imagine, glad my mom was a great cook, we grew up on maple syrup - and now thats all I can use, well, kind of a curse actually because now my kids cant keep their hands off mine- that stuffs not cheap, and they pour it like its water! LOL
Vickey
I'd love to make this. I 'm just wondering how long it will take this to melt in the hot sun?? Or maybe it won't.
Pam Kessler
I've not had one of these out in the heat of summer yet - it's still in the 30's here 🙁 But I would think they would hold up in all but the hottest part of the summer.
Babs R
LOVE this idea! The heart shape is so cute.Thanks for the tutorial. Lucky birds.
Miss Kitty
This is so cute! My elderly parents like to birdwatch from their apartment but they can't have birdfeeders there. I could make some of these to hang in the bushes outside of their windows to attract more birds there for their entertainment...I don't think anyone would notice them but the birds. Thanks for sharing that tutorial! I saw this at French Country Cottage blog party.
michelle@decorandthedog
This is adorable! I'd have to get over my bird phobia to make it happen. 😉
Anu Varma
Wow, this is so cute!! I am visiting you via Wow Us Wednesdays and look forward to seeing you at My Dream Canvas.
Pamela
I love this ! What a great idea!! I love hearts too.
Hey in school did you get called " Pam in the cooking oil section!" I did everyday by Philip lococo
used to drive me nuts haha!
Teresa
Oh, that looks like so much fun! I would love to feed our sweet little birds, but the hateful magpies are always so obnoxious and greedy. This might be worth a try though.....
xoxo
Teresa
Lynn @The Vintage Nest
I totally love this!! I gave my Mom something similar to this for christmas and it was NOT cheap. Thanks for the tutorial. Going to make and pinned. xo
Melinda
Love it!
Karo is THE only thing
Iput on my pancakes!
M : )