Yes, birds eat cake too! I bought this great bird feeder stand last spring. While I love it, I didn’t realize how quickly the birds would eat through the seed cakes and how expensive the seeds cakes are. I realized I could make these very easily using loose bird seed that I fill my other window feeder with.
I searched around and found a great recipe (here) for making seed cakes of all shapes and sizes. It would be a great activity for kids as well. All you need is gelatin, flour, corn syrup and of course bird seed. It can be shaped into any mold pan and hung with a string as well. I use a piece of extra gutter pipe with a pvc pipe stuck in the middle to create the center hole. Be creative with what you already own!
Making your own bird cake is SO much cheaper than purchasing the $10 option!
- 3 1/2 to 4 cups wild bird food
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 3 tablespoons Karo syrup
- 1 packet unflavored gelatin
- 3/4 cup flour I find that 1/2 cup is plenty
- non-stick cooking spray
- a mold of some sort – jello mold bundt pan, etc
- string twine or yarn
- a straw or item to make a placeholder for the hanging hole
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Spray your mold with cooking spray.
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Mix the gelatin into the boiled water until dissolved. Turn off heat.
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Add syrup and flour and mix well. It will form a sticky paste/batter.
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Add seed into the mixture and work the paste in. (it may take a little muscle)
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Spoon the mixture into your mold. Press down with your hands. It helps if you grease your hands first.
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**If you plan to insert a string, only insert 1/2 the mixture into your mold. Push a straw through the seed mixture to the bottom of the mold.
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Put mold into the fridge or freezer overnight to set.
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Remove from the mold. Sometimes it needs to sit out for a few minutes to loosen up in the mold.
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Remove the straw and add your string for hanging! Watch for birdies!
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