Real Recipes From Real Home Cooks ®

bird seed cornbread cakes/suet

(1 rating)
Recipe by
Vicki H
elkton, MD

We like different birds coming around, and have three different feeders. Winter is very tough on them, so we try to provide God's feathery friends with additional nutrients. Over the years, I just make them a sort of "stew" of a seed cake. Here's one of them I just make...gone in one day!

(1 rating)
yield serving(s)
prep time 10 Min
cook time 30 Min

Ingredients For bird seed cornbread cakes/suet

  • 1 box
    cornbread mix (jiffy)
  • 3 Tbsp
    crisco ( beef fat - melted down - if possible)
  • 1/4 c
    sunflower seeds - shelled or whole
  • 1/2 c
    bird seed
  • 3 Tbsp
    peanut butter - any type
  • any other stale bread, crackers or cereal you were going to discard.

How To Make bird seed cornbread cakes/suet

  • 1
    In a large bowl - mix all ingredients well. I use Jiffy Cornbread mix, which is $.49/bx where I live - I don't use the egg or milk, like the box directions read...for the birds. Just add a little water, until the batter is moist. The crisco is used if you don't have any beef fats you might have saved, and melted it for this.
  • 2
    I cook this in a 8" iron fry pan, but you can in the oven in a cake pan if you want. I just don't put the oven on for this, if I don't have to. Cook on the stove with lid, very low heat, for about 25 minutes, or until done - like you would a cake.
  • 3
    Let the pan cool completely. Put it in the garage or frig to get cold fast to handle. If you can lift the cake out whole, great..but using Crisco, it doesn't set hard, like an actual suet cake.
  • 4
    Press firm in suet molds, if you saved one or two, or any mold to fit in suet cages outside. I also cut the bottom of a soda ltr bottle to use as a mold (see photo).
  • 5
    Put in freezer or refrig to get more solid, then put outside for the birds. This receipe should make about 3-4 suet-sized cakes.
  • 6
    Any left-overs, crumble in the tray feeder.
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