Hi, I am making a prairie chicken cake for a friend whose studies them and I have never made a bird cake before. Does anyone have any tips for piping feathers? I don't really want to deal with fondant or gum paste as that seams to be a way that a lot of people deal with feathers from my online research.

Thanks so much,
Amanda

Could you use a leaf tip and while it's still wet drag a toothpick though it all up the sides to get a feathered texture? Would be time consuming though I guess.

I'm assuming this is going to be a 3D cake? What about brush embroidering royal icing? Maybe in a reverse effect - instead of brushing from the outside in, brush from the inside out. Does that make sense? Then, when they are hard you can attach them to your cake with more royal icing.

If you are going to do a 2D cake, you can brush embroider right on the cake.

Here is an example of brush embroidery:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3377/3509881974_1780ab5b86.jpg