Tree Stump Moss Cake Recipe By Tasty Recipes

WOODLAND STUMP CAKE

Steps:

• Chiffon Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush two rimmed baking sheets with butter. Line with parchment; butter parchment.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl, whisk together oil, egg yolks, milk, and vanilla seeds. Whisk egg-yolk mixture into flour mixture.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on high speed until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes. Whisk one-third of egg-white mixture into batter. Gently but thoroughly fold in remaining egg-white mixture with a rubber spatula.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared sheets and spread to edges with a spatula. Bake until tops spring back when lightly touched, about 18 minutes. Dust two kitchen towels with confectioners' sugar. Invert one cake onto a towel; remove parchment. Dust with more confectioners' sugar. Starting at one short side, roll into a log, incorporating towel. Repeat with remaining cake. Let cool completely.
• White Modeling Chocolate: Stir together white chocolate and 3 tablespoons corn syrup until mixture has consistency of thick batter or very soft dough. If mixture is too thick, add remaining 1 tablespoon corn syrup. Pour mixture into center of a large piece of plastic wrap; use edges of plastic to gather into a disk. Wrap tightly and let stand until firm, about 1 hour or up to overnight. When ready to use, transfer to a surface dusted with confectioners' sugar; knead until smooth and pliable.
• Semisweet Modeling Chocolate: Stir together semisweet chocolate and corn syrup until mixture has consistency of thick batter or very soft dough. Pour mixture into center of a large piece of plastic wrap; use edges of plastic to gather into a disk. Wrap tightly and let stand until firm, about 1 hour or up to overnight. When ready to use, transfer to a surface dusted with cocoa; knead until smooth and pliable.
• Chocolate-Hazelnut Filling: In a small bowl, whisk together chocolate-hazelnut spread and 1/4 cup cream until thickened. In a large bowl, whisk together remaining 3 cups cream and confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form. Add chocolate mixture and continue whisking until stiff peaks form.
• Assembly: Unroll cooled cakes, remove kitchen towels, and reroll. Cut each cake crosswise into thirds. Unroll one piece of cake and spread with about 1 cup filling. Roll into a tight spiral and place, cut-side up, in center of a large serving platter. Unroll a second piece of cake, spread with another 1 cup filling, and wrap around perimeter of first piece. Repeat with remaining 4 pieces of cake. Spread remaining filling over top and sides of cake.
• Roll white modeling chocolate into a 1/4-inch-thick round, about 11 inches in diameter. Place on top of cake and fold overhanging edges down sides of cake. Lightly brush overhanging edges with water. Roll 1 1/2 cups semisweet modeling chocolate into a 6-by-8-inch rectangle. Use the handle of a wooden spoon to press a pattern crosswise on semisweet chocolate to resemble bark. Use a pizza wheel to cut a straight edge along one long side of semisweet chocolate. Affix bark to perimeter of cake, cut-side up, and gather bottom to resemble roots, placing small balls of semisweet chocolate in between bark and cake to create more dimension. Continue in this manner, working around sides of cake. Repeat process with remaining semisweet chocolate, then seam pieces of semisweet chocolate together by pinching and folding over each other to create a gnarled appearance.
• Using a paring knife, score lines onto surface of tree stump, radiating out from center, to resemble cracks. Use a soft bristled brush to dust white chocolate with cocoa. Mix a small amount of cocoa with water, one drop at a time, until it has consistency of thick paint. Dip the tip of a 2-inch-wide coarse brush into cocoa mixture; dry-brush tree rings onto surface of tree stump. Brush sides and roots of stump in some spots with corn syrup; sprinkle pistachios over brushed spots to create appearance of patches of moss. Place a few candy mushrooms on sides of cake. Decorated cake can be stored in refrigerator, covered, up to 1 day.

WINTER TREE STUMP CAKE

Steps:

• For the tree stump cake: Put about 1/2 cup of the buttercream frosting into a bowl and dye it to look like the inside of a tree stump (a few drops of yellow and brown food dye). Spread a thin layer of the colored buttercream onto the top of your prepared 6-inch cake and smooth out into a flat layer. Using a cake comb in a clockwise motion, create concentric circles on the top of the cake to represent the rings of a tree.
• Dust the bench with cornstarch and roll out the dark chocolate modeling chocolate so it is approximately 1/2 inch taller than the height of your cake and at least 20 inches long. The modeling chocolate should be kept fairly thick, approximately 1/2-inch.
• Using the sculpting tools, start texturing the modeling chocolate with scrapes, lines, divets, etc.
• After it is textured, trim the bottom edge so that you have a straight line. Wrap the modeling chocolate around the outside of the iced cake.
• For the cardinal: Roll some of the red modeling chocolate into a ball a little larger than a golf ball. Rolling one end between two hands, taper the ball to a teardrop shape. The pointed end of the teardrop will be the head. Pinch the top of the head and pull backward to make the tuft of feathers on the cardinal's head. With a rolling pin, flatten the remaining red modeling chocolate to 1/8-to-1/4-inch thick. Cut out 3 teardrop shapes about 2 inches long using either a craft knife or a teardrop-shaped cookie cutter. These will be the wings and tail.
• Dampen one side of each wing with a drop of water and stick them to the sides of the body. Do the same with the tail and stick it to the back. Use a tool to add feather details to the wings and tail if desired.
• Using a rolling pin, roll out a small amount of black modeling chocolate to about 1/8-inch thick. Cut it into a diamond shape to make the black part of the cardinal's face. Dampen one side of the black chocolate and stick it to the face area of the cardinal. Use the dragees for eyes. (If you don't have dragees roll 2 small balls of black modeling chocolate with your hands to about 1/4-inch diameter. Stick them to the cardinal's head.)
• Using ivory modeling chocolate, make a teardrop shape about 1/2-inch long. Stick it to the cardinal between its eyes to form a beak. Use a sculpting tool or a butter knife to add the mouth detail to the beak.
• For the mouse: Choose a modeling chocolate color for your mouse - white, tan, grey, brown or a more fanciful color. Roll some of the mouse color modeling chocolate into 2 balls; 1 about the size of a golf ball, the other a little smaller. Dampen a small area of each ball with water and stick them together. These will form the head and body of the mouse. The larger ball is the body.
• Roll 2 balls of mouse color modeling chocolate about the size of peas and stick them to the front of the mouse's head. Roll a small tube, 1/4-to-1/2-inch long and lay it between and on top of the 2 small balls. This will be the nose part of the mouse's muzzle.
• Roll 2 tubes of the mouse color modeling chocolate about 1-inch long each for the mouse's forelegs. Attach them to the side of the body and head.
• Roll 2 small balls of the mouse color modeling chocolate about the size of grapes and partially flatten them. These will be the haunches of the mouse's back legs. Attach them to the rear of the body on either side.
• Make the mouse's 4 paws by rolling 4 balls out of pink modeling chocolate about 1/2-inch in diameter. Attach them to the ends of the forelegs and the front of the haunches. Use a sculpting tool or knife to add toe details to the paws.
• Roll a very small ball of pink modeling chocolate and apply it to the tip of the nose.
• Roll a "snake" of pink modeling chocolate between your hands for the tail and attach it to the mouse's behind.
• Using a rolling pin, flatten out some pink modeling chocolate and some mouse color modeling chocolate. Using a 3/4-inch cookie cutter, cut 2 circles of each color. Dampen the backs of each pink circle and attach them to the mouse colored chocolate circles. These will be the mouse's ears. Attach them to the mouse's head.
• Attach a very small piece of white or ivory modeling chocolate to the underside of the mouse's muzzle to make the protruding incisors.
• For the mouse's eyes, use the dragees. (If you don't have dragees roll 2 small balls of black modeling chocolate with your hands to about 1/4-inch diameter. Stick them to the mouse's head.)
• Add your sculptures to the cake.
• Use the extra buttercream to add a snow effect to the top of the trunk and the board or plate your cake is on. Accent the snow with some clear crystal sugar.

TREE STUMP MOSS CAKE RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the dulce de leche buttercream: In a large bowl, cream together the butter and dulce de leche with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Sift in the powdered sugar and salt and mix until the frosting is smooth and thick, about 3 minutes.
• Frost the cakes: Scoop 1 cup of buttercream onto 1 chocolate cake round and spread evenly across the top. Place the second cake round on top, pressing down gently to secure. Spread another cup buttercream evenly over the top and sides to create a crumb coat. Cover and set the remaining buttercream aside until ready to decorate. Refrigerate the cake until ready to decorate.
• Make the meringue mushrooms: Preheat the oven to 225°F (105°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Add the egg whites to a heat-safe bowl. Using a hand mixer, whip on medium speed until frothy, about 2 minutes. Add the salt and cream of tartar and beat just to incorporate.
• Add the sugar and water to a saute pan and stir to combine. Turn the heat to medium-high heat and cook without stirring until the syrup creates bubbles that are the size of quarters and the temperature reaches 248°F (120°C).
• With the hand mixer running on medium speed, carefully pour the hot sugar syrup into the egg white mixture, resting the pan on the edge of the bowl and aiming the syrup to hit the side of the bowl so it does not splash against the beaters. Whip the mixture until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat on medium-low speed until just combined. Transfer the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch (1.24 cm) round tip.
• To make the mushroom caps, hold the piping bag upright and squeeze the meringue firmly onto half of the prepared baking sheet into disc shapes ranging from ½ inch (1.24 cm) to 1½ (3.81 cm) inches in diameter, leaving at least ½ inch (1.24 cm) of space between each cap. You should use about ⅔ of the meringue. Dip your finger in water and smooth the top of each cap. Your fingers will create natural dimples and watermarks to mimic the look of mushrooms caps.
• To make the mushroom stems, hold the piping bag upright and squeeze the remaining meringue firmly onto the other half of the baking sheet in ½-inch and 1-inch long pieces, leaving at least ½ inch of space between each stem. The number of stems should match the number of caps.
• Bake the meringue mushrooms for about 3 hours, until the caps and stems feel dry to the touch and are light beige in color. Remove from the oven and let the meringues cool completely.
• Lightly dust the mushroom caps with the cocoa powder, then use a pastry brush to brush the cocoa powder into the caps until they are a rustic brown color.
• Spread a bit of melted dark chocolate on the bottom of a mushroom cap, then press the cap onto the top of a stem. Repeat to assemble the remaining mushrooms, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate to set completely, about 10 minutes.
• Make the chocolate bark: Add the heavy cream to a small stainless steel pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Add the chocolate chips to a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the warm cream over the chocolate and stir until melted completely. Let the ganache cool to room temperature, about 1 hour; it should be thick and have the texture of frosting. Once cool, add ⅓ of the ganache to a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch round tip and the remaining ganache to a piping bag fitted with a 1-inch round tip.
• Make the edible moss: Pulse the pistachios and matcha powder in a food processor until coarsely ground, being careful not to process into a paste. Set aside until ready to decorate.
• Make the buttercream flowers: Divide the buttercream frosting evenly between 5 medium bowls. Add the violet, pink, yellow, avocado, and mauve food coloring to each bowl and stir until well combined. Transfer each color frosting to a separate piping bag fitted with tips to pipe flowers and leaves. Set aside until ready to decorate.
• Assemble the cake: Spread the remaining dulce de leche buttercream over the top of the cake. Using the bag with the ½-inch tip, pipe the ganache in a swirl on top of the cake, starting from the center and working toward the outer edge. Use a fork to swirl the ganache and buttercream together to make the top of the tree stump.
• Using the bag with the 1-inch tip, pipe the remaining ganache onto the sides of the cake and spread to coat completely. Use a fork to draw lines vertically up the sides of the cake for the tree bark.
• Place mounds of edible moss on top of and around the cake, then place the mushrooms around the moss.
• Use the colored frostings to pipe leaves and flowers around the cake.
• Enjoy!

GIANT ZEBRA 'BOX' CAKE RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the filling: In a large bowl, combine the whipped cream and marshmallow fluff. Beat with an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
• Use a serrated knife to carefully remove the domed top from the cakes, leaving a flat, even surface. Save the scraps for later - you can eat them with leftover melted chocolate or crumbled over ice cream.
• Spread the filling over the bottom cake, leaving about ¾-inch (2 cm) border around the edge. Place the other cake upside down on top of the filling.
• Trim the cake into a hexagon. Transfer the cake to a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
• Make the coating: Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low. Combine the white chocolate chips and coconut oil in a medium heatproof bowl and set it over the pan (make sure the bottom of the bowl isn't touching the water). When the white chocolate and coconut oil begin to melt, mix together until smooth. Be careful, as the bowl will be very hot.
• Pour the melted white chocolate mixture over the cake. Use a knife to spread to the edges and down the sides. Once smooth, run a knife under the edges of the cake so it doesn't stick to the rack and place the cake in the refrigerator until the coating is set, 10-15 minutes.
• Transfer the melted dark chocolate chips to a piping bag or zip-top bag with a corner snipped off. Carefully pipe chocolate zebra stripes onto the cake. Return to the refrigerator to set for 10-15 minutes. Remove the cake once the stripes are dry.
• To serve, slowly and carefully slice with a serrated knife so the shell doesn't crack. Score the slices with a paring knife before cutting to make it easier, if needed.
• Enjoy!

GLUTEN-FREE OMBRé CAKE RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Make the cakes: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease 3 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper.
• Add the beets, raspberries, and milk to a blender. Blend until mostly smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl, pressing the solids with a spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. You should have about 2 cups (480 ml) total. Discard the solids. Reserve ½ cup (120 ml) of beet-milk mixture for the frosting. Set the remaining beet-milk mixture aside.
• Add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and butter to a large bowl. Mix on medium speed with an electric hand mixer for 2-3 minutes, until the mixture is sandy in texture.
• Add the egg whites and vanilla and mix on medium speed until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Add ⅔ cup (160 ml) of the beet-milk mixture to the batter and beat to combine. Measure 2 cups (230 G) of batter and transfer to one of the prepared pans. Spread in an even layer.
• Add ⅓ cup (70 ml) more of the beet-milk mixture to the remaining batter and beat to combine. Measure 2 cups of batter and transfer to another prepared pan. Spread in an even layer.
• Add ½ cup (120 ml) more of the beet-milk mixture to remaining batter and beat to combine, then transfer to the remaining prepared pan and spread in an even layer.
• Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool for 5-10 minutes, until safe to handle. Turn the cakes out of the pans and let cool completely on the wire rack. Note: The darkest cake may need to bake for up to 5 minutes longer than the other cakes, as it contains the most liquid.
• While the cakes cool, make the frosting: In a small saucepan, whisk together the reserved ½ cup (120 ml) beet-milk mixture and the flour. Cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes, whisking continuously, until the mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and transfer to a small bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, pressing it directly against the surface so a skin doesn't form, then transfer to the refrigerator and let cool completely.
• In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer to cream together the butter, vanilla, and salt on high speed until smooth. Sift in the powdered sugar and beat on low speed until incorporated and the frosting is smooth.
• Add 2 tablespoons the beet-flour mixture and beat to combine. Transfer ½ cup (55 G) of frosting to each of 2 small bowls.
• Add 2 tablespoons of the beet-flour mixture to one of the small bowls of frosting and mix to combine.
• Add ¼ cup (55 G) of the beet-flour mixture to the other small bowl of frosting and mix to combine.
• Transfer the two darker frostings to piping bags fitted with ½-inch (1 ¼ cm) round tips.
• Assemble the cake: Place the cardboard round on the cake turntable.
• Trim off the domed tops of the cakes.
• Spread a dab of frosting in the center of the cardboard round. Center the darkest cake on the cardboard round. Using an offset spatula, spread about ½ cup (55 G) of the lightest frosting over the top of the cake in an even layer about ½ inch (1 ¼ cm) thick. Spread ¼ cup (80 G) raspberry jam over the frosting. Place the next lightest cake layer on top and repeat frosting and filling with another ½ cup (55 G) of the same frosting and the remaining ¼ cup (80 G) jam. Top with the lightest cake layer.
• Dollop 1 cup (115 G) of the lightest frosting on top of the cake. Using the offset spatula, spread the frosting in an even layer across the top, starting from the center and working toward the outer edge. Cover the sides of the cake with frosting, working from top to bottom down the sides. Remove and reserve any excess frosting. Holding a bench scraper against the side of the cake, slowly spin the turntable to help spread the frosting into a thin "naked" layer. Remove excess frosting from the bench scraper as necessary. Refrigerate the cake for 20 minutes, until the frosting is set.
• To create the ombre effect, heap the remaining light frosting on top of the cake. Smooth over the top and push just over the sides, about 1 inch (2 ½ cm) down. Pipe the medium frosting along the middle 2 inches (5 cm) of the cake. Pipe the darkest frosting along the bottom 2 inches (5 cm) of the cake. Holding a bench scraper against the side of the cake, slowly spin the turntable to help smooth the frosting, wiping away the excess. Smooth the top and sides.
• Heap the raspberries on top of the cake.
• Slice and serve.
• Enjoy!

NEAPOLITAN SWISS ROLL RECIPE BY TASTY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C).
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until light yellow and frothy. Add the water, oil, cake mix, sour cream, and stir until combined.
• Separate the batter into three bowls. Add the cocoa powder to one of the bowls of batter, and stir until combined. Pour the chocolate batter into a piping bag, cut off the tip off of the piping bag.
• Add the strawberry gelatin powder to one of the bowls of batter, and stir until combined. Pour the strawberry batter into a piping bag, cut off the tip off of the piping bag.
• Pour the rest of the vanilla batter into a piping bag, cut off the tip off of the piping bag.
• Pipe the strawberry onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, starting in the upper left corner. Pipe 3 1-inch (2 cm) lines of batter diagonally across the pan, beginning with the strawberry, following with the chocolate, then the vanilla. Continue this pattern until you have filled the entire baking sheet. Tap pan on the counter 3 times to release any air bubbles.
• Bake for 7 minutes.
• While warm, flip cake carefully onto a large dish towel. While still warm, roll with the towel tightly but carefully. Set aside to cool for at least 30 minutes.
• Unroll the cake carefully, and peel away the parchment paper.
• Spread the vanilla frosting evenly on the cake.
• Gently roll the cake up making sure not to roll too tight or the frosting will come out of the sides of the cake roll.
• Enjoy!