Woodland Stump Cake Recipes

MERINGUE MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 225F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• Place the egg whites and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer, and with the whisk attachment, mix on high speed until foamy.
• Slowly add the sugar and whip until stiff, glossy peaks form.
• Add the vanilla extract and beat to combine.
• Transfer the meringue to a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2" tip (Wilton 1A). Pipe mushroom tops, about 1/2" to 1 1/2" diameter, leaving about an inch apart between them.
• Put a little bit of water into a small bowl. Using a clean finger, dip your finger in the water, wiping off the excess, and gently tap down the peaked tops of the mushroom tops.
• Pipe the mushroom stems by holding the piping bag directly above the parchment, about 1/2" or so from the parchment. Apply pressure to pipe a thicker base with a tapered, thinner top in a variety of sizes. It's best to pipe these as straight up and down as possible to keep them from falling over when baking.
• Using a fine sieve, sift the natural cocoa powder on top on the mushroom tops. Sift as little or as much cocoa powder as you would like.
• Bake the meringue mushrooms for about 60-75 minutes until the meringue is dry to the touch, and can be easily removed from the parchment. I start checking the meringues every so often about 50 minutes into baking. Let the meringues cool completely.
• Fill a small piping bag with melted chocolate. Cut off the tip of the piping bag. You are going to need just a small amount of chocolate per mushroom.
• Using a small paring knife, make a small hole in center of flat side of each mushroom top. Pipe a little bit of chocolate into the hole and fit the smaller end of meringue stem into hole. Let the chocolate harden before decorating with the mushrooms.

THE BEST TREE STUMP CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and line a 16x22 inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt.
• Beat eggs and sugar on high for 5 minutes or until light, fluffy and pale yellow in color. Reduce the mixing speed to medium/low and add vanilla extract and buttermilk. Mix for a minute for the ingredients to blend well. The batter will be a little thin and that's what you actually want.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and add in the prepped dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt) into the egg mixture, 1/2 cup at a time. Using a hand whisk, gently mix in the dry ingredients with each addition, trying not to deflate air pockets as much as possible.
• Transfer the batter into the earlier greased 16x22 inch baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 350 F (180 C) for 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven. Allow the cake sponge to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before transferring it from the baking sheet onto a cooling rack.
• Make another batch of this sheet cake sponge using the same ingredients for this cake.
• Cool both sheet cake sponges completely before frosting.
• While the cake sponges are cooling, make the frosting.
• First, you will need to make the chocolate ganache (my favorite NO FAIL recipe) and cool completely before proceeding with the rest of the frosting instructions.
• Start by beating softened butter until creamy and smooth. Add softened cream cheese and beat again until both are well combined.
• Then add cooled chocolate ganache and mix until well combined, for a minute or so. Scrape down the cream off the sides of the mixer bowl halfway through.
• Mix in cocoa powder and then add powdered sugar, half a cup at a time. Once the powdered sugar is well blended in, increase the mixing speed to high and beat for a minute.
• NOTE: This entire batch of frosting is for the inside of the cake only. You will need to make another batch of this frosting recipe to decorate the top and the sides of the cake later on after the cake sets for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
• You should have your 2 sheets of 16x22 cake sponges cooled completely before frosting them.
• Split each sheet cake sponge in half vertically to have four 7x20 inch cake sponges (even though the photo below is showing just one sheet).
• Using a half-cup ice cream scoop, add 4 scoops of frosting to each of the 4 strips of sponge cake.
• Using a cake spatula spread out the frosting evenly over all 4 strips of cake sponges. (The image below shows only one sheet cake sponge, repeat the same frosting steps with the second sheet).
• This is a tricky and very important step. Start rolling the first strip like you would roll a regular cake roll. Firmly roll the sponge while at the same time focusing on preventing the cake sponges from breaking. Add the next strip by lining it up the short sides next to each other as soon after the previous one ends.
• Use the parchment paper for stability to help hold the roll together during the rolling process so that it does not unroll. Use all 4 strips of sheet cake sponges as one continuous long roll. When rolling up the last strip leave the parchment paper on and wrap additional strips of parchment paper (the ones you baked the cakes on) around the entire perimeter to hold this cake in place.
• Flip the cake log upright. You will need an assistant to hold both ends of the parchment paper snug around the cake, while you secure the parchment papers together by taping a long strip of 2" wide clear scotch tape over the parchment paper all the way around the cake.
• If you have some frosting left (usually a cup or so), use it up by spread it over the top of the cake. Then refrigerate the cake for 4 hours or overnight (my preference).
• Make the Frosted Cranberries the night before to give them time to dry and be ready for decorating the cake the next day.
• The next day I start by making another batch of the frosting. Once the frosting is done, cut the clear tape and peel the parchment paper off the cake. The cake should be set, firm, and stable at this point. It is ready to be decorated.
• Add about one and a half cup more of the frosting on top of the cake. Spread it out evenly. Then using a cake spatula, make the swirl design.
• Then fit a piping bag with a Wilton 1M attachment and fill with chocolate buttercream. First, pipe rose shape spread out randomly all around the cake. Then pipe vertical strips of cream in between the rose-shaped design starting from the base of the case to the top around the perimeter to represent the bark of the tree.
• Decorate the cake with fresh pine tree stems and frosted cranberries. You may also decorate the cake with meringue mushrooms (using this meringue cookies recipe) or however you like.
• Place the cake into the fridge for a couple more hours.
• Just before serving the cake sprinkle some powdered sugar to resemble the snow.
• If you like to see nice and clean slices of cake as I do, it is important to know a few tips that will deliver that satisfying look for you. Slicing the cake with a warmed clean knife will turn out each and every slice of the cake clean and beautiful.
• Place a long knife into a tall cup filled with hot water for 15 seconds or so. Remove the knife from the water and dry it using a paper towel. The hot knife will melt away stickiness and cleanly slice through the layers if you cut only in one downward direction, and pull the knife out at the base of the cake.
• Repeat the same instruction each time you make a slice and you've got a drool-worthy presentation with each slice of this deliciousness you worked so hard on. Happy slicing and eating!
• Enjoy with a cup of hot tea or latte!

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!

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.