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Tree Stump Cake (Easy Woodland Christmas Cake)

Woodland tree stump cake with meringue mushrooms on a serving plate.
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Woodland tree stump cake is a perfect Christmas dessert. It's made with vertical cake layers, whipped cream, and chocolate ganache frosting, and decorated with a captivating design resembling actual tree bark.

Ingredients

Scale

For sponge cake roll:

  • 5 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 sachet (4.5 g) vanilla sugar
  • 2/3 cup + 2 1/2 tablespoons (62 g) cake flour
  • 2.5 tablespoons (20 g) cocoa powder
  • 2 1/3 tablespoons (35 g) whole milk
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons (20 g) unsalted butter

For whipped cream:

  • 1 1/3 cups (320 g) cold heavy cream, 30% fat
  • 4 tablespoons (30 g) icing (powdered) sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (40 g) sweetened condensed milk

For chocolate ganache:

  • 8.1 oz. (230 g) dark chocolate, 70% cocoa
  • 1 stick (113 g) unsalted butter, softened

For decoration:

  • 5-10 meringue mushrooms
  • 1 oz. (30 g) chopped pistachio kernels
  • edible moss
  • sugared cranberries
  • fresh rosemary sprigs
  • icing (powdered) sugar

Instructions

  1. Prepare a silicone 12 x 16 inch (30 x 40 cm) non-spill baking sheet or a large baking tray lined with parchment paper.
  2. To make a chocolate sponge cake, preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C). Mix cake flour and cocoa powder by sifting them into a large bowl, then set aside.
  3. Pour the milk into a small bowl and add the butter. Place the bowl over a larger container filled with hot water, and let the liquids reach 122-150°F (50-60°C) using a cooking thermometer to check.
  4. Place whole eggs, vanilla, and granulated sugar in a heat-proof bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer and beat a few times with a hand whisk.
  5. Bring the bowl over a bain-marie or water bath, and beat with a hand whisk until it reaches 104°F (40°C).
  6. Remove the bowl from the water bath and whip the mixture to perfection in just 6-7 minutes with an electric or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
  7. Reduce the mixer speed once the batter triples in volume, turns whitish, and flows like a thick ribbon from the beaters. Whisk at the lowest speed for 2 minutes to adjust the batter's texture.
  8. Sift the flour mixture over the batter in the bowl, then gently mix with a silicone spatula. Start from the bottom, work your way up, and give the container a gentle counterclockwise turn.
  9. Take two tablespoons of batter and combine it with warm milk and butter in a bowl. Use a spatula to mix everything together.
  10. Return the mixture to the main preparation and mix thoroughly, starting at the bottom and working upwards.
  11. Pour the cake batter into the silicone baking sheet from 8 inches (20 cm) above the pan to remove large air bubbles. Alternatively, spread the batter onto a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make a 12 x 16 inches (30 x 40 cm) rectangle with 1/2 inch (1 cm) thickness.
  12. Use a bent spatula or a dough scraper to smooth the surface, but don't overdo it in the same area.
  13. Bring the baking pan to the oven and immediately lower the oven temperature from 390°F (200°C) to 375°F (190°C). Bake for 10-12 minutes. Don't overbake the cake. Check for doneness with a toothpick: it should come out dry.
  14. Remove the sponge cake from the oven, and while it is hot, flip it onto a clean tea towel dusted generously with icing (powdered) sugar.
  15. Carefully peel off the silicone baking sheet or parchment paper. With a long, serrated knife, trim the cake edges on all sides, aiming for the thinnest possible edge. Cover the cake with a fresh piece of parchment paper.
  16. Roll the cake in parchment paper on the inside and a towel on the outside, and let it cool for just 10 minutes. Then, unroll it and let the cake cool at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes.
  17. To make the sweetened whipped cream, place all the cream ingredients in a cold mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until firm.
  18. To roll the cake, remove the parchment from the top. Cut it into four parts horizontally (along the cake's long edge) to obtain four 7 x 37 cm cake sponges.
  19. Keep the strips close together. Spread the cream in an even layer over four cake strips using an offset spatula.
  20. Start rolling the first strip with your hands, making a tight cake roll's core. Continue rolling and tighten the roll as you go.
  21. Connect the short sides of the roll and the second sponge strip, then roll. Firmly roll the cake, preventing the rolled cake and cream from protruding to one side.
  22. Carefully flip the cake roll upright and place it on a cake board or a serving platter. The spiral ends will become exposed at the top.
  23. Take the third cake layer, join it to the second strip where the second strip ends, and continue rolling. Tighten it and finish rolling the log cake with the fourth cake layer.
  24. To get a tidy vertical cake, use an acetate cake collar to cover the cake sides. Then, wrap the cake with a mousse ring to keep it in place. Adjust the ring for a secure fit. Alternatively, simply cover the sides and the top of the rolled cake with plastic film to prevent it from drying. Refrigerate the cake for at least 3-4 hours or overnight.
  25. To decorate the tree stump cake, first make a chocolate ganache with butter. Chop a dark chocolate bar or use chocolate callets. Alternatively, you can use a food processor to crush the chocolate.
  26. Place chopped chocolate in a small saucepan and bring it over a water bath. Melt the chocolate, stirring with a wooden spoon. Allow the melted chocolate to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
  27. Add softened butter, cut into medium-sized cubes, and whip with an electric mixer until creamy and homogeneous.
  28. Take the rolled cake from the refrigerator, place it on a turntable, peel off the plastic wrap, or remove the cake ring and acetate collar. Spread the chocolate ganache over the cake.
  29. Use a small offset spatula to create a swirl while spinning the cake. Alternatively, use a fork or a toothpick to make lines resembling the tree's rings.
  30. Use a rubber spatula to evenly coat the sides of the cake, working from the bottom to the top. Try to mimic the bark of the tree, making it slightly higher than the tree rings. Use a small offset spatula or a fork to draw the vertical lines around the cake to represent the bark of the tree.
  31. Decorate the top and sides of the tree stump cake with meringue mushrooms, chopped pistachios, sugared cranberries, edible moss, rosemary sprigs, etc. Dust the cake with icing sugar or shredded coconut to give it a snow effect, and serve right away.

Notes

  1. Read about how to roll a cake to master the rolling technique.
  2. If using a jelly roll pan, recalculate the recipe ingredients using this simple cake pan converter. You may need to make two sponge cakes to create the same cake, like in the recipe. 
  3. Create a realistic tree bark effect on chocolate buttercream by attaching chocolate shards instead of using a fork or spatula. You need to stick the chocolate shards onto the chocolate frosting before it has fully set.
  4. If serving the cake later, refrigerate it. However, make sure to bring it to room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving so the chocolate ganache softens.
  5. Cut the cake with a hot, sharp knife: doing so will result in a perfect cake swirl for each plate.
  6. Make-ahead option: Make meringue mushrooms, edible moss, chocolate bark, etc., one or two days ahead. Bake, roll, and wrap the cake in plastic wrap or a mousse cake ring in the fridge overnight. On the day of serving, spread the chocolate ganache and add your decorative touches.
  7. Nutrition is calculated without cake decorations like meringue mushrooms and pistachios.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.bakinglikeachef.com/woodland-tree-stump-cake-tutorial/