Name: Tree Stump Moss Cake by Maklano
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 4 h 20 min
Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients: 2 sticks unsalted butter; ½ cup dulce de leche (65 g); 4 cups powdered sugar (440 g); ½ teaspoon kosher salt; 1 box chocolate cake mix, baked according to package instructions into 2 8-inch rounds and cooled completely; 3 large egg whites, room temperature; ¼ teaspoon kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon McCormick® cream of tartar; ¾ cup granulated sugar (150 g); 2 tablespoons water; 1 teaspoon McCormick® vanilla extract; ¼ cup dutch processed cocoa powder (30 g); ¼ cup dark chocolate chip (45 g),melted; ½ cup heavy cream (120 mL); ½ cup dark chocolate chip (85 g); ½ cup shelled pistachios (75 g); 1 tablespoon matcha powder; 1 ½ cups buttercream frosting (210 g); voilet ged food coloring; pink gel food coloring; yellow gel food coloring; avocado gel food coloring; mauve gel food coloring; 7 pipping bags; round piping tip, 1/2 in (1.24 cm); round piping tip, 1 in (2.54 cm); Assorted piping tip for decorating

Ingredients

Dulce de Leche Buttercream

2 sticks unsalted butter
½ cup dulce de leche (65 g)
4 cups powdered sugar (440 g)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 box chocolate cake mix, baked according to package instructions into 2 8-inch rounds and cooled completely

Meringue Mushrooms

3 large egg whites, room temperature
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon McCormick® cream of tartar
¾ cup granulated sugar (150 g)
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon McCormick® vanilla extract
¼ cup dutch processed cocoa powder (30 g)
¼ cup dark chocolate chip (45 g), melted

Chocolate Bark

½ cup heavy cream (120 mL)
½ cup dark chocolate chip (85 g)

Edible Moss

½ cup shelled pistachios (75 g)
1 tablespoon matcha powder

Buttercream Flowers

1 ½ cups buttercream frosting (210 g)
voilet ged food coloring
pink gel food coloring
yellow gel food coloring
avocado gel food coloring
mauve gel food coloring

Special Equipment

7 pipping bags
round piping tip, 1/2 in (1.24 cm)
round piping tip, 1 in (2.54 cm)
Assorted piping tip for decorating

How to Make It

1. Step

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.

2. Step

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.

3. Step

Make the meringue mushrooms: Preheat the oven to 225°F (105°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Step

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.

5. Step

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).

6. Step

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.

7. Step

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.

8. Step

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.

9. Step

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.

10. Step

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.

11. Step

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.

12. Step

Make the chocolate bark: Add the heavy cream to a small stainless steel pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

13. Step

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.

14. Step

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.

15. Step

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.

16. Step

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.

17. Step

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.

18. Step

Place mounds of edible moss on top of and around the cake, then place the mushrooms around the moss.

19. Step

Use the colored frostings to pipe leaves and flowers around the cake.

20. Step

Enjoy!

Tree Stump Moss Cake

Cook Time

Total Time

Yield