Evergreen Yule Log Confection from the Black Forest
Let's get cooking, my friends! Today we're gonna make an incredible Black Forest Yule Stump Cake, a dessert that'll knock 'em dead at your next holiday soiree. This bad boy combines the rich flavors of a Black Forest cake with the festive appearance of a Yule log and the whimsy of meringue mushrooms. Here's a step-by-step guide to creating this show-stopper.
Gather Your Goodies:- For the Black Forest Cake: - 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting - 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar - 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda - 1/2 teaspoon fine salt - 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), at room temperature, plus extra for greasing - 3 large eggs, at room temperature - 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature - 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract - 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped - Dark sweet cherries in heavy syrup - Kirsch or cherry-flavored liqueur - Freshly squeezed lemon juice
- For the Whipped Cream Filling:
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 cup cold heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the Meringue Mushrooms:
- Recipe for meringue mushrooms (we recommend Anna Olson's recipe)
- Special Stuff:
- Pastry brush
- 2 (8-inch) round cake pans
- Parchment paper
The Plan:You can prepare the cake layers up to 1 day in advance. Just wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. You can also prepare the entire cake up to 1 day in advance, refrigerate it, and let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before serving.
- Serves: 8 to 10
- Difficulty: Hard
- Time: 3 hours
Into the Oven We Go:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with parchment paper. Grease the parchment and pans.
- Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Remove from heat, add chocolate, and cocoa. Whisk until smooth and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, starting the mixer after each addition and letting each egg incorporate fully before adding the next.
- Add sour cream, vanilla, and a third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed just until the flour is incorporated. Add half of the cooled chocolate mixture and mix until just incorporated. Continue with the remaining flour and chocolate, mixing until all ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 15 minutes, rotating from left to right. Continue baking until the cake edges slightly pull away from the pans and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few crumbs, about 14 to 15 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven, cool for 45 minutes, remove from the pans, flip, and let cool completely.
Time for Cherries and Cream:1. Place cherries and syrup through a strainer over a small saucepan. Reserve cherries and syrup separately.2. Reduce the syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it's reduced to 1/3 cup, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in kirsch and lemon juice, and let cool completely.3. Make the whipped cream filling by combining sugar, cornstarch, and 1/4 cup cream in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it boils, lumps and all. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, and cool completely. Whip the remaining cream in the bowl of a stand mixer, gradually adding the cooled cornstarch mixture until stiff peaks form.
Assembly:1. Trim the top of each cooled cake layer to expose the interior. Poke holes in each layer with a skewer. Brush each layer with half of the reserved cherry syrup.2. Place one layer cut-side up on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread half of the whipped cream over the top, leaving a 3/4-inch border. Scatter half of the cherries over the cream. Dollop the remaining whipped cream on top of the cherries and spread evenly, again leaving a 3/4-inch border.3. Place the second layer cut-side up on top of the whipped cream and press down gently. Brush the top and sides with the remaining cherry syrup. Frost the cake with bittersweet chocolate frosting.4. Create a tree-stump effect by making shallow vertical lines in the frosting with the tip of an offset spatula. Use a table knife to make deeper, thinner lines. Draw concentric circles on top of the cake with the tines of a fork.5. Decorate with fresh rosemary branches, cranberries, and meringue mushrooms. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day before serving. If refrigerated, let the cake sit at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.
Enjoy this stunning twist on the classic European yule log, now infused with the flavors of Black Forest cake!
- For an added touch to the dessert, consider preparing meringue mushrooms alongside Anna Olson's recipe, a suitable choice for the Meringue Mushrooms branch in our recipe.
- As per the instructions, combine cherries and their heavy syrup in a strainer over a small saucepan, and reserve the cherries and syrup separately for later use.
- After reducing the syrup to 1/3 cup, add kirsch and freshly squeezed lemon juice, then let it cool completely before proceeding with the instructions.
- To ensure a smooth and visually appealing Black Forest Yule Stump Cake, make sure to add the bittersweet chocolate frosting once all other components are assembled, following the assembly instructions carefully.
