Are you ready for another spin on the beloved Tree Stump Cake recipe? In comes the White Birch Tree Stump Cake this time! They are both perfect for Christmas, an outdoor event, or a woodland theme party.
It's a towering stunner of layers and layers of soft and moist vertical chocolate cake sponges, hugged with super delicious and delicate vanilla cream cheese frosting, and small smears of melted dark chocolate that looks just like the distinctive tree bark of a birch tree.
Table of Contents
📋 Recipe Ingredients
White Birch Tree Stump Cake Batter Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Baking powder
- Sea salt
- Cocoa powder (or cacao powder)
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Buttermilk (or Kefir)
- Pure vanilla extract
White Birch Tree Stump Cake Frosting Ingredients
- Cream cheese
- Confectioners' sugar
- Pure vanilla extract
- Heavy whipping cream
- Chocolate chips (to make marks)
Supplies You'll need to Make this Cake
Make the Frosted Cranberries the night before to give them time to dry and be ready for decorating the cake the next day.
🔪 Recipe Instructions
How to Make White Birch Tree Stump Cake Batter
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and line a 16x22 inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, sift and whisk together all dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, and cocoa powder or cacao powder. Set aside until ready for use.
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 room temperature buttermilk (or Kefir).
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, ½ cup at a time.
Using a hand whisk or silicone spatula, gently mix in the dry ingredients with about four addition, trying not to deflate air pockets as much as possible.
⏲️ Baking Time
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.
While the first cake sheet is baking make another batch of this sheet cake sponge using the same ingredients for this cake.
Remove the first baked cake sheet out of the oven and let cool completely before frosting. Repeat the same baking instructions for the second sheet of this cake.
How to Make White Birch Tree Stump Cake Frosting
First, melt chocolate chips (I use the water bath method), and set aside to cool to room temperature before applying onto the frosting.
While the cake sponges are cooling, make the frosting.
Start by beating cream cheese until light and fluffy for a couple of minutes or so. Then add confectioner's sugar and beat well again for a minute or so, scraping down the cream off the sides of the mixer bowl halfway through.
Then add vanilla and salt mix for another minute.
Finally, add cold heavy cream. Start beating the cream slowly on low, then gradually increase the mixing speed to medium. Again, scraping down the cream multiple times to ensure all the ingredients are well incorporated.
NOTE: This entire batch of frosting is for the inside of the cake only. You will need to make another half a 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.
How to Assemble White Birch Tree Stump Cake
You should have your 2 sheets of 14x20 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 5 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 up the short sides next to each other as soon as 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 spreading it over the top of the cake. Then refrigerate the cake for 4 hours or overnight (my preference).
How to Decorate the Tree Strum Cake
The next day I start by making another half of the 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.
Frost the entire cake and using a cake spatula.
Make some cooled and melted chocolate ganache marks using a spoon, and then run a cake icing smoother around the cake once to spread out the chocolate and smooth the cake. This design will represent a white birch stump.
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.
How to Heat a Knife for Perfectly Clean Slices
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!
📖 Recipe Card
White Birch Tree Stump Cake
Ingredients
White Birch Tree Stump Cake Batter Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups – all-purpose flour
- ½ cup – cocoa (or cacao powder)
- ½ tsp. – baking soda
- 1 tsp. – baking powder
- ¼ tsp. – sea salt
- 8 large – eggs (I used home raised chicken eggs)
- 1 ½ cup – granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. – vanilla extract
- 1 cup – buttermilk or Kefir
White Birch Tree Stump Cake Frosting Ingredients
- 16 oz. – cream cheese
- 1 ½ cup – confectioner’s sugar
- ½ tsp. – pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp. – sea salt
- 4 cups – cold heavy whipping cream
- 2 tbsp. - dark chocolate chips
Instructions
How to Make White Birch Tree Stump Cake Batter
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and line a 16x22 inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, sift and whisk together all dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, and cocoa powder or cacao powder. Set aside until ready for use.
- 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 room temperature buttermilk (or Kefir).
- 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, ½ cup at a time.
- Using a hand whisk or silicone spatula, gently mix in the dry ingredients with about four addition, trying not to deflate air pockets as much as possible.
Baking Time
- 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.
- While the first cake sheet is baking make another batch of this sheet cake sponge using the same ingredients for this cake.
- Remove the first baked cake sheet out of the oven and let cool completely before frosting. Repeat the same baking instructions for the second sheet of this cake.
How to Make White Birch Tree Stump Cake Frosting
- First, melt chocolate chips (I use the water bath method), and set it aside to cool to room temperature before applying onto the frosting.
- While the cake sponges are cooling, make the frosting.
- Start by beating cream cheese until light and fluffy for a couple of minutes or so. Then add confectioner's sugar and beat well again for a minute or so, scraping down the cream off the sides of the mixer bowl halfway through.
- Then add vanilla and salt mix for another minute.
- Finally, add cold heavy cream. Start beating the cream slowly on low, then gradually increase the mixing speed to medium. Again, scraping down the cream multiple times to ensure all the ingredients are well incorporated.
How to Assemble White Birch Tree Stump Cake
- You should have your 2 sheets of 14x20 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 5 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 up the short sides next to each other as soon as 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 spreading it over the top of the cake. Then refrigerate the cake for 4 hours or overnight (my preference).
How to Decorate the Tree Strum Cake
- The next day I start by making another half of the 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.
- Frost the entire cake and using a cake spatula.
- Make some cooled and melted chocolate ganache marks using a spoon, and then run a cake icing smoother around the cake once to spread out the chocolate and smooth the cake. This design will represent a white birch stump.
- 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.
How to Heat a Knife for Perfectly Clean Slices
- 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!
Notes
- You need to double this recipe to make this cake - follow the recipe's step-by-step instructions.
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