Chocolate Stump Cake (Video and Step by Step Pictures)

This chocolate stump cake can impress even the most pretentious guests. It is the perfect dessert for the Holidays. You don’t have to be an experienced baker to make that cake. No need of special skills and precise piping. You actually want your cake to look rough, so it resembles a stump. This cake is vertical, and you need to bake only one layer. This is so much better than to use multiple cake pans or to have to cut one thick cake layer to thinner ones. To make the whole process easier for you I’ve made a video and I took some step by step pictures.

Helpful Tips

The Chocolate stump cake doesn’t need baking powder or baking soda. To make the cake light and fluffy I use the leavening power of eggs. You have to beat your egg whites and egg yolks very well. First, you beat them separately and then combine them carefully with folding motions.

It is very important to sift the flour when you add it to the batter. This will prevent lumps and it will help with creating light and fluffy cake.

Making Chocolate Ganache

To make the chocolate ganache add 2 cups of chocolate chips and 1 cup of heavy whipping cream to a bowl. You can prepare ganache in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Microwave Method

Put the chocolate and cream in a microwave save bowl and heat it for 30 seconds. Then stir well and heat for another 30 seconds. Repeat the process by stirring between each heating cycle until the chocolate is melted. Be careful not to burn the chocolate. Do not allow the cream to start boiling.

Stovetop Method

Create a double boiler by putting the bowl with the cream and the chocolate over a pot with simmering water. Stir the chocolate and cream slowly until the chocolate is melted.

You need to make two creams for this cake. Both of them use ganache. One cream is used for the inside and outside of the cake ant the other one is added to the sides of the cake to create the bark of the stump. The mascarpone cream have to be chilled before you apply it. Also, for best results, the cake itself needs to be chilled overnight.

Print Recipe

Chocolate Stump Cake

Course: Dessert

Keyword: Christmas cake, Christmas log cake, Srump cake

Ingredients

For the sheet cake
5 large eggs
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup all purpose flour
For the Chocolate Ganache
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups milk chocolate chips
For the cream inside of the cake
2 cups heavy whipping cream
½ of the ganache
For the cream that looks like a tree bark
8 oz Mascarpone
½ of the ganache

Instructions

Preheat oven to 355F.
Separate the egg yolks form the egg whites in two different bowls.
Add the ¼ cup of sugar to the egg yolks and beat them with a mixer until all the sugar is dissolved.
Then beat the egg whites until you have stiff peaks.
Add the egg yolks to the egg whites and fold them in carefully.
Sift ¼ cup of flour in the bowl with the eggs. Fold and mix carefully until the flour is incorporated.
Line a baking sheet (14x20in) with parchment paper. Transfer the mixture in the pan. Using a spoon form a rectangle (about 10x12in). It doesn’t have to be perfect.
Bake the dough for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool down the cake layer for 10 minutes. Place it on another sheet of parchment paper and carefully peel off the parchment paper it was baked on.
To make the chocolate ganache melt 2 cups of milk chocolate chips with one cup of heavy whipping cream. Read the blog post where I described two methods of making ganache.
Allow the ganache to cool down slightly and divide in two. Mix one half of the ganache with the mascarpone until you get a smooth cream. You can do this by hand. Refrigerate this cream until you need it.
To make the other cream add two cups of heavy whipping cream in a bowl and start mixing (using a mixer) on high. While mixing, gradually add the rest of the ganache to the heavy cream. Beat the cream with the ganache until it thickness and forms stiff peaks.
Apply a layer of cream (heavy cream+ganache) on top of the baked cake layer.
Cut the layer to 5 horizontal stripes. They have to be about the same size, but no need to be perfect.
Roll the first stripe to a tight roll and place it (standing up) in the middle of a large plate. Then roll the rest of the stripes around the first one to resemble a sump. Refer to the video!
Cover the cake with a layer of cream (heavy cream with ganache) and put in the fridge for an hour.
Finally, apply the cold mascarpone cream on the sides of the cake. Using a fork create the lines on the bark of the stump. Look at the video.
Cool the cake overnight.