Mulled Wine Stump de Noel Cake

This Stump de Noel Cake looks foraged from a forest, but it’s assembled in your kitchen! Mulled wine is a holiday favorite and infuses the cake layers in this festive holiday stump cake.

Stump de Noel Cake

Stump de Noël is just as festive as the Bûche de Noël, but a little easier to make; the former is a frosted layer cake and the latter is a sponge roll. Sponge rolls can be daunting if you’ve never attempted one (I have a step-by-step guide from years ago here), so I can see the appeal of the ol’ stump cake. The organic nature of Stump de Noël excuses a multitude of sins. If your cake leans to one side, that’s okay. Trees do not grow perfectly straight. Frosting uneven? Well, tree bark isn’t even, either.

Stump de Noel Cake

A short aside.

I have two friends who are absolutely inspiring and brave and are willing to follow their dreams wherever they may lead. My friend Matt Tackett is a talented woodworker, and he and his wife Amy opened an art gallery in London, Kentucky. He sent me a beautiful two-tier cake stand (or display, is a better word) made of spalted maple. It is just perfect for this cake.

Easy steps.

I hope the step photos above will help those attempting their own version; the process if fairly simple. First, fill and stack the cakes. Then, cover the cake in frosting and make striations in the frosting with an offset spatula. When the cake looks good around the edges, create a spiral on top of the cake using the tip of an offset spatula. I think the cake looks pretty good at this stage!

Hand-making mushrooms.

The only specialty decorating element I used for this cake was gum paste. You can find it at most any craft store that stocks baking supplies. Just roll out a bit of the paste to 1/4 inch and cut a few sizes of circles (mine were 2.5-ish inches and smaller). Pinch the edges of the circles thinner with your fingers so they look slightly frilled and jagged, and then dust them with cocoa powder. Smudge the powder with your fingers and then allow them to dry until they are rigid.

Stump de Noel Cake

I sprinkled ground pistachios around the cake and pressed some onto the sides of the cake to mimic moss. I think looks fairly authentic. When the gum paste ‘mushrooms’ are dry, you can press them into the sides of the cake. I used a small knife to make slits in the sides of the cake so the mushrooms would meet little resistance when I pushed them in – gum paste can be delicate!

I made some glittering cranberries for garnish. You can find the instructions to make those here, along with a fantastic orange chiffon cake recipe.

The two mushrooms on top were made of more gum paste. I just shaped some of the paste around a lollipop stick, and then affixed the ‘mushroom cap’ with a dot of corn syrup. After that, I lightly brushed them with cocoa powder and painted the tops with food color diluted in clear vanilla extract.

Glasses of mulled wine are pretty served alongside this cake.

Stump de Noel Cake

I dusted the entire cake with some snow (powdered sugar) and that provided a bit of wintry atmosphere.

Stump de Noel Cake

The black cherry buttercream provides a tart contrast to the lightly spiced chocolate cake layers. I really enjoyed making this cake – and eating it! I hope you do too.

Mulled Wine Chocolate Cake with Black Cherry Buttercream Filling

Heather Baird
Stump de Noël is just as festive as the Bûche de Noël, but perhaps a little easier to make. It has delicious mulled wine flavor infused into the chocolate cake layers and it's filled with black cherry buttercream.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12

Ingredients
 
 

Chocolate cake

  • 3 ounces semisweet chocolate chopped
  • 5 ounces unsweet chocolate chopped
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 1/4 cups cake flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup red wine heated until steaming (not boiling)

Black cherry buttercream

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 2/3 cup black cherry preserves I like Hero brand
  • 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 1 drop red food color optional

Chocolate frosting

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1/2 cup unsweet natural cocoa powder
  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 ounces semisweet chocolate melted and cooled slightly

Instructions
 

  • Make the cake layers: Coat three 8-inch round cake pans with flour-based baking spray (such as Baker’s Joy brand), or grease and flour the pans.
  • Melt both chocolates in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth; set aside.
  • Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla.
  • Sift together flour and next 6 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating at low speed just until blended, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in steaming red wine. The batter will thin with this addition. Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans.
  • Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
  • Make the black cherry buttercream: Beat the butter in an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in the preserves and whip until well combined. Beat in the powdered sugar. The frosting should be a pinkish-mauve, to intensify the color add a small amount of red food color. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy.
  • Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread top with half of the black cherry buttercream (which is no shy amount, by the way). Top with second cake layer; spread top with second half of black cherry buttercream. Top with remaining cake layer.
  • Make the chocolate frosting: Beat the butter in an electric mixer until creamy. Sift in the cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add in the melted chocolate and beat until well combined.
  • Cover the entire cake with the chocolate frosting. The frosting will darken as it stands. Store the cake covered in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.
  • To make the Stump de Noel, add 1/2 cup ground pistachios, 1/2 cup whole cranberries and cake decorator’s gum paste to your grocery list. Follow the directions and step photos as outlined in the blog post.
Keyword black cherry buttercream, chocolate frosting, mulled wine chocolte cake
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Ellie
Ellie
8 years ago

Your mushrooms are so incredibly lifelike and gorgeous that I wasn't sure they weren't real mushrooms. This is a work of art (and so is the beautiful cutting board). Good luck to Matt and Amy!

carolg
carolg
8 years ago

I think this is my year for a Buche de Noel…. Thanks for this fabulous giveaway.

carolg
carolg
8 years ago

Love ALL of it, but the walnut cheeseboard ….. Swoon….. How gorgeous with a charcuterie appetizer. Now my mouth is watering for prosciutto….. And cake…..

Roxana
Roxana
8 years ago

Oh. My. Gosh. This is the most amazing, gorgeous Buche de Noel I've ever laid eyes on! I am awestruck! And the fact that it's got mulled wine in it, and that black cherry buttercream?! Genius!

Unknown
Unknown
8 years ago

Amazing work, as always. And I think the board would be wonderful for a cheese plate!

Unknown
Unknown
8 years ago

I went to Matt's etsy, and I love the chopping block cart. Perfect for a kitchen without much counter space.

We Are Not Martha
We Are Not Martha
8 years ago

What a stunning cake! I've always wanted to make a Buche de Noel, but I'm nervous!

Sues

Unknown
Unknown
8 years ago

I would serve an extra special cheese platter with fancy cheeses, marcona almonds, and fig jam! Such lovely craftsmanship!

Unknown
Unknown
8 years ago

The question is not what would I prepare on that b-e-a-utiful cutting board, the question is what would I NOT prepare? Obviously it is well suited for chopping vegetables for a scrumptious teriyaki stir fry, and dicing onions for a thick and smokey barbecue sauce…but imagine how it would sing under a finely honed serrated edge and a crusty loaf of sourdough bread!

Unknown
Unknown
8 years ago

I would serve flatbread slices on it as an appetizer. Beautiful.

Unknown
Unknown
8 years ago

I would also love to have his KY Coffee Tree 4 Compartment Jewelry Box.

June Burns
June Burns
8 years ago

What a gorgeous and perfectly seasonal cake! Love the mulled wine flavor, too. And all the decorations–makes it look like a log out of a fairy tale forest! 🙂

Brooke Johnson
Brooke Johnson
8 years ago

Such a gorgeous looking cake, and an absolutely amazing cutting board. If I happened to win this, I'd be giving it to my dad as a gift this Christmas. So I can only hope he'll be using it to make my favorite side dish, which is this creamy corn with roasted red peppers and bacon jazz. So yummy 🙂

Bianca
Bianca
8 years ago

i would serve a mountain of christmas cookies on it!!

Bianca
Bianca
8 years ago

i love the Walnut Entryway Table!

Jen L
Jen L
8 years ago

Would serve a cheese platter when we have friends over

Brooke Johnson
Brooke Johnson
8 years ago

I really loved the cutting board with these dimensions. The patterns look amazing.

9 3/4* 8 3/4* 3/4* 🙂 Thanks so much!

Jen L
Jen L
8 years ago

I would love the walnut side table in my living room!

Christina @ ovenadventures
Christina @ ovenadventures
8 years ago

First this cake is the amazing. You make it sound so easy. Your artistry is beyond fabulous. That cutting board would be perfect with my bacon wrapped puff pastry twists!

DC
DC
8 years ago

I would serve various cheeses on this board! It's gorgeous!

eyo
eyo
8 years ago

I'd use it as a bread and cheese board

eyo
eyo
8 years ago

The cheeseboard on his site also looks nice

Debby
Debby
8 years ago

Amazing cake! I would serve all kinds of things on the cutting board, like a cheese platter, appetizers, or desserts.

Debby
Debby
8 years ago

Would love to have Matt's entry table. His work is beautiful!

Unknown
Unknown
8 years ago

That board is beautiful! I'd love to serve chocolate-covered strawberries on it.

Shannon P
Shannon P
8 years ago

I love this cake…for some reason I like it so much more than a regular buche de Noel! I think I would have to put some kind of dessert or appetizer on it.

Unknown
Unknown
8 years ago

Loving the coffee tree 4-compartment jewelry box on Matt's site. So beautiful!

Amazed at the detail on those mushrooms, as well. They look real!

Unknown
Unknown
8 years ago

I would serve a hummus plater with many tasty foods. Love the board.

kat
kat
8 years ago

That is the most gorgeous cutting board I've ever seen. I would serve a cheese plate with sugared cranberries and dried apricots on it, and then follow that up with a display of my hand dipped chocolates. The varied colors of wood would look so great with a mix of milk and dark chocolates.

kat
kat
8 years ago

I also really love the organic shape of the cutting board with rounded edges. The spalled wood cake tier is perfect with this cake. Your creations are always so beautiful and inspiring. I am loving the baked treats advent!

Shanna
Shanna
8 years ago

I love that cake and the cutting board! It would look great on my countertops as well as being put to good use in my kitchen!

Kelly L.
Kelly L.
8 years ago

I'd serve cookies and milk for Santa

Heather Baird
Heather Baird
8 years ago
Reply to  Kelly L.

Hehe. I love your answer.

Unknown
Unknown
8 years ago

I love the cutting board–I would serve bread on it!

Unknown
Unknown
8 years ago

I would love anything from his site! The table is amazing!!

Emilie May
Emilie May
8 years ago

I would serve cinnamon star bread (featured on King Arthur Flour website). It would look amazing on such a beautiful board.

Emilie May
Emilie May
8 years ago

I love his end grain chopping block. The contrast of the woods is beautiful.

Unknown
Unknown
8 years ago

What wouldn't I serve on this beautiful board! Cake, cookies, drinks, appetizers! Thank you

Erin M.
Erin M.
8 years ago

I would put an assortment of cookies on it!

Unknown
Unknown
8 years ago

I would put mini almond decorated pine cone cheese balls placed on a bed of herbs, love your mushrooms on this cake!

Unknown
Unknown
8 years ago

His work is lovely! I love making Bûche de Noël at Christmastime – its such a beautiful cake! My cutting board just broke, so I would use this for everything…

Medeja- CranberryJam
Medeja- CranberryJam
8 years ago

Wow! This cake looks just stunning!

Julianne McCahill
Julianne McCahill
8 years ago

My Christmas cheese puffs!!

Julianne McCahill
Julianne McCahill
8 years ago
grace
grace
8 years ago

that seems like a good excuse to go to kentucky! i don't think i'd be able to serve anything on something so beautiful–display purposes only! 🙂

grace
grace
8 years ago

the jewelry box with four compartments is beautiful!

Amy Tackett
Amy Tackett
8 years ago

Thank you so much Heather! We are so proud of you as well! You are an inspiration! Thanks for all the kind words and happy thoughts! If anyone has any questions about any products feel free to contact us. You can also visit our website at http://www.ridgerunnerwoodworks.com There's a few new items on the website not yet on ETSY. Thanks for supporting those who have a passion to create!

Unknown
Unknown
8 years ago

wow! both the cake and cutting board are beautiful! I've yet to make a cheese plate but with that beautiful thing I totally would!

Unknown
Unknown
8 years ago

So I was focused on your Dome Cake and then you come out with this one!! Decisions. If I had one of those cutting boards, I would serve my goat cheese/ricotta/roasted tomato bruscettas on top. Everyone loves those and they would look so pretty on the board

Kaylin@EnticingHealthyEating
Kaylin@EnticingHealthyEating
8 years ago

Love the cutting boards. I'd use them to serve some game day snacks on. In a more upscale manner.

Anonymous
Anonymous
8 years ago

I would serve the most 'upscale' cheese platter a 22 year old has ever laid eyes on! All Trader Joe's cheese, of course… plus copious amounts of wine.