Festive Forest Cake

For the full experience, make this recipe with the Kenwood Recipes app.

recipe by Kenwood https://kenwoodworld.com/

  • Time icon
    Total Time
    2hrs 40mins
  • Serves icon
    Serves
    12
  • Calories icon
    Calories
    807
based on 6 ratings

A festive chocolate log cake decorated with meringue fir trees and toadstools, sprinkled with some coloured desiccated coconut and chopped green pistachios then dusted with edible gold dust and icing sugar for that frosty 'winter in the forest' look. A stunning Christmas showstopper cake which is fun to make and decorate with children.

recipe updated Oct 18, 2023

Ingredients

  • Unsalted butter icon
    Unsalted butter
    400 g
  • Dark chocolate icon
    Dark chocolate
    30 g
  • Pistachios icon
    Pistachios
    20 g
  • All purpose flour icon
    All purpose flour
    330 g
  • Caster sugar icon
    Caster sugar
    495 g
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder icon
    Unsweetened cocoa powder
    270 g
  • Baking soda icon
    Baking soda
    ¾ teaspoon
  • Baking powder icon
    Baking powder
    1 ½ teaspoons
  • Salt icon
    Salt
    1 teaspoon
  • Water icon
    Water
    270 g
  • Instant coffee icon
    Instant coffee
    1 ½ teaspoons
  • Egg icon
    Egg
    3
  • Buttermilk icon
    Buttermilk
    270 g
  • Vegetable oil icon
    Vegetable oil
    90 g
  • Vanilla extract icon
    Vanilla extract
    3 ½ teaspoons
  • Icing sugar icon
    Icing sugar
    300 g
  • Cocoa powder icon
    Cocoa powder
    100 g
  • Milk icon
    Milk
    3 tablespoons
  • Salt icon
    Salt
    as needed
  • Egg white icon
    Egg white
    2
  • Cream of tartar icon
    Cream of tartar
    ¼ teaspoon
  • Green food coloring icon
    Green food coloring
    ½ teaspoon
  • Sprinkles icon
    Sprinkles
    as needed
  • Edible food coloring dust icon
    Edible food coloring dust
    as needed
  • Unsweetened shredded coconut icon
    Unsweetened shredded coconut
    30 g
  • Green food coloring icon
    Green food coloring
    as needed
  • Edible gold dust powder icon
    Edible gold dust powder
    as needed

Tools

  • kCook icon Oven
  • kCook icon Parchment paper
  • kCook icon Cooling rack
  • kCook icon Chef Patissier XL
  • kCook icon Round pan - 20cm (8")
  • kCook icon Easywarm bowl
  • kCook icon Medium bowl
  • kCook icon Cake board - 25cm (10")
  • kCook icon Baking tray - large
  • kCook icon Piping bag
  • kCook icon Baking tray - large
  • kCook icon Serving plate
  • kCook icon Small bowl

Step preview

  1. Pre-heat oven - 150°C
  2. Grease and line 3 clean round pans with parchment paper
  3. Attach Creaming beater
  4. Add all purpose flour, caster sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt to the EasyWarm Bowl
  5. Mix with splashguard fitted until combined - 30 sec, Speed Min
  6. Add water and instant coffee to a clean medium bowl
  7. Stir until dissolved
  8. Transfer content of medium bowl to EasyWarm Bowl
  9. Add egg, buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract to the EasyWarm Bowl
  10. Mix with splashguard fitted then scrape bowl - 1 min, Speed 2
  11. Mix with splashguard fitted - 20 sec, Speed 2
  12. Divide mixture between 3 round pans
  13. Bake until skewer tests clean - 30 min, 150°C
  14. Remove from oven and let cool - 10 min
  15. Transfer onto cooling rack until completely cool
  16. Clean EasyWarm Bowl
  17. Attach Creaming beater
  18. Add unsalted butter, icing sugar, cocoa powder, milk, vanilla extract and salt to the EasyWarm Bowl
  19. Mix with splashguard fitted - 2 min, Speed 3
  20. Trim the cooled sponge layers with a cake leveler or use a bread knife
  21. Place one sponge on cake board
  22. Transfer some of the buttercream to sponge
  23. Top with another sponge layer and spread with the buttercream
  24. Place the final sponge layer on top
  25. Coat the outside of the cake with a thin layer of buttercream
  26. Reserve the remaining buttercream for the final layer
  27. Chill in fridge until set - 30 min
  28. Once set, cover the sides and the top of the cake with the remaining buttercream
  29. Use a cocktail stick or skewer to create the bark texture effect on the sides of the cake
  30. Refrigerate until needed
  31. Pre-heat oven - 100°C
  32. Line a clean baking tray with parchment paper
  33. Clean EasyWarm Bowl
  34. Attach Whisk
  35. Add egg white and cream of tartar to the EasyWarm Bowl
  36. Mix with splashguard fitted until stiff peaks form - 5 min, Speed Max
  37. Add caster sugar to the EasyWarm Bowl gradually while machine is running
  38. Mix with splashguard fitted until glossy - 3 min, Speed Max
  39. Transfer one third of the meringue into a piping bag
  40. Cut the end of the piping bag, leaving a small 1cm opening
  41. Pipe 5-10 toadstool stalks and caps onto the prepared baking tray
  42. Add green food coloring to the EasyWarm Bowl
  43. Mix with splashguard fitted until combined - 30 sec, Speed Max
  44. Transfer meringue to piping bag
  45. Line a clean baking tray with parchment paper
  46. Use a triangle template to use as a rough guide to create three trees of varying sizes
  47. Pipe meringue onto baking tray
  48. Decorate with sprinkles
  49. Place both baking trays, containing the meringue toadstools and tree in the oven
  50. Bake - 1 hr 30 min, 100°C
  51. Let cool completely in the oven with the oven door left ajar
  52. Remove from oven
  53. Retrieve the baking tray containing the toadstools
  54. Brush with dark chocolate
  55. Dust with edible food coloring dust
  56. Place cake on serving plate
  57. Add unsweetened shredded coconut and green food coloring to a clean small bowl
  58. Stir until combined
  59. Sprinkle a little of the coloured coconut on top of the cake
  60. Sprinkle with pistachios
  61. Place three of the meringue trees on top of the cake
  62. Add some of the toadstools to the top and the side of the cake
  63. Dust with edible gold dust powder
  64. Serve
Open in app

With the Kenwood World app and a connected kCook Multi, you can create this dish in your own kitchen with ease.

Find out more Open in app