Ingredients

• 400g Unsalted Butter
• 30g Dark Chocolate
• 20g Pistachios
• 330g All Purpose Flour
• 495g Caster Sugar
• 270g Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• ¾ teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 270g Water
• 1 ½ teaspoons Instant coffee
• 3 Eggs
• 270g Buttermilk
• 90g Vegetable Oil
• 3 ½ teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 300g Icing Sugar
• 100g Cocoa Powder
• 3 tablespoons Milk
• Salt as needed
• 2 Egg Whites
• ¼ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
• ½ teaspoon Green Food Colouring
• Sprinkles as needed
• Edible Food Colouring Dust as needed
• 30g Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
• Green Food Colouring as needed
• Edible Gold Dust Powder as needed

Tools

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

Method

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

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