How To Make Edible Moss For Cake

Information technology's a cake directly out of a fairy tale! Dulce de leche buttercream and chocolate ganache see pistachios and meringue to create a magical dessert consummate with edible tree bark, mushrooms, and moss. While this recipe takes time and patience, it's sure to bring a sweet ending to any Autumn or Spring commemoration.

March 08, 2021

for 10 servings

2 sticks unsalted butter
½ loving cup dulce de leche ( 65 g )
4 cups powdered sugar ( 440 g )
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 box chocolate cake mix , baked according to package instructions into 2 8-inch rounds and cooled completely

iii large egg whites , room temperature
¼ teaspoon kosher table salt
¼ teaspoon McCormick® cream of tartar
¾ loving cup granulated saccharide ( 150 g )
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon McCormick® vanilla extract
¼ loving cup dutch processed cocoa powder ( 30 g )
¼ cup dark chocolate chip ( 45 1000 ), melted

½ cup heavy cream ( 120 mL )
½ cup dark chocolate bit ( 85 g )

½ cup shelled pistachios ( 75 g )
ane tablespoon matcha pulverization

1 ½ cups Tasty's buttercream frosting ( 210 k )
voilet ged nutrient coloring
pink gel nutrient coloring
yellowish gel food coloring
avocado gel nutrient coloring
mauve gel nutrient coloring

7 pipping bags
round pipe tip , 1/two in (ane.24 cm)
round piping tip , 1 in (2.54 cm)
Assorted piping tip for decorating

Make the dulce de leche buttercream: In a large bowl, cream together the butter and dulce de leche with an electric hand mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Sift in the powdered sugar and salt and mix until the frosting is polish and thick, nearly 3 minutes.
Frost the cakes: Scoop 1 cup of buttercream onto one chocolate cake round and spread evenly across the elevation. Place the second block round on elevation, pressing down gently to secure. Spread some other cup buttercream evenly over the top and sides to create a nibble coat. Cover and set the remaining buttercream aside until set up to decorate. Refrigerate the cake until fix to decorate.
Brand the meringue mushrooms: Preheat the oven to 225°F (105°C). Line a baking sail with parchment paper.
Add the egg whites to a heat-safe bowl. Using a hand mixer, whip on medium speed until frothy, virtually 2 minutes. Add the common salt and cream of tartar and trounce just to comprise.
Add the sugar and h2o to a saute pan and stir to combine. Turn the oestrus to medium-high heat and melt without stirring until the syrup creates bubbles that are the size of quarters and the temperature reaches 248°F (120°C).
With the paw mixer running on medium speed, carefully cascade the hot sugar syrup into the egg white mixture, resting the pan on the edge of the bowl and aiming the syrup to hit the side of the basin so it does not splash confronting the beaters. Whip the mixture until potent peaks form, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and crush on medium-low speed until just combined. Transfer the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch (i.24 cm) round tip.
To make the mushroom caps, hold the pipe bag upright and clasp the meringue firmly onto half of the prepared baking sheet into disc shapes ranging from ½ inch (1.24 cm) to 1½ (3.81 cm) inches in diameter, leaving at least ½ inch (1.24 cm) of space between each cap. You should utilize about ⅔ of the meringue. Dip your finger in water and polish the top of each cap. Your fingers will create natural dimples and watermarks to mimic the await of mushrooms caps.
To brand the mushroom stems, agree the piping purse upright and squeeze the remaining meringue firmly onto the other half of the baking sheet in ½-inch and 1-inch long pieces, leaving at least ½ inch of infinite between each stem. The number of stems should friction match the number of caps.
Broil the meringue mushrooms for about 3 hours, until the caps and stems feel dry to the impact and are light beige in colour. Remove from the oven and let the meringues cool completely.
Lightly dust the mushroom caps with the cocoa powder, then use a pastry brush to brush the cocoa pulverization into the caps until they are a rustic brown color.
Spread a bit of melted dark chocolate on the bottom of a mushroom cap, and so press the cap onto the top of a stem. Echo to assemble the remaining mushrooms, and then cover with plastic wrap and air-condition to ready completely, almost 10 minutes.
Make the chocolate bark: Add the heavy cream to a modest stainless steel pot and bring to a eddy over medium-loftier heat.
Add the chocolate chips to a medium heatproof basin. Pour the warm foam over the chocolate and stir until melted completely. Let the ganache cool to room temperature, virtually 1 hour; information technology should be thick and take the texture of frosting. Once absurd, add ⅓ of the ganache to a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch round tip and the remaining ganache to a pipage bag fitted with a 1-inch circular tip.
Brand the edible moss: Pulse the pistachios and matcha powder in a nutrient processor until coarsely basis, existence careful not to process into a paste. Set aside until ready to decorate.
Make the buttercream flowers: Split up the buttercream frosting evenly between 5 medium bowls. Add the violet, pink, yellow, avocado, and mauve nutrient coloring to each bowl and stir until well combined. Transfer each color frosting to a divide piping pocketbook fitted with tips to pipage flowers and leaves. Set aside until ready to decorate.
Assemble the cake: Spread the remaining dulce de leche buttercream over the top of the block. Using the bag with the ½-inch tip, pipe the ganache in a swirl on peak of the cake, starting from the eye and working toward the outer edge. Use a fork to swirl the ganache and buttercream together to make the top of the tree stump.
Using the bag with the 1-inch tip, pipe the remaining ganache onto the sides of the cake and spread to coat completely. Utilize a fork to draw lines vertically upward the sides of the block for the tree bark.
Place mounds of edible moss on top of and effectually the block, then identify the mushrooms around the moss.
Use the colored frostings to pipe leaves and flowers around the cake.
Relish!

for 10 servings

2 sticks unsalted butter
½ cup dulce de leche ( 65 g )
4 cups powdered sugar ( 440 g )
½ teaspoon kosher common salt
one box chocolate cake mix , baked according to parcel instructions into 2 8-inch rounds and cooled completely

3 large egg whites , room temperature
¼ teaspoon kosher common salt
¼ teaspoon McCormick® cream of tartar
¾ loving cup granulated sugar ( 150 g )
two tablespoons water
1 teaspoon McCormick® vanilla excerpt
¼ cup dutch processed cocoa pulverisation ( 30 g )
¼ cup dark chocolate chip ( 45 g ), melted

½ cup heavy foam ( 120 mL )
½ cup night chocolate chip ( 85 thousand )

½ loving cup shelled pistachios ( 75 g )
1 tablespoon matcha pulverization

1 ½ cups Tasty's buttercream frosting ( 210 grand )
voilet ged food coloring
pink gel food coloring
yellow gel nutrient coloring
avocado gel nutrient coloring
mauve gel food coloring

7 pipping bags
round piping tip , 1/two in (1.24 cm)
round piping tip , i in (two.54 cm)
Assorted piping tip for decorating

Make the dulce de leche buttercream: In a large bowl, foam together the butter and dulce de leche with an electrical paw mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about two minutes. Sift in the powdered sugar and table salt and mix until the frosting is smoothen and thick, most 3 minutes.
Frost the cakes: Scoop 1 cup of buttercream onto 1 chocolate cake round and spread evenly beyond the top. Place the 2d cake round on height, pressing down gently to secure. Spread another cup buttercream evenly over the height and sides to create a crumb glaze. Cover and set up the remaining buttercream bated until set up to decorate. Air-condition the cake until ready to decorate.
Make the meringue mushrooms: Preheat the oven to 225°F (105°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment newspaper.
Add the egg whites to a rut-safe bowl. Using a mitt mixer, whip on medium speed until frothy, about 2 minutes. Add the salt and cream of tartar and beat just to comprise.
Add the saccharide and water to a saute pan and stir to combine. Turn the oestrus to medium-high heat and cook without stirring until the syrup creates bubbling that are the size of quarters and the temperature reaches 248°F (120°C).
With the mitt mixer running on medium speed, advisedly pour the hot sugar syrup into the egg white mixture, resting the pan on the border of the basin and aiming the syrup to hit the side of the bowl and so it does not splash confronting the beaters. Whip the mixture until potent peaks form, almost 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat on medium-depression speed until simply combined. Transfer the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch (1.24 cm) circular tip.
To make the mushroom caps, hold the piping bag upright and clasp the meringue firmly onto half of the prepared baking canvass into disc shapes ranging from ½ inch (ane.24 cm) to i½ (3.81 cm) inches in diameter, leaving at least ½ inch (1.24 cm) of space between each cap. Yous should use about ⅔ of the meringue. Dip your finger in water and smooth the top of each cap. Your fingers will create natural dimples and watermarks to mimic the await of mushrooms caps.
To make the mushroom stems, concur the piping bag upright and squeeze the remaining meringue firmly onto the other half of the baking sheet in ½-inch and 1-inch long pieces, leaving at least ½ inch of space between each stem. The number of stems should match the number of caps.
Bake the meringue mushrooms for about iii hours, until the caps and stems experience dry to the affect and are low-cal beige in colour. Remove from the oven and let the meringues cool completely.
Lightly dust the mushroom caps with the cocoa powder, then use a pastry brush to castor the cocoa powder into the caps until they are a rustic chocolate-brown color.
Spread a scrap of melted dark chocolate on the bottom of a mushroom cap, then press the cap onto the top of a stalk. Echo to gather the remaining mushrooms, then comprehend with plastic wrap and air-condition to prepare completely, about 10 minutes.
Make the chocolate bark: Add the heavy cream to a small stainless steel pot and bring to a eddy over medium-loftier rut.
Add the chocolate fries to a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the warm foam over the chocolate and stir until melted completely. Allow the ganache cool to room temperature, about 1 hr; it should be thick and have the texture of frosting. In one case cool, add ⅓ of the ganache to a piping pocketbook fitted with a ½-inch round tip and the remaining ganache to a piping bag fitted with a one-inch round tip.
Make the edible moss: Pulse the pistachios and matcha powder in a food processor until coarsely ground, beingness careful not to procedure into a paste. Set bated until ready to decorate.
Make the buttercream flowers: Divide the buttercream frosting evenly between v medium bowls. Add the violet, pinkish, yellow, avocado, and mauve nutrient coloring to each basin and stir until well combined. Transfer each color frosting to a split piping bag fitted with tips to piping flowers and leaves. Ready bated until ready to decorate.
Assemble the cake: Spread the remaining dulce de leche buttercream over the acme of the block. Using the bag with the ½-inch tip, pipe the ganache in a swirl on pinnacle of the cake, starting from the eye and working toward the outer edge. Use a fork to swirl the ganache and buttercream together to make the top of the tree stump.
Using the bag with the i-inch tip, pipage the remaining ganache onto the sides of the block and spread to glaze completely. Use a fork to draw lines vertically up the sides of the cake for the tree bawl.
Place mounds of edible moss on acme of and effectually the block, then identify the mushrooms around the moss.
Use the colored frostings to pipage leaves and flowers around the block.
Enjoy!