CNY Tiger Tree Trunk Cake
I made this CNY Tiger Tree Trunk Cake to celebrate January Babies and to usher in the Lunar Tiger Year. I used a walnut cake layered with chocolate ganache, paired with my favorite mint and coffee frosting. You can use your preferred cake and favorite frosting. Go with what you love. Wishing everyone a blessed Chinese New Year 2022!
Servings: 6 inch 3 tier cake
Ingredients
Tree Trunk
- 3 layers of 6 inch walnut cake
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate ganache
- 2 cups fresh cream mint frosting
- 8 cups fresh cream coffee frosting
Pinecone (makes ~ 4-5 )
- 1/2 cup matcha white chocolate ganache
- 1 cup sliced almonds (skin on)
Other decor
- Gooseberries
- Gold coins x 3 (inedible - scrubbed and cleaned)
- Gold ingot x 1 (inedible - scrubbed and cleaned)
- CNY Tiger Cake Topper (thoroughly wiped and cleaned)
Instructions
Tree trunk cake
- Place the 1st cake tier on the board and brush generously with chocolate ganache. Then frost generously with the coffee and mint frosting. Repeat with the 2nd and 3rd tiers.
- Crumb coat the sides and top of the cake and let it chill in the refrigerator for an hour.
- Once the crumb coat has set, using Ateco 825 open star tip, pipe on the trunk in random lines and concentric circles using frosting (watch the recipe tutorial @1:45 minute to see how this is done). Set aside to chill in the fridge and start on the pinecone decor.
Almond pinecone
- Pipe a small cone shape using the ganache
- Starting from the top, press the almond slice into the ganache to form layers of the pinecone (watch the recipe tutorial @2:47min to see how this is done). Work quickly. If the ganache starts to get soft, put it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to firm up before continuing with the almond slices.
- Once the pinecone is completed, freeze for 30 minutes or until the pinecone is well set.
Final assembly
- Decorate the tree trunk cake with a festive Tiger Cake Topper (虎年蒙福), the homemade almond pinecones, some gooseberries (大吉大利) and gold coins/ ingot (财源滚滚).
Video
Notes
If you like this recipe tutorial and like to see more, subscribe to my YouTube channel here!
Quick tip on the almond pinecones...
I made these cute pinecones out of matcha ganache layered with almonds slices. You can use any ganache you like or your favourite buttercream; they would work too.
I like to use almond slices with skin on as they give the pinecone a rustic and natural look. These pinecones will also look amazing on Christmas log cakes. In fact, dust them with icing sugar and they immediately transform into wintery pinecone magic!
One important tip for these pinecones, WORK QUICKLY. If the ganache starts to get soft, stick it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to firm up before continuing with the almond slices. Otherwise if the ganache starts to melt, the whole pinecone may collapse and you will have to start over again!