What The Hey! It's A Chocolate Tree Stump Cake ??

Chocolate Cake Laced With Hazelnut Espresso, Vanilla Cream Filling,

Marbled Dark Chocolate Ganache and Chocolate Cake Crumbs

I make cakes for the restaurant and I try to introduce different items from time to time. I usually just use more basic components that's easy and satisfying. I don't have a full baking facility yet so the challenge is there to keep everything simple and efficient in terms of the use of ingredients and whatever is available. Plus, at this point a creative free hand is beneficial both ways. 

About my er... Chocolate Tree Stump Cake :) - Fluffy vanilla cream cheese was used to fill and frost the cake. The trimming of the cake layers I toasted and then crushed, then used as coating for the sides of the cake thats been crumb coated with dark chocolate ganache.

Depending on what you use to fill and frost the cake, you may or may not need to have the frosting set before you proceed to the next step. Once filled and crumb-coated, put it in the fridge for 30 minutes. It's always advisable when you are decorating a cake. Sometimes you can't really rush things.

So basically the cake is filled and frosted with vanilla cream cheese, a thin layer of dark chocolate ganache on the side, and then slathering chocolate ganache over the cream cheese to create that marble effect on top of the cake. And while the ganache on the side of the cake hasn't set the cake crumbs are hand-pressed on it. After that we let it set in the fridge. Making cakes a day ahead allow the flavors to develop, too. That's a quick lesson on frosting and crumb-coating!