Buche de Noel/Yule Log

I wanted to share one of my most favorite holiday recipes with you.  Since the Buche de Noel goes along with my Noel theme this Christmas, I created one  to show you with step by step pictures.  It is a very impressive dessert, but anyone can do it.  I have taken numerous recipes and combined them  to create this final product.  My family loves it!

A little history:  This log shaped cake was meant to evoke the yule log once burned in European hearths throughout Christmas. Food historians give this creation a French origin, but no specific dates are given.

Bûches are often served with a portion of one end of the cake cut off and set on top of the cake or protruding from its side to resemble a chopped off branch, and bark-like texture is often produced in the butter cream for further realism.(Wikipedia)


First the recipe:

                         

YULE LOG

6 eggs, separated  

1 c. confectioner’s sugar                                                                 

Cocoa

Mocha filling(below)

Chocolate butter cream frosting(below)

 

1.Grease 15 ½ inch by 10 ½ inch jelly roll pan,  Line with parchment paper and spray Pam on top.

2. Preheat oven to 375.  In large bowl with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites till soft peaks.  Gradually sprinkle in ½ c, confectioner’s sugar.

3.In small bowl with mixer at high speed, beat egg yolks till thick.  At low speed beat ½ c. confectioners’ sugar and 3 T. cocoa.  Fold yolk mixture into whites.  Spread batter in pan.  Bake 9 min. or until top springs back when touched.

4.Sprinkle towel with cocoa in sifter.  Invert cake.  Start at narrow end and roll.  Cool seam side down.  Let cool for at least one hour.

5.  Make filling and frosting.

6.Unroll cake .  Spread Mocha frosting on whole cake.  Roll up seam side down.  Cut a three inch section at an angle and place perpendicular to the long piece so it resembles a log.  Cover with frosting.  Use fork to drag through frosting so it looks like bark.  Place holly in cake.  Refrigerate.

 

Mocha:

Beat 1 c. whipping cream.  Add ¼ c. conf. sugar, ¼ c. cocoa, 1 T. instant coffee.  Beat until stiff peaks form.

 

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting:

Melt 1 square of unsweetened chocolate with 2 T. milk.  Cool.  Add 2 c. confectioners sugar, 4 T. softened butter, 1 t. vanilla, 2-3 T. whipping cream.

 

Can  be frozen.


OK, lets get started.

Before starting, I had purchased a silvered fake evergreen pick from Hobby Lobby for 50% off.

                                                                                           
                                  These next three ingredients were not  in my pantry.

                                                                              

Pull out your jelly roll pan, line it with parchment and spray the top of the parchment paper with Pam.
Next take on old dish towel and sift cocoa all over it.

                                                                        
                        Make up your egg white mixture and spread it onto the parchment.

                                                                                    Place it into your preheated oven.  After 9 minutes, press on it and it if springs back, take it out of the oven.  Go over to your cocoa covered towel like so.
At this point, everything I touch is covered with cocoa.  Your kitchen will look like its been hit by a chocolate snowstorm.

                                                                                               
                                                                Flip the pan onto the towel. 

                                                                                               
                                             Immediately, take off the pan.  It will still be steaming.

                                                                                
Carefully, take off the parchment.  Using the short end of the towel, begin rolling the cake into a roll.

                                                                                      
                         When it is rolled up, it should look like this.  Let cool for at least one hour.

                                                                         

Take a break now.  When you get back to the roll, feel that it is cool.  Begin making your filling. 

Unroll your towel and spread your filling onto the cake.  I get my butter out to soften for the frosting at this point.  I also get a silver paper doily out and place it on the cake stand.

                                                                               
Now, tear off two pieces of wax paper and overlap them over the doily.  This will save so much cleanup after you frost the log.

                                                                  
             This is the cake after the filling is spread on top of it.  Notice, that the edges aren't too pretty.   Don't fret, you can trim it out in a minute.
                                                                                

                                                              
                                     Now, carefully roll up the cake.

                                                             
                         At this point, I trim both ends.  Next, I make a diagonal cut 1/3 into the roll.

                                     

                                                                           
It's starting to look like a log.  Place the larger piece on the cake plate.  Take the smaller piece and place it perpendicular to the larger one.

                                                               
                                                                   Another view.

                                                                              
                            Make your butter cream frosting and frost the Yule Log. Then remove the two pieces of the wax paper and your log will look like this.

                                                                 
                  Take a fork and drag through both pieces creating the bark look.

                                                                                       
                        Isn't it awesome!  Now, take your evergreen pick and place it on top of the cake.

                                                                    

                                                                               

                                                                          
    OK, the best part of this dessert is that I'm going to remove the pick, place it in a 9x13 Tupperware and freeze it until Christmas Day.

                         Go ahead, make this dessert and truly impress your family and friends. Now my official Christmas baking is complete.