Chocolate Buche De Noel

Chocolate Buche De Noel (Yule Log Cake)

Recipe:

Yield: 8 servings 

Ingredients:

For the sponge cake:

-4 eggs, yolks and whites separated

-⅛ tsp cream of tartar (vinegar or lemon juice can be used instead)

-½ cup granulated sugar

-⅓ cup all purpose flour

-1 tsp cornstarch

-¼ cup cocoa powder

-¾ tsp coffee granules

-1 tsp baking powder

-¼ tsp salt

For the filling:

-1 ¼ cups whipping cream

-¼ cup powdered sugar

For the topping:

-4 oz semi sweet chocolate

-melted chocolate, to decorate

-powdered sugar, for dusting

-rosemary (optional)

-strawberries or cranberries (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F (218 C) Line a half sheet pan (18*13 inches) with parchment paper, making sure to leave extra hanging out on both sides.

2. Melt the chocolate in a microwave, stirring at 30 second intervals or over a double boiler

3. Pour the melted chocolate over a sheet of parchment paper and spread out an even layer using an offset spatula. Make sure it isn’t too thin or the chocolate will melt or break.

4. Refrigerate the chocolate for 30 minutes or until solidified

5. Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a large bowl and the whites in a medium bowl. Set the bowl with the yolks aside.

5. In the bowl with the egg whites, add in the cream of tartar (or vinegar/lemon juice) Use an electric mixer to whip the egg whites to form soft peaks.

6. The whites should maintain their structure but still droop slightly at the top.

7. Take the bowl with the yolks and whip until frothy.

8. Gradually add in the granulated sugar and whip until pale and bubbly, 2-3 minutes.

9. Sift the flour, cornstarch, and cocoa powder into the bowl.

10. Add the baking powder, coffee and salt. Fold the ingredients together, it will be slightly dry and sticky.

11. Fold in the egg whites in thirds, taking care not to overmix or else the batter will deflate

12. Pour the completed batter onto the half sheet pan and spread out an even layer. Don’t remove any of the bubbles or air in the batter.

13. Bake for 6-7 minutes, or until you press the cake and it springs back up. While the cake is baking, take a clean towel and generously dust it with powdered sugar. Once the cake has finished cooking, remove from the oven and immediately turn it onto the clean towel.

14. Peel off the parchment paper carefully, taking care not to break the cake.

15. Roll up the cake, along with the towel and allow to cool completely, at least 30 minutes.

16. While the cake is cooling, pour the heavy whipping cream in a medium large bowl and whip using an electric mixer until bubbly and thick in consistency.

17. Add the powdered sugar and continue to whip until the cream has formed stiff peaks.

18. After the cake has cooled, unroll it and spread out an even layer of the whipped cream on top.

19. Re-roll the cake, without the towel this time.

20. Refrigerate for 10 minutes to allow the cream to set.

21. While the cake is chilling, remove the chocolate from the fridge

22. Unroll the parchment paper; the chocolate will break up into shards as you do so. Don’t worry if the pieces are uneven, it makes the yule log look more natural! Break apart the larger shards if needed. Remove the cake from the fridge. To decorate the cake with the chocolate shards, spread a layer of melted chocolate on the back of each shard to glue it on the cake. Once completed, top of the cake with rosemary, strawberries or any other toppings Dust with powdered sugar and serve! Enjoy 🙂

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