Buche de Noel (Yule Log)

I’m proud to announce I am now a Daring Baker. December was the perfect time to join Daring Bakers as the Christmas baking season is upon us. What are the Daring Bakers? The Daring Bakers are a group dedicated to pushing the limits of their collective love — baking! Each month a challenge is set by one of the members. For everyone else, their mission becomes following the recipe to an exact “T” with the only variations being those accepted modifications listed in the original challenge. The recipe and the outcomes are a secret to the rest of the world until the day that all of the Daring Bakers post their results. No one is permitted to reveal that month’s challenge until the day that everyone posts. Today is that day.

I’ve been silently watching in amazement for months the Daring Bakers. Its so neat to see the big reveal at the end of the month. The variety of presentations and modifications (as/when allowed) are so fun to see. I’ve been intimidated to join because really baking isn’t what I would call my specialty. I’m certainly not bad at it (at least I don’t think so) but I’m certainly no master and I’ve seen some of the past challenges, and I’ve certainly got some challenges ahead of me. I’m excited to learn some new skills and conquer some things I probably wouldn’t have the guts to try on my own. The December Challenge was to make a Yule Log. I’ll confess, I didn’t really know what I yule log was. I googled and recognized them but I’ve never actually seen one in person so this was truly a new Challenge, particularly because the mushrooms were to be made of meringue or marzipan… both things I’ve never made before! I decided to go with the meringue and they came out perfectly. My hubby couldn’t stop exclaiming how much they looked like real mushrooms. I do have to say, I’m quite proud of how they turned out. Maybe I’m a better baker than I give myself credit for

The original recipe also called for a coffee flavored buttercream as specified in the recipe below but since I can’t stand coffee I figured I ought to flavor it differently so it wouldn’t all go to waste. Instead, I used 2 Tbsp dutch processed cocoa powder mixed into 2 Tbsp Heavy cream. We also had flexibility to flavor our genoise cake however we liked. I confess… I intended to make it chocolate as well, but forgot until it was in the oven. But I’m really glad I forgot because it would have been too much chocolate! I know, I know… how can there be too much chocolate for this self-proclaimed chocoholic? But the plain genoise with the chocolate ganache filling & chocolate buttercream came out perfectly! Another first experience for this month’s challenge was making ganache! I made a very simple ganache, just heavy cream & chocoalte, but it came out just decadently!

Check out the Daring Bakers Blogroll to see what some of my fellow bloggers did this month. And thanks to the Daring Bakers for inducting me and making my first challenge a success, and another thanks to Lis and Ivonne, the founders of Daring Bakers, for hosting this month!

The verdict: The genoise cake was delicious and light and airy. I will make it again… maybe with ice cream filling as my dearest hubby suggested. The ganache came out wonderfully as well. I intend to make it again as well. The buttercream… I thought it tasted kinda blah. My husband thought it was wonderful and said he didn’t know what I was talking about cause it was the perfect texture and it wasn’t too sweet. Maybe buttercream just really isn’t my thing. Meringue mushrooms were a little too time consuming considering I didn’t actually eat the meringues (am I the only one who doesn’t like the way they taste?), but they really did create a wonderful presentation. Overall, this was a great challenge!

(and props to you, loyal reader, if you actually read all that!)

Yule Log

Plain Genoise
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
pinch of salt
¾ cup of sugar
½ cup cake flour – spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off (also known as cake & pastry flour)
¼ cup cornstarch

one (1) 10 x 15 inch jelly-roll pan that has been buttered and lined with parchment paper and then buttered again

1. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.
2. Half-fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat so the water is simmering.
3. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, salt and sugar together in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Place over the pan of simmering water and whisk gently until the mixture is just lukewarm, about 100 degrees if you have a thermometer (or test with your finger – it should be warm to the touch).
4. Attach the bowl to the mixer and, with the whisk attachment, whip on medium-high speed until the egg mixture is cooled (touch the outside of the bowl to tell) and tripled in volume. The egg foam will be thick and will form a slowly dissolving ribbon falling back onto the bowl of whipped eggs when the whisk is lifted.
5. While the eggs are whipping, stir together the flour and cornstarch.
6. Sift one-third of the flour mixture over the beaten eggs. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour mixture, making sure to scrape all the way to the bottom of the bowl on every pass through the batter to prevent the flour mixture from accumulating there and making lumps. Repeat with another third of the flour mixture and finally with the remainder.
7. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
8. Bake the genoise for about 10 to 12 minutes. Make sure the cake doesn’t overbake and become too dry or it will not roll properly.
9. While the cake is baking, begin making the buttercream.
10. Once the cake is done (a tester will come out clean and if you press the cake lightly it will spring back), remove it from the oven and let it cool on a rack.

Coffee Buttercream
4 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
24 tablespoons (3 sticks or 1-1/2 cups) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons rum or brandy

1. Whisk the egg whites and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Set the bowl over simmering water and whisk gently until the sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are hot.
2. Attach the bowl to the mixer and whip with the whisk on medium speed until cooled. Switch to the paddle and beat in the softened butter and continue beating until the buttercream is smooth. Dissolve the instant coffee in the liquor and beat into the buttercream.

Chocolate Ganache
1 cup heavy cream
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Heat heavy cream over simmering water until warm. Add chopped chocolate and stir until well incorporated. Refridgerate.

Meringue Mushrooms
3 large egg whites, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup (3-1/2 ounces/105 g.) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (1-1/3 ounces/40 g.) icing sugar
Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Have ready a pastry bag fitted with a small (no. 6) plain tip. In a bowl, using a mixer on medium-low speed, beat together the egg whites and cream of tartar until very foamy. Slowly add the granulated sugar while beating. Increase the speed to high and beat until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted. Continue until the whites hold stiff, shiny peaks. Sift the icing sugar over the whites and, using a rubber spatula, fold in until well blended.
2. Scoop the mixture into the bag. On one baking sheet, pipe 48 stems, each ½ inch (12 mm.) wide at the base and tapering off to a point at the top, ¾ inch (2 cm.) tall, and spaced about ½ inch (12 mm.) apart. On the other sheet, pipe 48 mounds for the tops, each about 1-1/4 inches (3 cm.) wide and ¾ inch (2 cm.) high, also spaced ½ inch (12 mm.) apart. With a damp fingertip, gently smooth any pointy tips. Dust with cocoa. Reserve the remaining meringue.
3. Bake until dry and firm enough to lift off the paper, 50-55 minutes. Set the pans on the counter and turn the mounds flat side up. With the tip of a knife, carefully make a small hole in the flat side of each mound. Pipe small dabs of the remaining meringue into the holes and insert the stems tip first. Return to the oven until completely dry, about 15 minutes longer. Let cool completely on the sheets.

Assemble the Yule Log:
1. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the genoise to loosen it from the pan.
2. Turn the genoise layer over (unmolding it from the sheet pan onto a flat surface) and peel away the paper.
3. Carefully invert your genoise onto a fresh piece of parchment paper.
4. Spread with half the coffee buttercream (or whatever filling you’re using).
5. Use the parchment paper to help you roll the cake into a tight cylinder.
6. Transfer back to the baking sheet and refrigerate for several hours.
7. Unwrap the cake. Trim the ends on the diagonal, starting the cuts about 2 inches away from each end.
8. Position the larger cut piece on each log about 2/3 across the top.
9. Cover the log with the reserved buttercream, making sure to curve around the protruding stump.
10. Streak the buttercream with a fork or decorating comb to resemble bark.
11. Transfer the log to a platter and decorate with your mushrooms and whatever other decorations you’ve chosen.

Adapted from Perfect Cakes by Nick Malgieri and The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Dessert

Tagged as: Cake, chocolate, Daring Bakers, Sweets