Buche de Noel
Ingredients
l 4 eggs l 2/3 cup sugar
l 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract l 1/4 teaspoon salt l 1 cup cake flour l Chocolate butter cream l 7 egg whites l 1 & 1/3 cup granulated sugar l 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled l 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder l 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract l 3 cups plus 3 tablespoons butter softened
l 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
Method: l Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 10-inch by 15-inch baking pan with a 1-inch lip (known as a jelly-roll pan) and line it with parchment paper. Butter the parchment or spray it with cooking spray. Set the pan aside. l Beat the eggs for 5 minutes, until they turn thick and foamy. Add the sugar, vanilla extract, and salt to the eggs and continue beating for 2 minutes. Fold the flour, a few tablespoons at a time, into the whipped egg mixture. Once the flour is incorporated into the batter, stop mixing. (Do not over-mix or the cake will have a tough texture). l Gently spread the batter into the prepared pan. There will be peaks of batter; gently smooth over them, but do not press the batter down. Bake the cake for 10 minutes, until the cake is just set. Invert the baked cake onto a clean, dry kitchen towel and peel off the parchment paper. Wait 3 minutes and then gently roll the cake, still in the butter paper, starting at the 10-inch end. Allow it to cool completely.
l To make the chocolate butter cream In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites on high until soft peaks form. Set them aside. In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and 2/3 cup water to a boil. Allow it to boil until it has reduced into slightly thickened syrup. Begin beating the egg whites on high speed again, and pour the hot sugar syrup into the eggs in a slow, steady stream. Pour the melted chocolate, espresso powder, and vanilla extract into the egg whites and continue beating until the meringue has cooled completely, for about five minutes. l Add the softened butter to the meringue, two tablespoons at a time, while beating on high speed, until all the butter is incorporated into the frosting. If the butter cream becomes runny at any time during this process, refrigerate the meringue until it has chilled and continue the process of beating the butter into the meringue. l Unroll the cake. Evenly spread two cups of chocolate butter cream on the inside and following its natural curve, gently form it into a cake roll. Cut off the ends of the cake roll on the diagonal and re-attach them in the centre of the cake with a bit of butter cream to fashion a “branch”. Spread the exterior of the wood log cake with enough chocolate butter cream to cover it and gently pull a butter knife or small, offset spatula through the frosting to give the appearance of rough tree bark.
Ingredients
l 4 eggs l 2/3 cup sugar
l 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract l 1/4 teaspoon salt l 1 cup cake flour l Chocolate butter cream l 7 egg whites l 1 & 1/3 cup granulated sugar l 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled l 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder l 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract l 3 cups plus 3 tablespoons butter softened
l 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
Method: l Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a 10-inch by 15-inch baking pan with a 1-inch lip (known as a jelly-roll pan) and line it with parchment paper. Butter the parchment or spray it with cooking spray. Set the pan aside. l Beat the eggs for 5 minutes, until they turn thick and foamy. Add the sugar, vanilla extract, and salt to the eggs and continue beating for 2 minutes. Fold the flour, a few tablespoons at a time, into the whipped egg mixture. Once the flour is incorporated into the batter, stop mixing. (Do not over-mix or the cake will have a tough texture). l Gently spread the batter into the prepared pan. There will be peaks of batter; gently smooth over them, but do not press the batter down. Bake the cake for 10 minutes, until the cake is just set. Invert the baked cake onto a clean, dry kitchen towel and peel off the parchment paper. Wait 3 minutes and then gently roll the cake, still in the butter paper, starting at the 10-inch end. Allow it to cool completely.
l To make the chocolate butter cream In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites on high until soft peaks form. Set them aside. In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and 2/3 cup water to a boil. Allow it to boil until it has reduced into slightly thickened syrup. Begin beating the egg whites on high speed again, and pour the hot sugar syrup into the eggs in a slow, steady stream. Pour the melted chocolate, espresso powder, and vanilla extract into the egg whites and continue beating until the meringue has cooled completely, for about five minutes. l Add the softened butter to the meringue, two tablespoons at a time, while beating on high speed, until all the butter is incorporated into the frosting. If the butter cream becomes runny at any time during this process, refrigerate the meringue until it has chilled and continue the process of beating the butter into the meringue. l Unroll the cake. Evenly spread two cups of chocolate butter cream on the inside and following its natural curve, gently form it into a cake roll. Cut off the ends of the cake roll on the diagonal and re-attach them in the centre of the cake with a bit of butter cream to fashion a “branch”. Spread the exterior of the wood log cake with enough chocolate butter cream to cover it and gently pull a butter knife or small, offset spatula through the frosting to give the appearance of rough tree bark.
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