Yule Log Cake

Festive season and the delicious 𝐘𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐤𝐞 go hand in hand.

Look no further than this beauty if you're searching for a traditionally beautiful Christmas dessert. This chocolate sponge cake is rolled to resemble a log and filled with a light, creamy filling.

This festive winter dessert could be the ideal centrepiece for your next holiday gathering.

Buttercream Filling:

• 1 ⅔ cups powdered sugar

• ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 2 tablespoons coffee-flavored liqueur

• 1 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 pinch salt

• ⅓ cup mascarpone cheese

Sponge Cake:

• 2 tablespoons melted butter

• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• 5 large eggs, at room temperature

• ⅔ cup white sugar

• ½ teaspoon vanilla

• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, or as needed

Ganache Frosting:

• 1 cup heavy cream, boiling-hot

• 1 (8 ounce) package dark chocolate chips

Directions:-

1. To make the buttercream filling, combine the powdered sugar, butter, coffee-flavored liqueur, cocoa powder, and salt in a stand mixer bowl and beat on high speed until smooth.

2. Add mascarpone cheese to the filling mixture after transferring it to a different bowl. Combine thoroughly; set aside. Clean and dry the bowl of the stand mixer.


3. Set the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees C).

4. Brush a little melted butter over the sheet pan, line it with parchment paper, and then brush the remaining melted butter on top to prepare a 13x18-inch rimmed sheet pan for the sponge cake.

5. In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, and cocoa powder, making sure to break up any clumps.

6. In the empty bowl of your stand mixer, add the eggs. Adding sugar, beat for 2 to 3 minutes with the whisk attachment until frothy, thick, and extremely light in colour. Mix on low speed for a few seconds after adding vanilla and half of the cocoa powder combination. Add the remaining cocoa mixture and stir briefly on low. When the mixture is moistened but not totally blended, increase the speed to high. Remove the whisk attachment, then mix the batter by hand until it is well-combined.

7. Spread the batter with a spatula until it nearly reaches the sheet pan's edges after being poured onto it. To get rid of any significant air bubbles, repeatedly tap the pan against the counter.

8. Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the top is dry and the edges are beginning to come away from the sides.

9. Sift powdered sugar onto a clean kitchen towel and cover an area just a little bit bigger than the sponge cake while the cake is baking.

10. Take the cake out of the oven. Cut the pan's edges with a knife. Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top. To make sure the parchment paper is not adhered to the pan, run a spatula underneath it.

11. To invert the cake, swiftly flip the pan over the sugared area on the cloth. Remove the parchment paper with care, then sprinkle extra confectioners' sugar on top of the cake. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes before gently rolling it up within the towel.

12. Unroll the cooled cake with caution. Spread to the edges after adding as much buttercream filling as you like on top, saving some for later. Roll the cake up over the filling, lifting it if necessary with the towel. The log should be covered with extra powdered sugar before being wrapped in plastic. About two hours of refrigeration will make it firm.

13. Pour heated cream over chocolate chunks in a bowl to make the ganache frosting. After one minute, stir until the chocolate has melted.

14. 3 inches from one end of the log, make an angled cut. Placing the log on a sheet pan with parchment paper. The angled slice should be filled with filling before being attached to one side of the log. Except for the swirls on the ends, cover the entire cake with a layer of ganache. The ganache needs to be chilled for 15 minutes to harden up.

15. To make the ganache look like tree bark, draw lines into it using the tip of a knife. Keep cooled thoroughly in the refrigerator.

16. Before serving, sprinkle with cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar.

17. Enjoy!

P.S. Did you know that the cake represents a melding of ancient midwinter traditions: one that celebrated the end of winter, and another honoring the Norse god Thor?