Daring Bakers: Christmas Yule Log

I joined Daring Bakers just in time for the December Challenge. For those of you unfamiliar with the Daring Bakers concept, it's an ever-growing group of food bloggers who commit each month to making and posting about the same exact recipe on the same exact day (which will explain why you have been seeing dozens and dozens of Yule Logs today all around food blogland).

The December challenge was chosen by Lis of La  Mia Cucina and Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice, who are also Daring Bakers founders. Their choice was to make a Christmas Yule Log which, of course, I had never made before in my life. Nor had I ever made meringue mushrooms. Not to mention Swiss Buttercream.

I decided to test-run the recipes early in the month to allow myself time for retries in the event of a disaster. So one Sunday, armed with a new half sheet pan and all of the necessary ingredients, I rolled up my sleeves and went to work.

I decided to flavor my genoise with chocolate, adding cocoa powder to the flour and cornstarch mix. Making the genoise went very well, until it was time to fold the dry ingredients into the dramatic volume of the egg and sugar mixture. The recipe said to fold thoroughly, and I thought I did. I even worried that I was going to deflate the whole thing in my efforts to make sure I had no unincorporated spots. But when I went to spread the batter into the sheet pan it became clear that all of my ideas about proper folding-in technique were just wrong. As I spread the batter I kept uncovering patches of unincorporated flour. Very frustrating. But it was a test-run and I'd know better for next time, so I spread the batter out and popped the pan into the oven.

Making the Swiss Buttercream was suprisingly easy. It came together perfectly--smooth and delicious with a lovely cafe au lait color. When my chocolate genoise was cool enough I brushed it with Kahlua, spread on half the buttercream, rolled it up with no trouble, and put it into the refrigerator for a while so that it could think about how much it liked being log-shaped.

Layering on the rest of the buttercream was fun. I used a fork to make patterns.

Then it was time to make the meringue mushrooms. Again, surprisingly easy... and so CUTE! The recipe made a LOT of mushrooms, though. MANY more than I could possibly crowd onto my log, and you can see here that I crowded a LOT on.

Then I took photos, just in case, before I tasted it. And here's the thing. The genoise might not have been perfectly folded together, but it tasted really good. The whole thing just tasted great. And I thought why in the world are you thinking you're going to do this again? So I didn't.

You can read the recipe if you click the link.

Christmas Yule Log
Serves 12
Cake should be stored in a cool, dry place. Leftovers should be refrigerated

Sources: Genoise and Coffee Buttercream recipes from Perfect Cakes by Nick Malgieri; Meringue Mushrooms recipe from The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Dessert

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 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.

Filling and frosting the 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.

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.

4.Garnish your Yule Log with the mushrooms.

Comments

[Lisa]

Beautiful Ann.....

[african vanielje]

Ann, it looks amazingly good, and welcome to the daring bakers. Hope you have a fab Christmas.

[Manggy]

Ooh, I thought they were all going to be chocolate. Excellent work, Ann. Good on you, trying swiss BC for the first time. Looks highly successful to me :) A very thoroughly mushroom-infested log, hee hee :) I'm not part of the DBs, so I guess I'm going to cancel my plans of making a Buche de Noel, hahaha!

[Manggy]

Good on you for trying Swiss BC for the first time! It looks highly successful, very mushroom-infested hee hee :)

[Jenny]

Beautiful work. It was quite the fun challenge. I so glad that I've joined the group!!

[Michelle]

Your yule log came together so nicely, Ann! Beautiful work!

[dhanggit]

wow i love your yule log!! its indeed a great challenge for all of us!! happy holidays!!

[Maryann]

Yours came out nice :)

[Aamena]

wow, i love those mushrooms popping out!

[Esther]

Welcome to the Daring bakers. Your log turned out wonderfully by the looks of it, and I look forward to seeing your entries in future months too.

[megan]

Youe log is impressive. Job well done!

[maria~]

Great log! I love that it's so shroomy! Now I wish I had flavored my genoise with chocolate too. There can never be too much chocolate! :)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

[Pieds Des Anges (Kyla)]

OMG my favorite dessert EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's gorgeous and I like all the extra mushrooms.... Happy holidays!

[Cakelaw]

Hi Ann, What a beautiful looking cake! It would be a wonderful addition to any Christmas feast.

[Beth G]

Great job on your first challenge- you rocked it!! :)

[Chris]

Beautiful first challenge. Welcome to the DBs!

[rachel]

hey that is a helluva lot of mushrooms and all loooking good!Lovely first challenge!

[Christmas Bellini Valli]

Beautiful Buche de Noel!! I had so much fun for my first challenge.

[Carla]

So beautiful. Love your mushrooms!

[Susan]

The more mushrooms the better as far as I'm concerned. Great job and welcome to DB!

[sugarlaws]

if that doesn't put you in the holiday spirit, i don't know what would. it looks so great!!!!

[Morven]

Your log is stunning. Congratulations and welcome on board.

[clumsy]

Great job on the challenge---Welcome to DB! My buttercream almost curdled, I was so nervous! I'm glad yours came out so wonderfully!! :)

[Adele]

AAAH. I'm convinced all the baking bloggers are trying to kill me. I love buche de noel, and that looks absolutely mouthwatering.

I have a holiday job in the kitchens of a big hotel. If I'm in the pastry kitchen this time and I'm seized by the urge to make off with an entire buche de noel, I'm blaming you. :P

[Karyn]

Hmmm. First I'll learn to make decent-looking Christmas cookies. Then I'll join daring bakers!

I'm in awe - it looks wonderful!