Spread Holiday Cheer With a Bûche de Noël

YumSugar — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 10:00:43 -0800

I've been dreaming of classic Christmas desserts, so this holiday, I thought I'd bake a bûche de Noël. Rather than opting for excessive designs and detailed accessories, I made a modern cake roll that looked (and felt) effortless. My guests couldn't get enough of the moist, light mocha sponge cake, which was a nice contrast to the sweet and nutty German chocolate filling. Impress your guests when you read more.

German Chocolate Cake Roll
From Food Network Magazine

Ingredients

1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup plus 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large egg yolks plus 3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 stick cubed butter plus 1-1/2 sticks softened butter (2-1/2 sticks or 1-1/4 cups total)
1 teaspoon plus 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (3 teaspoons total)
1-2/3 cups sweetened coconut, toasted until light brown
1 cup chopped pecans
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/3 cup strong hot coffee
1/3 cup buttermilk
Confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Directions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF. Lightly grease a 13-by-18-inch jelly roll pan; line with parchment paper, letting it come up the short sides by about 2 inches. Brush the paper with oil or melted butter and lightly dust with flour.
Make the filling: Whisk the evaporated milk, 1 cup sugar, 3 egg yolks, and the cubed butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and creamy, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla, toasted coconut, and pecans. Set aside to cool completely, stirring occasionally.
Make the cake: Meanwhile, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
In another bowl, whisk the cocoa and chocolate. Add the hot coffee to the cocoa mixture, stirring until smooth; stir in the buttermilk and the remaining 2 teaspoons vanilla.
Using a mixer, beat the softened butter and remaining 1-1/4 cups sugar in a large bowl on high speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to low; add the 3 whole eggs, 1 at a time, incorporating each one before adding the next. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the cocoa mixture in 2 parts, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until just blended; if necessary, fold the batter together with a rubber spatula.
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake until cake springs back when pressed lightly, about 16 minutes. Cool slightly in the pan.
Run a knife around the edge and slide the cake with its paper onto a work surface. Spread the coconut filling evenly over the cake. Roll the cake from one of the short ends, pulling it away from the parchment into a tight cylinder; transfer to a platter. Cool completely and dust with the confectioners' sugar or cocoa.

Serves 8 to 12.

Print recipe with images | without images

View 24 Photos ›

Definition: Bûche de Noël

YumSugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 15:15:33 -0800

Bûche de Noël
A Christmas cake native to France. Also known as a yule log, it is a filled, rolled sponge cake. To resemble a genuine yule log, the cake is then frosted on the outside with buttercream and finished with fresh berries, marzipan or meringue details, and powdered sugar to resemble snow. Originally, the yule log symbolized the hearth that families gathered around to celebrate the holidays.

Source