Bûche de Noël/Yule Log Cake

This cake comes from the tradition of the yule log, which people burned in the hearth all night for Christmas Eve or during winter solstice during pagan times. It was thought to ward off lightning and bring good luck. In more modern times when fewer people had wood burning stoves or fireplaces, the French turned the yule log into a dessert called Bûche de Noël (Christmas Log) and crafted it to look like a yule log. You can play with any flavor of sponge cake and filling you like. You'll want the frosting to be brown so it looks like bark.

Chocolate Sponge Cake

1/2 C flour

1 tsp baking powder

4 egg yolks

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/3 c granulated sugar

4 egg whites

1/2 c granulated sugar

sifted powder sugar

Grease and flour a 15x10x1-inch jelly roll pan.

Stir together flour and baking powder; set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl beat egg yolks and vanilla with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Gradually add the 1/3 c granulated sugar, beating on high speed till sugar is almost dissolved.

Thoroughly wash beaters. In another bowl beat egg whites on medium speed till soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add the 1/2 c granulated sugar, beating till stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Fold egg yolk mixture into beaten eggs whites. Sprinkle dry mixture over egg mixture; fold in gently just till combined. Spread batter evenly in the prepared plan.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes or till cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately loosen edges of cake from pan and turn cake out onto a towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Roll up towel and cake, jelly-roll style. Cool on a wire rack.

Filling:

1/2 pint whipping cream

4 oz cream cheese

granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla

You can use whatever kind of filling you like. I used whipped cream mixed and cream cheese with a dash of vanilla and sugared to taste. Another idea is to add a teaspoon of dissolved coffee granules to give it a mocha flavor. You can use fruit jam or jelly.

Chocolate Frosting:

3 cups powdered sugar, divided

2/3 cocoa

1/2 c (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened

5 to 6 TB milk, divided

1 tsp vanilla

When cool , unroll cake and remove towel. Spread cake with filling to within 1 inch of edges. Roll up cake. Cut ends off at a 45 degree angle to make look like a log. You can make two cakes and add a branch or use one of the cut off angles from the end to create a knot on the log. Frost with chocolate frosting. Drag a fork through frosting to make it look like bark.

Optional details:

Dust with powdered sugar for snow

Make mushrooms with marzipan or with meringue

Roll out green gum drops to make holly leaves and use red gum drop for holly berries

Get creative!

Keep refrigerated.