Buche de Noel

Name: Buche de Noel
Total time: 7200 s
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 6 eggs; 1/4 cup sugar; 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 1/2 cup sugar; 3/4 cup Cake flour; 1/4 tsp baking powder; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/4 cup powdered sugar; 4 egg yolks; 9 tbsp sugar; 1/3 cup water; 1 cup unsalted butter; 6 oz semisweet chocolate

c.blumenthal @cook_3154495

This is the authentic cake recipe that has been passed down for generations in my family. It was made every year on Christmas Eve and is incredibly rich and delicious! The recipe includes the old fashioned way of making butter cream, but it can be simplified by using other butter cream recipes that use confectioners sugar (also posted). You can also make meringue mushrooms or use some of the cake to make knots to go on the outside of the log!

c.blumenthal @cook_3154495

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Ingredients

2 hours

12 servings

Cake
6eggs
1/4 cupsugar
1 1/2 tspvanilla extract
1/2 cupsugar
3/4 cupCake flour
1/4 tspbaking powder
1/4 tspsalt
1/4 cuppowdered sugar
Butter Cream Frosting
4egg yolks
9 tbspsugar
1/3 cupwater
1 cupunsalted butter
6 ozsemisweet chocolate

Saved

Steps

2 hours

1

Leave eggs until they reach room temperature. Separate egg whites and yolks into two bowls.
2

Add 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla extract to egg yolks and whip until batter is thick and shiny. Should take 10-15 minutes. Batter should ribbon when it drips down from beaters. Mixture should lighten in color (pale yellow).
3

Mix cake flour, baking powder, and salt in flour sifter and sift into a bowl.
4

Whip egg whites with 1/4 cup sugar until they form soft peaks.
5

Fold egg whites into egg yolk mixture, adding the dry ingredient mixture gradually over time.
6

Place batter into a heavily greased and floured 15x10 pan with parchment paper lining. Spread flat and bake for 10 minutes at 190°C / 375°F until edges are golden brown. Don't overbake or cake will crack when rolled!
7

Spread powdered sugar evenly over a dry hand towel with the back of a knife.
8

While still hot, separate edge of cake from pan with a spatula and quickly turn cake over onto towel.
9

Immediately roll cake up in towel and let cool for about 30 minutes. If the cake cools too long it can crack, so make sure to add filling when the outside is still a bit warm.
10

While cake cools, make frosting. First, beat egg yolks until mixed
11

Heat sugar and water until dissolved then boil until 115°C / 239°F using a candy thermometer.
12

Wait 20 seconds until bubbles subside, then gradually pour over egg yolks, beating constantly.
13

Beat with electric mixer, by pouring sugar syrup in a thin stream between beaters so it doesn't stick to the bowl. Beat on high until thick and cool.
14

Cream butter and gradually beat into cooled yolk mixture.
15

Melt baking chocolate, allow to cool slightly and mix into frosting mixture.
16

Unroll cake and spread about 1/2 cup of frosting onto top of cake and roll cake into a circle
17

Spread rest of frosting onto outside of cake and use a fork to make wood patterns on the log and knots in the "wood". Dust outside with powdered sugar to make it look snowy.