French Yule Log - Baking Partner's Challenge Step by step

     Yule log is a very famous French dessert, where chocolate sponge cake is made and rolled as a log. Which is then frosted with chocolate cream frosting , which results in resembelence of a log. Swathi of "Zesty South Indian Kitchen". gave us this yule log for "Baking Partner's Challenge". I followed "Nigella's " recipe, as it had minimal ingredients and flourless cake recipe. I halved the recipe and prepared the log. My chocolate loving son, enjoyed this log very much. We can also make ahead of time and store in freezer. Try this addictive dessert for Christmas.

 

Recipe Source : Nigella

 

 

Ingredients
for the cake
* 6 large eggs (separated)
* 150 grams caster sugar
* 50 grams cocoa powder
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 5 teaspoons icing sugar (to decorate)

for the icing
* 175 grams dark chocolate (chopped)
* 250 grams icing sugar
* 225 grams soft butter
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

 

Method:

* I prepared my icing first and kept it ready, while my eggs are kept on the counter to bring it to room temperature.Take a bowl, add powdered sugar and butter . Butter should be at room temperature.Beat using a hand mixer ,until fluffy.

 

* Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for 30 sec. Then increase the seconds by 10 sec in each interval, until the chocolate is melted completely. We can also melt the chocolate in double boiler .

* Now add the melted chocolate to the butter and mix it. Keep the frosting ready. Now we are going to prepare the cake.

* In   clean bowls, separate  egg yolk and egg whites.

* Now beat the egg yolk with sugar ,till it turns pale yellow. Reserve a tbsp. of sugar for whipping egg whites.Now add the vanilla and mix. Take a sieve and add the cocoa into the egg mixture . This way, cocoa is sieved directly into the mixture. Mix the cocoa thoroughly.

* Here egg whites are seen in the bowl.

 

* Whip the egg whites till soft peak. Now add the reserved sugar and whip it till stiff peak. Don't overbeat the egg whites, then the sponge will go flat.

 



 * Now fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture in small additions.

* Pre heat the oven at 350 degrees F.Pour the batter on to a 9 by 12 inch rectangle tin, which is covered by parchment paper.Bake the sponge for 20 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean.

 

 

* Let the sponge cools a bit. Now take a clean kitchen towel, place it on the counter. Keep the sponge along with  the parchment paper on top.We have to do this, while the cake is still warm.

* Roll the kitchen towel, with the cake inside tightly. As shown in the picture. We are making this, before the cake cools. If the cake cools, then it will not roll into a log.

* After the cake is cooled, carefully unroll the sponge and drop a dallop of frosting in the middle.Run a knife between the cake and the parchment paper.

* Spread the frosting on all over the sponge and  roll the sponge tightly towards you.The frosting in the middle acts as a glue and will help the sponge to roll firmly.Slowly remove the sponge form the parchment paper.


* Take a knife and trim the edge at a 45 degrees. This piece is going to be fixed as a branch.

* Transfer the yule log on a serving plate now.Our log looks like this after trimming the edge.

 

*Now apply the frosting all over the log. Glue the branch at its side using the frosting .Let the frosting set for about 10 -20 minutes. Then take a fork and draw lines on the log. Slice and serve . We can also freeze this log and use. Just thaw the log on the counter and use it.

Enjoy this yule log for your party!!!