Bûche de Noël

Description
Yule Log. Buche de Noel (Yule Log) from Recipes Wiki—original source of recipe, licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License

Bûche de Noël

 * ¾ cup cake flour
 * ¾ tsp baking powder
 * ¼ tsp salt
 * 5 each eggs
 * ¾ cup sugar
 * 1 tsp vanilla extract

Chestnut buttercream filling

 * ½ cup sugar, superfine
 * 1 each egg yolks
 * 1 pinch salt
 * 1½ tsp vanilla extract
 * 2 tbsp heavy cream
 * ½ cup butter
 * 2 cup powdered sugar
 * 30 each whole cooked chestnuts
 * 2 tbsp butter
 * 4 tbsp heavy cream
 * ⅓ cup powdered sugar

Mocha silk frosting

 * 1¼ cup powdered sugar
 * 3 tbsp cocoa powder
 * 2 tsp instant coffee
 * 5⅓ tbsp butter
 * 1½ tbsp corn syrup
 * 1 tsp vanilla extract
 * 2 tbsp heavy cream

Bûche de Noël

 * 1) Have ready: clean lint-free dish towel and cookie sheet larger than jelly roll pan.
 * 2) Preheat oven to 400; prepare 10"x15"x1" jelly roll pan by greasing it, lining bottom and sides with wax paper, and greasing wax paper.
 * 3) Bring eggs to room temperature and separate.
 * 4) Mix flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
 * 5) Beat yolks until thick and pale.
 * 6) Gradually add 6 tsp sugar, beating well after each addition.
 * 7) Mixture should fall in thick ribbon when beaters are lifted.
 * 8) Add vanilla and beat again.
 * 9) With clean dry beaters, beat egg whites until foamy.
 * 10) Gradually add remaining sugar, beating constantly, until whites stand in firm, glossy, moist peaks.
 * 11) Fold ⅓ whites into yolk mixture to lighten it, then fold remaining whites in too.
 * 12) Gradually fold dry ingredients into egg mixture; fold in gently but thoroughly.
 * 13) Spread batter evenly in prepared pan, making sure to get it into the corners.
 * 14) Put pan into oven immediately.
 * 15) Bake 10–12 minutes, just until cake is golden on top and tester comes out clean. Do not overbake.
 * 16) Remove from oven; working quickly, cover jelly roll pan first with clean towel, then with inverted cookie sheet.
 * 17) Turn over pan, towel, and sheet to turn out cake.
 * 18) Remove jelly roll pan; peel off wax paper.
 * 19) Slide towel and cake onto counter; cake is wrong side up.
 * 20) Cut off any crisp edges, fold one end of towel over short end of cake, and roll cake in towel.
 * 21) Place rolled cake seam side down on wire rack or cookie sheet to cool completely.

Chestnut buttercream filling

 * 1) Combine sugar, egg yolk, salt, vanilla, and cream; beat for 8 minutes at medium speed.
 * 2) Without washing beaters, cream butter until light.
 * 3) Add yolk mixture a little at a time, beating well after each addition.
 * 4) Gradually add powdered sugar, beating well after each addition.
 * 5) Set basic buttercream aside.
 * 6) Purée chestnuts with butter, cream, and powdered sugar.
 * 7) Stir chestnut puree into buttercream, blending thoroughly.
 * 8) If necessary, thin with a little more cream to bring to very spreadable consistency.

Mocha silk frosting

 * 1) Powder instant coffee by placing in plastic bag and crushing with rolling pin.
 * 2) Mix together sugar, cocoa, and coffee.
 * 3) Add remaining ingredients and beat for 1 minute at medium speed.
 * 4) If necessary, add a little more cream to make frosting easy to spread.

Putting it all together

 * 1) Unroll cooled cake, leaving it on towel; don't worry about the cake looking deflated, it will perk up soon.
 * 2) Spread ½ cup frosting evenly over cake, all the way to the edges.
 * 3) Spread 2 cups filling over thin layer of frosting, pushing generous amount into curved end.
 * 4) Roll up again, without towel but using it to help roll.
 * 5) Place cake, seam side down, on cake plate or tray.
 * 6) Remove any excess filling from ends and seam edge.
 * 7) Refrigerate for 1 hour to firm filling.
 * 8) Trim and discard (or eat!) a thin slice from one end of chilled cake; cut and reserve wedge from other end.
 * 9) Spread a small amount of filling on top center of cake and press reserved wedge on it to make the "knothole".
 * 10) Frost entire cake with remaining frosting, building frosting up around sides of "knothole" do not cover knothold top! work frosting as far under roll as possible.
 * 11) Repeatedly draw narrow metal spatula lengthwise through frosting to simulate rough texture of bark.
 * 12) Snip pieces of angelica into leaf shapes and cut glace cherries in half to make log decorations.
 * 13) Keep cake refrigerated until serving; it is much easier to slice when cold and firm.
 * 14) Before serving, surround cake with holly and cranberries.