yule log

Like most of my recipes, this one gets it’s origins from my grandmother’s kitchen. And, like most of my recipes, I’ve changed, updated and cleaned up the ingredients throughout the years. However, there are a few secret ingredients in this cake, that had to be kept… both for log authenticity and for taste. This is definitely not your typical chocolate, sponge and cream log. It’s got a little something special. Keep your mind open, and trust me. It’s 100,000 percent delectable.

Sponge Cake

Ingredients:

butter

4 eggs, separated

1/3 cup sugar

pinch of salt

1 Tbsp orange juice

1 tsp orange zest

1/3 cup flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray a 16 x 11 inch jelly roll pan with avocado oil, then line with parchment paper, also sprayed.

In a large bowl, beat 3 egg yolks with 1/3 cup of sugar until the mixture ribbons. In a stand mixer, whisk 4 egg whites and a pinch of salt until they create stiff peaks. Add 1/4 of the whites to the yolks and fold them in gently and slowly.

Pour the remaining yolks into the white mixture and sift flour over the top. Fold the mix together by hand, until everything is fully combined and you can no longer see any flour or white. Do not over mix.

Pour batter into jelly roll pan, and spread evenly, being careful not to overwork the batter or break the bubbles.

Bake for 15 minutes and just slightly browned.

Pull parchment to remove the cake from tray and set aside to cool. Let rest for at least 4 hours or overnight before assembling.

Filling

Ingredients:

7oz pitted, ready to eat prunes

1/2 cup softened salted butter, sliced

2 Tbsp grand marnier

1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

In a saucepan, cover prunes with cold water and bring to a boil. Let boil for 5 minutes to soften. Remove from heat. Add to vitamix with butter and liqueur. Puree until smooth. Set aside and let cool. (I place in the freezer for a while to speed up the process).

In a cold stand mixer mixing bowl, whisk cream until soft peaks form. Add 1/3 cups of cream mixture into the prune mixture, and add this to the remaining cream. Chill until firm, but spreadable consistency.

Chocolate Ganache Cream

Ingredients:

8 oz semi sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup butter, in 1 Tbsp pieces

1 1/4 cup heavy cream

DIrections:

Melt chocolate in a microwavable bowl, checking and stirring every 30 minutes. When fully melted, add butter, 1 Tbsp at a time, stirring until melted and combined. Set a side to cool slightly, but not enough to harden.

Using a cold, stand mixer bowl, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold chocolate into whipped cream slowly. While mixture will be combined, the color will not be uniform. You want this. It helps it look like tree bark. Some of the chocolate will harden. Also okay, and contributes to the final look.

Putting it all Together

Spread the filling over the sponge cake evenly covering it all. Slowly roll the cake lengthwise. Place seam side down. The sponge may crack - this is okay, since you will be covering it with the chocolate cream. Lift the roll by the parchment paper and move to serving tray. Slide parchment paper out from under the roll.

Cut a two inch diagonal piece from one end of the log and place against one side to form a branch. Square off the cut end and place on the top of the log to form a stump.

Using a large offset spatula, cover the log with the chocolate cream, leaving ends alone, but making sure to get all seams and cracks covered.

Use a fork to make vertical stripes down length of log and on to the branches.

If you desire, sprinkle with powdered sugar to simulate snow, and decorate with rosemary and pomegranate seeds.