Chocolate Yule Log

Prep Time: 25 mins | Cook Time: 15 mins | Course: Dessert | Yield: 10 

A whimsical chocolate yule log is sure to delight all ages. Complete the scene with chocolate meringue mushrooms and a dusting of snow (powdered sugar). My apologies, I’m not sure where I found the cake roll recipe from, I’ve been baking it for years; it’s got a wonderfully delicate crumb. The delectable chocolate meringue mushrooms are from Nick Malgieri. Santa car is from the amazing Woodhouse Chocolate https://www.woodhousechocolate.com/.

Chocolate Cake Roll:

6 eggs, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

⅔ cup flour

⅓ cup + 1 Tbsp baking cocoa, divided

Pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla

3 Tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350*. Line a 11x15 rimmed baking sheet with foil, butter and dust with flour. Whisk eggs and sugar in a heat proof mixing bowl over a small pan with a couple inches of water in it. This is your double boiler. When the eggs are warm to the touch and the sugar has melted take off heat and transfer the mixing bowl to your stand mixer. Whip on medium high speed until egg mixture has greatly increased in volume and is very thick and pale, for about 5 minutes. Whisk flour, ⅓ cup cocoa and salt together in a small bowl. Sift over the egg mixture and gently fold in with a rubber spatula being careful not to deflate the eggs. Add in the vanilla and butter in the same manner. Spread in the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes. When baked remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of cocoa. Cover with a damp kitchen towel to steam\cool for about 5 minutes. Lift foiled edges from pan and using foil move cake onto countertop.

 Mousse Filling:

2 cups heavy cream

⅓ cup sour cream

4 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled a bit

1 tsp vanilla

⅔ cup fresh raspberries or cranberry sauce, optional

Whip cream to soft peaks in a food processor (or mixer). Add sour cream, melted chocolate and vanilla. Mix until just incorporated. Add in raspberries or cranberry sauce if using and spread over the cake. Starting with one short end of the cake, lift and roll the cake from the foil to the other end of the cake; over the desired platter. When it meets the end gently pull the last remaining bit of foil off the cake. Cut an angled slice off the end and place on top the cake as a topknot or broken branch. 

Ganache:

1 cup heavy cream  

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and pour in the chocolate chips. Stir until melted and the mixture is smooth. Allow to cool before pouring over your yule log. When ganache has set, use a fork to make “bark” swirls over the log. 

Chocolate Meringue Mushrooms:

3 large egg whites

¾ cup sugar

3 oz semi sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooling a bit

2 baking sheets lined with a silpat or parchment

Piping bag with a 1M tip

Preheat oven to 300 *

Set a pan with a couple cups of water on the stovetop; place your metal mixing bowl over it to create a double boiler.  Melt over medium heat both the sugar with the egg whites until the sugar is melted and the mixture is just warmed. Beat in a stand mixer with the wire whisk attachment until the eggs reach medium peaks and the whisk marks stay when whisk is lifted.  Fold in the somewhat cooled chocolate and pipe with a large round tip into mushroom caps and stems.  Bake for 10 minutes. let cool and insert stem into mushroom cap (ganache makes delicious glue).

Garnish cake and platter with chocolate meringue mushroom cookies and a dusting of powdered sugar.