Ye Old Yule Log

The Yule Log is a traditional German holiday cake.

The Tradition of the Yule Log:

My Yule Log

An extremely hard log which is burned in the hearth as a part of the traditional Christmas "Yule" celebration in many European Cultures (believed to have started in Germany.)  This tradition may have stemmed from the pagan Winter Solstice celebration.   But it was the French who took the Yule Log and made it into a cake called the Buche de Noel.

The Buche de Noel or the Yule Log comes in many flavors.  My mother prefers the chocolate and raspberry variety and many choose the all chocolate.  But traditionally its mocha flavored.

The recipe I used to create my Buche de Noel came from All Recipes.com
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chocolate-yule-log/

Ingredients:

CAKE:

• 5 eggs, separated
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 1/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Yule Log before Icing

• MOCHA CREAM FILLING:
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
• 
  
• MOCHA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup baking cocoa
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon brewed coffee
• 2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with parchment paper; grease the paper. 
3. Place egg whites in a small mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. 
4. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks on high until light and fluffy. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating until thick and lemon-colored. Combine flour, cocoa and salt; gradually add to egg yolk mixture until blended.
5. Beat egg whites on medium until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating on high until stiff peaks form. 
6. Stir a fourth into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining egg whites (a fourth at a time) until no streaks remain.
7. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. 
8. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until cake springs back (do not overbake). 
9. Cool for 5 minutes; invert onto a linen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Peel off parchment paper. Roll up in the towel, starting with a short side. Cool on a wire rack. 
10. In a mixing bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add sugar and coffee granules. Beat until stiff peaks form; chill. 
11. Unroll cooled cake; spread filling to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up again. Place on serving platter; chill.
12. In a mixing bowl, beat frosting ingredients until smooth. Frost cake. Using a fork, make lines resembling tree bark.

Some recipe notes:

• Rolling and unrolling the cake is the most difficult part of making the Yule Log.  Make sure you don't cool the cake for to long.  Roll the cake tightly in the towel and leave it rolled up as it cools.
• I baked the cake for 12 minutes exactly.  No longer.
• When folding in the egg whites in the cake make sure to be gentle.  Folding means to gently fold the batter around the whites, but you don't want to see the streaks of the egg whites, you want it well blended but your trying to keep the air in the batter (not deflate it).

Putting the Yule Log Together:

Once you roll the cake with the mocha cream filling you can either leave it as one long log or you can cut the ends off at an angle (make sure they are different sizes.) 

If you are going to cut off the ends you can reposition them to create "branches."  Place one end on the top (the smaller end) and the other coming out of the side.  There is no set rule, no logs look alike.  Whatever you decide to do, set it on a platter.

Once you have the log set and your Mocha Buttercream Icing prepared, use a spatula to spread it around the log.   Be sure to spread the icing around unevenly and using sporadic strokes, you don't want it to look perfect, its supposed to be wood, but remember to spread the icing "with the grain" of the log. You might have to take the end pieces off to cover the main log and to give them a good covering.   Then re-attach the pieces and using a dull knife or small spatula, spread some icing around the crevices between them.  Then take a fork and use the tip of the fork to create lines in the log.  Again remember to go "with the grain" of the log but don't make perfect straight lines.  

There are several options for finishing the sides.  Many yule log bakers choose to leave the ends open so you can see the inside of the rolled cake.  The light mocha cream rolled with the cake gives the look of the wood rings of the log.   I, however, thought that was to messy looking.  I covered the ends of my log (all 4) with the Mocha Buttercream.  Then I added a bit of confectionary sugar to the leftover mocha cream filling to make it a bit thicker.  I then spread that on top of the Buttercream forming a small circle on each end.   I took the Buttercream and filled a piping bag with it.  Using a small round tip (a 2 or a 3) I piped a circle around the mocha cream and then created the rings.

To decorate it I added Meringue Mushrooms and a few branches from my Christmas Tree.  


There are many other options... 


I've seen poinsettias (plastic or fondant), pine cones, holly leaves (plastic, real or fondant) with maraschino cherries as berries, fondant mushrooms.   There is no wrong answer.  So have fun with it.  


Here are some examples I found Doing a Google Search:

Yule Logs from another blog (Polyphagous dragon) and from Carousel Cakes

For comparison, here is the one my mom gets at her bakery.  This Yule Log is raspberry and chocolate:

Yule Log from Manhattan Sweets in Islip, NY

I am very happy about the outcome of my Yule Log!

Sources: allrecipes.com