Video:How to Make A Buche de Noel

Transcript:How to Make A Buche de Noel

Ingredients for the Buche de Noel

For the cake, you will need:

• 4 eggs at room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier
• zest of one orange
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sifted cake flour

For the frosting, you will need:

• 7 egg whites at room temperature
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 6 ounces melted and cooled unsweetened chocolate
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups plus 3 tablespoons softened butter
• if you have them, meringue mushrooms

Make the Buche de Noel Cake

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a rimmed 10x15-inch baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray, cover it with parchment paper, and then spray the paper very well.

In the large bowl of a stand mixer, beat the 4 whole eggs on medium-high for five minutes, until they are thick and foamy. Then add the 2/3 cup of sugar, Grand Marnier, orange zest, vanilla extract, and salt to the eggs and beat them for two additional minutes.

Now take the bowl from the mixer and fold in the sifted flour by hand, adding it a few spoonfuls at a time. Be gentle as you fold it and stop as soon as it's incorporated, so that the cake does not become tough.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and gently smooth it into an even layer, being careful not to press down on it and cause it to deflate.

Bake the cake for 10 minutes, until the cake is just set and springs back when you press it. Sift a light layer of flour onto a clean, dry kitchen towel. Invert the cake onto the towel and peel off the parchment paper. Wait 3 minutes and then gently roll the cake, still in the towel, starting at the 10-inch end. Allow it to cool completely.

Make the Buche de Noel Frosting

While the cake is cooling, make the chocolate buttercream. In a small saucepan, combine the 2/3 cup water and 1-1/3 cup sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Insert a candy thermometer and allow the sugar syrup to boil without stirring until it reaches 245 degrees Fahrenheit. While the sugar syrup is boiling, place the 7 egg whites in a clean, completely dry bowl and beat the egg whites on high until soft peaks form.

Once the syrup is at 245F, with the mixer on high, pour the hot sugar syrup into the eggs in a slow, steady stream. Beat the meringue on high speed until it is room temperature and the bowl is not warm at all, about 5-10 minutes.

Add the softened butter to the meringue, 2 tablespoons at a time, while beating on high speed, until all of the butter is incorporated into the frosting. If the buttercream becomes runny at any time in this process, refrigerate the meringue until it has chilled through and continue the process of beating the butter into the meringue.

Pour the melted chocolate, espresso powder, and vanilla extract into the frosting and mix until they're completely incorporated.

Assemble the Buche de Noel

To assemble the buche de noel, unroll the cake and set aside the towel. Evenly spread about 2 cups of the chocolate buttercream on the inside of the cake and following its natural curve, gently form it into a cake roll. Cut off an end of the cake roll on the diagonal and put it on top of the cake to fashion a “branch” coming off the main log.

Transfer the cake to a serving tray lined with strips of waxed paper. Cover the outside of the buche de noel with a thick layer of chocolate buttercream so that the cake is entirely covered. Run a knife or a spatula over the frosting to give the cake the appearance of rough tree bark. Once it's completely frosted you can remove the waxed paper strips.

To complete the buche de noel, add a few meringue mushrooms, if you have them, and finish it off with a sprinkling of powdered sugar "snow." This yule log cake, with its delicious orange and chocolate flavor and beautiful appearance, is sure to be a hit during the holiday season.