BLACK FOREST YULE LOG

 

I must have been around 12 (it was the year 1992), when we received a yule log for Christmas from my father's friends. He had bought it from the bakery, obviously! fancy cakes were always store bought unlike now.

                    It was the first time I had seen such a fancy cake. We called it driftwood cake (coined by my mother). Every single day after eating after-school snacks, my brothers and I would slice a small piece of the driftwood cake and eat it slowly, enjoying every crumb of it. The taste and smell still lingers. It was the tastiest cake I had ever eaten. I tried to recreate the yule trying to get the taste and smell of the yule log that I had eaten, but honestly, I could not. Fed up with trying a number of recipes, I just took my black forest cake recipe and converted to a "black forest yule log". It does not taste like the yule log that I had eaten when I was a kid, but I am content with this.

The recipe is the same as the black forest cake recipe. I just converted the cake from a 3-egg sponge cake to a 4- egg sponge cake.

This dessert tastes best when refrigerated for at least 24 hours. 

INGREDIENTS

For the 4-sponge cake:

1. 4 eggs
2. 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar (The original recipe calls for 3/4 cup sugar, I have decreased 2 Tbsp. because the cake is coated with a layer of jam, I always aim for just the right amount of sugar/sweetness)
3. 5 Tbsp. natural or Dutch processed cocoa powder
4. 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or 1/2 cup minus 1 Tbsp. whole wheat flour, I have used chappathi flour)
5. 1/4 cup water
6. 1/2 tsp plus 1/8 tsp salt 

For the syrup:

1.  1/3 cup hot water (sugar not required)
2. 2 Tbsp. jam (I have used kissan mixed fruit jam)

For the whipped cream:

1. 2 cups heavy whipping cream
2. 4 Tbsp. sugar
3. 4 Tbsp. cocoa powder
4. 1/4 salt
5. 1 tsp vanilla essence

METHOD

• I have used a 9 by 13-inch pan for baking the sponge cake. Butter the pan on the sides and bottom. Then lay the parchment paper. Then butter the top of the parchment paper. 
• Buttering the pan and then the parchment paper, makes the cake easier to release without a lot of crumbs being wasted. Do all this, a day ahead. It will make the job easier.
  

• Mix the flour, salt. Stir well and keep aside, covered. Make-ahead.
  

• Separate the yolks and whites of the egg.
• After separating the eggs, pre-heat the oven to 225-degree F for 15 minutes.
  
  

• In a mixing bowl, add the egg whites and whip until stiff. The egg whites should be so stiff that there will be friction when you move the beaters around.
• Then add the egg yolks. Beat just until incorporated. 
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Then add the flour. Swirl your cake mixer around without turning it on. Doing this will avoid fly aways.
• Then turn on the cake mixer on low speed. Slowly beat the batter while increasing the speed gradually to high. Mix just until incorporated. You don't want to overdo the mixing. Remember , there is no leavening agent and the cake rises only with the help of the stiff egg whites.
  
  
  
  

• Now add the water and mix just until incorporated. The rest of the mixing can be done using a spatula.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Pour this into the prepared pan and bake at 225-degree F for 30 minutes and at 300-degree F for 15 minutes. Allow the cake to cool completely.
   
  
  
  

• Make the whipped cream . Click here for the method. Make sure that the whipped cream is not too stiff. If not carving the wood designs would be hard. 
• Now, time to make the log.
• Run a serrated knife around the edges around the edges. Loosen the parchment paper. No need to invert the cake.
• Soak the cake with the water.
  

• Let it set for 5 minutes. Microwave the jam  to soften it. Stir well . Add a few drops of water , to loosen , if required.
• Apply the jam on the syrup soaked cake.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Let the jam set for about 5 minutes. Two cups of whipped cream are more than enough to fill and cover the cake, so be generous with the filling.
• Then, apply the whipped cream. Spread it evenly, leaving some space around the edges. Be generous with the cream. Apply the cream thickly. The thicker insides will help the cake roll and maintain shape.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Now, it's time to roll the cake. Take an end of the parchment paper and start rolling as tightly as you can. The cake will crack, but that's okay. Rolling the cake tightly will give it a nice round look.
• Again, do not be afraid to roll the cake tightly. The cake will crack, but rest assured that the cracks can be covered and the rolled shape can be maintained.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Transfer the roll to a plate. Apply cream around , covering the roll.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• I like the design created by running the spatula. It gives a nice natural look.
• To get the driftwood effect , run a fork on the whipped cream.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Store the cake in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.  Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving. If its served right out of the fridge , it won't be sweet enough. The yule log has just the right amount of sweetness , ( I aim for that in all of my desserts) . No need to bring it back to room temperature but 30 minutes should suffice. 
  

NOTES

• When I am feeling lazy, I mix the jam with the said amount of water and pour that as a syrup instead of applying the jam separately.
• Forgot to soak the cake? No problem, its tastes good. Its just that the syrup/water adds moistness to the cake which will be missing. 
• Sometimes rolling the cake is a breeze and other times the cake roll end up being cracked. But that's ok , the cracks can be covered with the cream like shown in the picture below.
  

• For a more richer cream for the yule log make the chocolate mousse. You can find the chocolate mousse recipe here.