Buche de Noel

Here is one of our favorite Christmas recipes – a Yule log. We make a double batch and turn it into an extra long log.

Cake:  
3 eggs
1 C sugar
1/3 C water
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 flour
1/4 C cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan (10×15-inch pan) with waxed paper; grease paper.

Beat eggs in large mixing bowl on high speed until thick and lemon-colored – about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in 1 C sugar. Beat in water and vanilla on low speed. Add in flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt, mixing just until smooth. Pour batter into jelly roll pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes, then turn out onto dish towel sprinkled (generously) with powdered sugar. Remove waxed paper and roll up cake and towel from short end. Set aside to cool.

While cake is cooling, beat 1 C whipping cream, 1/3 C sugar and 2 tsp vanilla until stiff. Unroll cake and spread whipped cream over cake. Roll up again without the towel and transfer seam side down to a serving plate. Cut off one end of the cake on the diagonal, slice into two or three pieces and place as branches/knots on the cake.

Frosting
1/3 C cocoa
1/3 C butter, softened
2 C powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1-2 Tbsp hot water

Beat cocoa, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla in mixing bowl. Add hot water a little at a time until frosting is smooth and of spreading consistency, then scrape bowl and beat a little longer until fluffy.

Cover with frosting, making strokes with tines of a fork to resemble bark. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar “snow.” We sometimes even make meringue mushrooms to go along with the forest look!
Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 10-12 servings.