For Christmas dessert this year, I wanted to make a traditional Yule Log to go along with our assortment of homemade cookies (assuming I keep one of my New Years resolutions - to update this blog more frequently - you may see these recipes here, too!). I had to adapt a Martha Stewart recipe I found, as my mom can't eat nuts. I also wanted something using Nutella, because, well, because it's Nutella. My little sous chef helped with the frosting and decorating on Christmas Day, which is really suprising given the fact she had so many new toys to play with.
So the good... this was one of the best desserts I think we've made. The sponge cake was so easy to make - I thought it would be tricky but it was so simple. It was beautiful and tasted great.
And the bad... nothing! Not one complaint or change I'd make the next time!
Side note... while preparing to make this I found that I have two cookie sheet pans and no jelly roll pans. So guess what is on my Christmas list next year... I just took the cookie sheet pan and stretched some crumpled tin foil across one end to make it approximately the size of a jelly roll pan and it worked perfectly.
Chocolate Yule Log
adapted from Martha Stewart
- Nonstick cooking spray, for pan
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
- Chocolate-Hazelnut Filling (see below)
- Hazlenut Buttercream Frosting (see below)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 10 by 15 inch jelly roll pan with nonstick cooking spray; line bottom with parchment paper. Coat paper with cooking spray. set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks with 1/2 cup granulated sugar until pale yellow. Whisk in almond extract and flour just until combined (do not overmix); set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. While beating, slowly add remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar (1 tablespoon at a time) and beat until stiff and glossy. Whisk one third of beaten egg whites into yolk mixture; gently fold in remaining whites with a rubber spatula. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan; bake until center of cake springs back when lightly pressed; 15 to 17 minutes.
- Immediately after removing cake from oven, run a knife around edge of pan. Dust top of cake with confectioners' sugar; invert cake onto clean parchment paper, and gently peel off the linging paper that's now on top of the cake. Starting from a short side of cake, gently roll cake, along with clean paper, into a log; let cool, seam side down, 30 minutes.
- Once cake has cooled, prepare filling and frosting. Gently unroll cake, and spread with filling, leaving a 1/2 inch border; starting from a short side, carefully re-roll (do not roll paper in cake), and place, seam side down, on a baking sheet or serving platter. Spread log with frosting; sprinkle with shaved chocolate.
- To serve, use a serrated knife to slice off the ends of the log neatly, revealing interior.
Chocolate-Hazelnut Filling
- 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (from a 1/4 ounce envelope)
- 1/4 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Place 2 tablespoons cold water in a small saucepan; sprinkle with gelatin, and set aside to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk chocolate-hazelnut spread with 1/4 cup cream; set aside.
- Heat gelatin mixture very gently over low, stirring just until dissolved; set aside.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat remaining 1 cup cream with sugar until soft peaks form. While still beating, pour dissolved gelatin mixture over cream all at once (gently reheat gelatin mixture if it has stiffened).
- Fold half of whipped cream into chocolate-hazelnut spread mixture.
Hazelnut Buttercream Frosting
½ c butter,
softened
½ c crisco
4 cups powdered
sugar
pinch of salt
3 - 4 tablespoons
hazlenut flavored coffee creamer
Beat butter until creamy. Add salt. Add
powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until combined. Add creamer 1 tablespoon
at a time until you reach desired consistency.
