Black Forest Yule Log Recipes

YULE LOG

Steps:

• In a bowl, beat egg yolks, sugar and vanilla on high until thick and lemon-colored, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low; beat in chocolate and water until blended. Add flour and baking soda; mix well. , In another bowl, beat egg whites on high until stiff peaks form. Fold in the chocolate mixture. Spread evenly in a greased and floured 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. , Meanwhile, sprinkle a kitchen towel with confectioners' sugar. Invert cake onto the towel. Starting from a short end, roll up cake in the towel. Place seam side down on a wire rack to cool completely. , Unroll cake; spread coconut-pecan frosting to within 1 in. of edges; roll up cake without the towel. Cut and reserve a narrow diagonal slice from each end of the cake. Attach diagonal cake slices with a little of the chocolate frosting to opposite sides of cake. With remaining chocolate frosting, frost the top and side of the cake. With the tines of a fork, make strokes in the frosting to resemble bark on a tree trunk. , For the mushrooms, half large marshmallows widthwise for mushroom caps. Attach cut side of caps to mini marshmallows for stems. Dust tops of mushrooms and log with cocoa; place mushrooms around the log.

BLACK FOREST YULE LOG

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375F while you line a 33 x 23-cm Swiss roll tin with non-stick baking parchment.
• Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir in the brandy and cool a little while you whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl, again over a pan of simmering water, until the mixture becomes thick and creamy.
• Combine the cooled chocolate and egg yolk mixture. Grind the hazelnuts and fold into the chocolate mixture.
• In a grease-free bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold into the chocolate mixture with a metal spoon until no whites can be seen.
• Pour into the prepared Swiss roll tin and spread evenly. Cook in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the sponge springs back when lightly pressed. Lay a sheet of baking parchment on a wire rack and turn the cake out into it. Cover with a clean damp tea towel before peeling off the lining parchment. Trim the edges.
• Transfer the cake and parchment to the work top. Roll up the cake with the parchment inside and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
• Fold the brandy into the cream. Unroll the cake, spread the cream over the surface, leaving a 1/2-in gap along one long edge. Scatter with the cherries and roll up. Dust with icing sugar and decorate with holly to serve.