Christmas Yule Log Recipes

CLASSIC YULE LOG

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan. Line with waxed paper. Grease paper.
• Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
• Beat together sugar and egg yolks at high speed until light and fluffy. At low speed, alternately beat milk and flour mixture into egg mixture.
• Using clean beaters, beat egg whites at high speed until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. Fold one third of beaten whites into batter. Fold in remaining whites. Spread batter in prepared pan; smooth top.
• Bake cake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) until set, 12 minutes.
• Dust a clean cloth with confectioners' sugar. Turn cake out onto prepared cloth. Remove waxed paper. Trim cake edges. Starting with a long side, roll up cake, jelly-roll style. Transfer, seam-side down, to a wire rack to cool for 30 minutes.
• Unroll cake; remove cloth. Spread whipped cream over cake to within 1 inch of edges. Re-roll cake. Place, seam-side down, on serving plate.
• To prepare frosting, in a small saucepan, bring heavy cream, melted chocolate, and butter to a boil over medium heat, stirring vigorously until blended. Remove from heat. Let stand until set. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake.
• To prepare garnish, dust work surface with confectioners' sugar. Knead food coloring into marzipan until blended. Using a rolling pin dusted with confectioners' sugar, roll marzipan to a 1/8-inch thickness. Using a small knife, cut out leaves. Arrange leaves, cinnamon candies, and snowmen on top of cake and around plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Enjoy!

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.

MAKE THIS YULE LOG RECIPE FOR CHRISTMAS

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350˚. Butter a 12-by-17- inch rimmed baking sheet. Line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides. Butter the parchment.
• Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until frothy. Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar and beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 2 minutes.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder in a medium bowl. In a separate large bowl, combine the egg yolks, the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the vanilla. Beat on high speed until thick and creamy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the melted butter and coffee until combined.
• Add the flour mixture to the yolk mixture and beat on low speed until well combined. Fold a spoonful of the beaten egg whites into the batter until no streaks remain. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites until combined.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, gently nudging the batter so it fills the corners. Give the pan a little shimmy to even it out. Bake until the top just starts to spring back when gently pressed, 10 to 12 minutes (the top might still feel a little tacky). Do not overbake or the cake will crack.
• Place a clean dish towel on a large wire rack. Dust with 2 tablespoons powdered sugar. While the cake is still hot, loosen the edges from the pan, then turn out the cake onto the towel; carefully remove the parchment. Dust the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons powdered sugar.
• Starting at one of the long sides, use the towel to tightly roll up the cake with the towel inside. Position the cake seam-side down and let cool about 1 hour.
• For the filling: Beat the cream cheese in a large bowl with a mixer on low speed until just smooth. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in the heavy cream 1/4 cup at a time, making sure the mixture is smooth before adding more cream. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until stiff peaks form, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat for a few more seconds, just to combine.
• Carefully unroll the cooled cake and spread evenly with the filling, leaving a 1/4- to 1/2-inch border on all sides. Re-roll the cake, using the towel to help you. Cover the cake roll with parchment paper and then tightly wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, for the frosting: Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring the heavy cream and corn syrup to a simmer in a saucepan, then pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Let thicken at room temperature until spreadable, about 2 hours.
• Unwrap the cake on a cutting board. Cut off one-fourth of the cake on a sharp diagonal for the branch. Position the branch against the remaining cake roll on a platter. Cover the cake with the frosting using an offset spatula, then drag a fork through the frosting to create a bark-like texture. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and pomegranate seeds.

YULE LOG

Steps:

• Butter a jelly roll pan, line with parchment paper, butter the paper and sprinkle with flour, tapping to remove excess flour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Meanwhile, place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until soft peaks form. Turn the machine up to high, and beat in the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar, continue to beat until shiny but not stiff. Add the flour to the yolk/sugar mixture and whisk to combine. Add l/4 of the egg whites to the yolk mixture, whisking to lighten the mixture. Then return the yolk mixture to the egg whites, and fold gently. Scrape into the prepared pan and even the top by running a long offset spatula across the surface. Bake until cake is golden brown and springs back when lightly touched, l2 to l5 minutes. Cool on a rack. Set aside.
• Place cooled hazelnuts on a kitchen towel and rub together to remove skins. Place the skinned hazelnuts in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for l minute. Add the hazelnut oil through the feeder tube and process until a paste forms.
• Melt chocolate in a medium bowl placed over simmering water, or melt in a microwave oven. Add the melted chocolate to the hazelnut paste and set aside.
• Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in the hazelnut/chocolate mixture. Keep covered in the refrigerator until needed.
• To assemble the cake roll:
• Trim the edges of the sponge cake. Place the Hazelnut mousse on the cake layer. Spread the mixture evenly over the cake, leaving a l inch space along the long side. Using the parchment paper to aid you, carefully roll up the cake into a thick log, enclosing the mousse. Leave the wrapped, rolled-up cake on the sheet pan and refrigerate until filling is firm, at least 2 hours.
• Melt the chocolate. In a small pot, heat the coffee and cocoa. Add the sour cream. In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the chocolate mixture and combine completely. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside until of spreading consistency.;
• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line l or 2 baking trays with parchment paper and set aside. Fit a large pastry bag with a #4 or #5 plain tip and set aside.
• Beat the egg whites on medium speed until frothy. Turn speed to high, slowly pour in half the sugar, add vanilla and continue to beat for l minute. Slowly pour in the remaining sugar and beat until the whites are very thick and shiny, about 3 to 4 minutes longer. Immediately spoon half the mixture into the prepared pastry bag. (Meringue will begin to break down if not used soon after it is ready.) Hold the pastry bag upright over the prepared baking trays, squeeze out 26 to 30 mushroom caps, making different sizes, placed about l inch apart. The caps can be different sizes, since real mushroom caps are never identical.
• Again, holding the bag upright over the other tray, lifting the bag as you squeeze out the meringue, form 26 to 30 stems, each l/2 inch to l inch high, placed about l inch apart.
• Place the trays in the oven and bake until the meringues are firm to the touch and can be lifted easily from the trays, about l l/2 hours. The meringues should be dry, but should not take on any color. Remove the trays to a cool dry spot. When cool, with a small knife, trim any pointed tips on the caps and stems, if desired.
• Melt the chocolate in a small bowl, and holding the caps upside down, spread a little chocolate on each one. Attach a stem and leave them upside down until the chocolate hardens. When ready, turn mushroom cap side up, and dust lightly with sifted cocoa.
• Set aside until ready to use for decoration.
• To decorate and serve:
• Remove pan with cake from refrigerator and place wrapped cake on a firm surface. Carefully unwrap cake. Using a serrated knife, from one end cut a 2-inch piece of cake on the diagonal. Set the cut piece aside.
• Cut out a piece of cardboard the length and width of the cake. Cover the cardboard with foil and place the cake on it. Spread a little frosting on the bottom of the small cut piece and set on top of the cake roll. Using a small spatula, spread the frosting over the entire cake as well as the small piece atop the cake. With a wooden skewer or the point of a small knife, make furrows to simulate bark along the sides and top of the cake.
• Arrange Christmas greens, plastic holly, and Meringue Mushrooms around the Yule Log. Sift powdered sugar over the whole thing to simulate snow. Fresh cranberries can be scattered around for added color.

CHOCOLATE YULE LOG

Steps:

• Place egg whites in large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Line a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan with waxed paper; grease the paper and set aside. , Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks on high speed for 5 minutes or until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually beat in 1/3 cup sugar. Sift flour, baking cocoa, baking powder and salt together twice; gradually add to yolk mixture and mix well (batter will be very thick). , With clean beaters, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold into batter. Spread evenly into prepared pan. , Bake until cake springs back when lightly touched, 10-12 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with cocoa powder. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in towel, jelly-roll style, starting with a short side; cool completely on a wire rack., Meanwhile, for the filling, beat cream in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and almond extract, beating until stiff peaks form. Unroll cake; spread filling to within 1 in. of edges. Roll up again. , In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in chocolate, milk and vanilla until smooth. Frost the cake, using a metal spatula to create a bark-like effect.

YULE LOG

Steps:

• Separate the 5 yolks from whites, obviously into two separate bowls. Place egg whites in a small mixing bowl and let the whites stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or more.
• Grease a baking pan, then line the pan with parchment paper. Finally, grease the parchment paper. I use Crisco (a vegetable shortening) as the grease, but you could use butter, margarine or even (yuck) animal lard. This recipe presumes a 15 inch by 10 inch by 1/2 inch deep pan, but you can use a pan that is larger in any dimension(s), and just crimp the parchment paper at the proper dimensions.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks on high until they are light and fluffy. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating for a few minutes, until thick and lemon-colored.
• In a dry bowl, combine the 1/2 cup cake flour, 1/4 cup baking cocoa (powdered cocoa) & 1/4 teaspoon salt with a whisk.
• Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture and blend on medium, until well mixed.
• Beat egg whites (in a separate clean bowl) on medium until foamy. Add the 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar. Continue to beat until soft peaks form. then, slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, beating on high until stiff peaks form.
• Slowly and gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate flour mixture, until no streaks remain.
• Gently spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven at 350° for about 12 minutes or until cake springs back (do not over bake; certainly not more than 15 minutes. It is better to under bake rather than over bake!).
• Cool the cake for 5 minutes, then invert onto a linen towel dusted with confectioners' sugar (or another piece of parchment paper, dusted with the powdered sugar). Peel off parchment paper.
• Roll the cake up in the towel or paper, starting with a short side. Then let it cool on a wire rack. The cake portion is now done! If you need to take a break, put the cake in a sealed container or plastic bag.
• MAKING THE FILLING. Alternatives: [1] If you are in a hurry or want a white filling, you could instead just use a topping like "Cool Whip"; but it would need to be served within hours, before the Cool Whip melted and went flat. [2] Another white filling can be made by whipping 1 cup of whipping cream until it is light and fluffy, then beating in 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Obviously, this requires the cake to be kept refrigerated, except when serving it. [3] For a white, vanilla buttercream filling, see the "white buttercream filling recipe" at the bottom of this page; [4] For a chocolate buttercream filling, see the "chocolate buttercream filling recipe" at the bottom of this page; [5] For a mocha (coffee) filling, add 1 tablespoon of instant coffee granules to any of these above.
• Whip 4 egg whites in a clean dry mixing bowl until fluffy peaks form.
• Add the 1 and a half cups of powdered (icing or confectioner's sugar) to the mixer. Then add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 cup powdered baking cocoa. Whip briefly, but to a uniform color.
• Unroll the cake! If you want to make two shorter cakes, simply cut the cake in half before unrolling it. The advantage of this is, you can make one with chocolate filling, the other with a white filling, or mocha, etc.
• Spread it about at least 1/4 inch thick, up to a maximum of 1/2 inch thick.
• Gently and loosely roll the cake, not squeezing! You don't want to squeeze out the filling. Again, the chocolate filling is on the left, the white buttercream (or whipped cream) is on the right. Now, while the white icing looks better, the chocolate tastes much better -- in my opinion.
• MAKING THE ICING / FROSTING: Alternatives: If you are in a hurry, you can use a pre-made, store-bought can of chocolate frosting / icing, instead.
• In a mixing bowl add 1.5 cups confectioners' sugar (also called powdered sugar and in the UK, icing sugar) , 2 egg whites, 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1 teaspoon lemon juice & 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, then whip it up in your electric mixer.
• Add the cocoa, and mix with the mixer until uniform.
• Gently slurp the icing on the cake (top and ends). Note: the log in the photo appears short because I cut the roll in half to make two short logs, rather than one long log.
• I use a pastry blending knife to make the lines in the icing to look like a log! I just drag the front of it across the log. Of course, you can buy special decorating tools for this, also.
• You can also dust it with powdered sugar, to simulate snow!

CHRISTMAS YULE LOG

Steps:

• Mix instant pudding,1 cup milk add 1 cup Cool Whip.
• Frost wafers with the pudding mixture,using about 1 Tablespoon of mixture on each wafer.
• Top the last wafer with the 9th. wafer.
• Do this so you have 4 stacks of 9 wafers with the pudding mixture between them.
• Lay the stacks down on serving tray,side by side not end to end, so you have a long, thick log.
• Frost the entire log with Cool Whip.
• Top the log with chocolate curls,crushed candy or crushed cookies.
• Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving so the wafers become soft.
• Slice and serve.

CHRISTMAS YULE LOG (BUCHE DE NOEL) RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• To prepare the pastry cream, whisk together 1/3 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch, and the cocoa powder in a small bowl until evenly mixed. Add the eggs and whisk until fully incorporated. Set aside. Bring the milk and 2 Tbsp sugar to a simmer in a small pot. Slowly pour the milk into the cocoa mixture, whisking constantly, until fully combined. Add the mixture back to the pot, and cook on medium-low heat, until thickened, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Stir in the vanilla. Pour the mixture into a small glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic onto the cream so that it doesn't form a skin. Refrigerate until needed. To prepare the sponge roll, place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Lightly spray an 11" x 17" jelly roll pan. Line the pan with parchment paper, and then lightly spray again. Whip together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar, and the vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer (fitted with the whisk attachment) until pale yellow and creamy. Carefully fold in the sifted cake flour, then pour the entire mixture into a separate bowl and set aside. After cleaning the bowl of the stand mixer, whip the egg whites with the whisk attachment until frothy. Keep the mixer running and add the salt followed by sugar. Whip until firm peaks form. Fold the egg white mixture into the cake batter, in 3 batches, until fully incorporated. Be careful not to over mix. Pour the batter onto the prepared jelly roll pan, spreading evenly. Bake for 5-7 minutes, until it's light golden brown and springy to the touch. Let the cake cool completely. To prepare the ganache, place the chocolate chips in a medium-size bowl and set aside. Bring the cream and the corn syrup to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate chips. Let the mixture stand for a couple of minutes, and then lightly whisk until the chocolate chips are melted and the mixture is fully incorporated. Refrigerate the ganache for 45 minutes, or until set but still spreadable. To assemble the log, place the sponge roll upside-down on a sheet of parchment paper. Carefully remove the paper on which the cake was baked. Evenly spread the chocolate pastry cream all over the cake. Carefully roll the cake, starting with the widest end, to create a long log. Tightly wrap the cake in the parchment paper and twist the ends to secure. Freeze the cake for 90 minutes. Slice a 1" piece of cake from each end of the log. Spread a thin layer of chocolate ganache all over the cake-except for the ends of the log-and freeze for another 45 minutes. Evenly spread the remaining ganache on the cake and use a fork to create a bark-like texture. Decorate with your choice of garnishes. Keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve.

YULE LOGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Make the cakes: Line two 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, and lightly coat with spray. Beat egg yolks with a mixer on high speed until pale yellow and thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.
• Beat egg whites in a clean mixer bowl on medium speed until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Raise speed to medium-high; slowly add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
• Fold yolks into egg-white mixture using a rubber spatula, being careful not to deflate whites. Sift cocoa and flour over top; gently fold to combine. Pour into prepared sheets, and gently smooth tops using an offset spatula.
• Bake until cakes spring back when touched, 9 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, line 2 wire racks with parchment paper, and lightly coat with spray. Remove cakes from oven, and immediately turn out each onto a prepared rack. Peel parchment from cakes. Let stand until cooled completely.
• Assemble the cakes: Place 2 clean kitchen towels on work surface, and transfer each cake (with parchment) to a towel. Divide caramel cream evenly between cakes. Spread, using an offset spatula, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges.
• Tightly roll 1 cake into a log, starting with a short end, removing parchment as you work. Tightly wrap log in kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining cake. Transfer wrapped logs, seam side down, to a baking sheet, and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
• Unwrap each log. Lightly dust work surface with cornstarch or confectioners' sugar. Roll out half the fondant to 1/4-inch thickness. Place an 8-by-12-inch food-safe wood-grain texture mat on fondant, and press hard, using a rolling pin, to make an indentation. Gently remove mat, and generously rub fondant with cocoa. Brush off excess cocoa.
• Drape 1 cake log with fondant sheet. Shape fondant to fit log using your hands, and trim ends and cut away excess with a paring knife or a pizza cutter. Transfer to a serving platter. Repeat with remaining fondant, cocoa, and cake log. Serve with sugared white pine needles and milk-chocolate pinecones if desired.