Festive Yule Log Cake Recipes

FESTIVE YULE LOG 'CAKE' RECIPE

Steps:

• Pipe small amount of semi-sweet chocolate into spiral design on wafers; refrigerate until ready to use. Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add remaining melted chocolate; mix well. Gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat pudding mix and milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in COOL WHIP. Spread 1 rounded Tbsp. pudding mixture onto 1 graham square; cover with second graham square. Spread top with 1 rounded Tbsp. pudding mixture. Repeat with remaining graham squares and pudding mixture to form 12-inch loaf. Stand on edge on platter; frost with cream cheese mixture to resemble log.
• Run tines of fork over dessert to resemble tree bark. Refrigerate overnight. Meanwhile, make curls from white chocolate (see Tip); refrigerate until ready to use. Decorate with wafers, chocolate curls and raspberries. Cut into diagonal slices to serve.

FESTIVE YULE LOG CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Line greased 15x10x1-inch pan with parchment or waxed paper. Grease and flour paper; set aside. Beat first 4 ingredients in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Spread 3 cups batter into pan; tap pan gently on counter to remove any air bubbles. Pour remaining batter into 4 to 6 paper-lined muffin cups. Bake cake and cupcakes 15 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean.
• Meanwhile, place large sheet of parchment paper on top of clean kitchen towel; sprinkle evenly with 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar. Invert cake onto towel; remove pan and top sheet of parchment paper. Starting at 1 of the short ends, roll up cake with parchment paper and towel. Cool on wire rack 30 min. Remove cupcakes from pan to wire rack; cool completely. Set cupcakes aside for another use.
• Grate enough chocolate to measure 1 Tbsp. grated chocolate; set aside. Microwave remaining chocolate in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. or until partially melted. Stir until completely melted. Beat 1/2 cup powdered sugar and cream cheese spread in small bowl with mixer until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate.
• Unroll cake; remove paper and towel. Spread cake with cream cheese mixture; roll up. Refrigerate 30 min.; place on serving plate. Stir instant coffee granules into COOL WHIP; spread over log. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Cut into 20 (1/2-inch-thick) slices to serve. Sprinkle with reserved grated chocolate.

FLAMING YULE LOG CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 11-by-10-by-1-inch jelly roll pans with nonstick spray. Line each with parchment, then spray the parchment.
• In a large heatproof glass bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, vanilla, salt and eggs. Place the bowl over a saucepan with 1 inch of simmering water. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is warmed through, about 2 minutes. Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer) and beat until tripled in volume, about 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the chocolate and butter to a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between each, until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Add the flour and 1/2 cup of the cocoa powder to a sifter or fine-mesh sieve and sift into the egg mixture, then fold to combine. Pour the chocolate mixture into the batter and fold until it is completely combined, being careful not to overmix.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans (about 5 1/2 cups per pan). Use an offset or rubber spatula to smooth the tops. Bake until the cakes are set and a tester comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes.
• While the cakes are baking, sift the confectioners' sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons cocoa powder onto 2 clean kitchen towels that are as least as large as the cake pans.
• For the filling: To make the ganache, add the chocolate to a medium heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir together until completely smooth.
• Transfer the ganache to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whip attachment. Whip on medium-high until lighter in color and slightly aerated, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer 2 tablespoons to a small bowl and reserve.
• When the cakes are done, immediately run a butter knife around the edges to loosen them from the pans. Invert each cake onto a prepared towel. Remove the pans and peel off the parchment. Roll up each cake starting with one long side and using the towel as an aid. Transfer the cakes in the towels to a wire rack until mostly cool, 20 to 30 minutes.
• When cool, unroll one of the cakes. Spread half of the ganache over the cake. Reroll the cake, using the towel to help. Remove the towel, place the cake on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze. Repeat with the remaining cake and ganache, adding it to the same baking sheet in the freezer. Freeze for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
• For the topping: Stir together the gelatin and 1/3 cup cold water in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
• Combine the granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt and 2/3 cup water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved. (If any granules of sugar stick to the side of the pan, brush them back into the sugar-water mixture with a wet pastry brush.) Attach a candy thermometer to the pan and increase the heat to medium high. Cook until the mixture reaches 240 degrees F, about 5 minutes.
• With the mixer on low, slowly pour the sugar syrup into the softened gelatin. Once all the syrup is added, increase the speed to high and whisk until the mixture is very thick and holds stiff peaks, about 20 minutes. Stir in the vanilla.
• Remove the cakes from the freezer. Cut a 2- to 3-inch diagonal piece from the top end of one of the logs and place it on top of the log at an angle, using the reserved ganache to attach it; this will be a branch.
• Transfer the topping to a piping bag with a long flat tip and pipe the topping onto each cake in lengthwise lines, covering the entire cake. Smooth out the lines with a small offset spatula. (You can also spread the icing straight on the cake instead of piping.) Use the back side of a fork to make small patches of lines and swirls across the length of each log, mimicking the pattern of bark. Return to the freezer for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours.
• For the decorations: Meanwhile, prepare your fireplace. Place a roasting rack on a cast-iron griddle or large metal serving platter. Sprinkle the chocolate graham cracker crumbs underneath the rack and add a little confectioners' sugar to make the crumbs look like ash. Arrange the candy coal in the ash and add the gummies to resemble hot coals.
• When ready to serve: Remove the logs from the freezer and trim the ends to reveal the swirls. Place one frozen log in the roasting rack with the un-frosted bottom hidden. Use a kitchen blowtorch to char the marshmallow topping until it is deep brown. Place the second log on top of the first at an angle to look like logs in a fireplace and char with the kitchen blowtorch.
• Heat the brandy in a small saucepan over high heat until warm, about 30 seconds. Carefully carry the saucepan over to the Yule logs and light the brandy on fire using a long stick lighter. Pour the flaming brandy over the Yule logs and watch them burn. Slice and serve immediately.

FESTIVE YULE LOG "CAKE"

Steps:

• Pipe small amount of semi-sweet chocolate into spiral design on wafers; refrigerate until ready to use. Beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add remaining melted chocolate; mix well. Gradually beat in sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat pudding mix and milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in COOL WHIP. Spread 1 rounded Tbsp. pudding mixture onto 1 graham square; cover with second graham square. Spread top with rounded Tbsp. pudding mixture. Repeat with remaining graham squares and pudding mixture to form 12-inch loaf. Stand on edge on platter; frost with cream cheese mixture to resemble log.
• Run tines of fork over dessert to resemble tree bark. Freeze 4 hours or until firm. Meanwhile, make curls from white chocolate; refrigerate until ready to use.
• Remove dessert from freezer 30 min. before serving; refrigerate until slightly softened. Decorate with wafers, chocolate curls and raspberries.