First Christmas Log Cake - Buche De Noël
Ingredients for the Chocolate Genoise
6 medium eggs (separate whites and yolks)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup 100% pure cocoa/cacao
Ingredients for the Ermine Frosting
2 cups liquid milk
2 cups brown sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder + 1 cup flour + 1/3 cup water
100g butter
150g Sélection Du Chef, puff pastry 100% vegetable margarine
Ingredients for the Chocolate Fudge
2 cups semi sweet dark chocolate
1 cup milk powder
1/4 cup water
Ingredients for the Sugar Leaves
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tiny drop of water
1 pinch of almond flavored blue food coloring
1 pinch of yellow food coloring
Dusting
Icing sugar and cocoa powder
Decorate with candied fruits
Methods
Prepare the Ermine Frosting
Take a thick skillet pan
Mix the milk and sugar.
Cook on high flames until the sugar dissolves.
In another bowl mix the flour and cocoa powder. Add 1/3
cup of water and mix. It will be quite lumpy.
Now use a strainer, strain the flour and cocoa sauce into the
milk. Cook on high flames by stirring constently until thick and gooey.
Cover with a plastic wrap or baking paper. Let cool until warm not cold.
Now for the butter, I have used half puff pastry's vegetable margarine which is suitable for warmer temperatures or high humidity. This is very important.
Melt the margarine and butter.
(NOTE -- No need to beat the butter until fluffy as the margarine
cannot be whipped as it is too solid, it can only be melted. Also I will use it for spreading only means it will not hold it's shape properly.
If you want a frosting that can hold it's shape, then use only butter. Beat until fluffy.)
Beat the warm NOT hot flour paste until creamy.
Add the melted margarine butter mixture into the warm, NOT hot flour paste.
Beat on high speed until creamy and get a spreading texture.
Cover with a plastic wrap or baking paper.
It can be refrigerated for 1 week!
For the chocolate log cake
Whisk lightly the yolks and sugar. Sift the cocoa powder and mix. Keep aside as it will need to be beaten again with electric beaters along with a little portion of the whipped whites.
Use a clean electric beaters, beat the whites on high speed until stiff peaks foam.
Grap a small portion of it, beat the chocolate yolk mixture until pale.
Gradually fold the chocolate yolk mixture into the whites.
Use a silicone spatula, fold gently until combined.
Line a 13" X 8" or 9" and 1" deep baking tray lined with non stick baking paper.
Pour the chocolate batter evenly and spread it with a spoon.
Bake for 20 minutes on 180℃ or until soft and springy when touched but NOT hard or wet. Do NOT overbaked.
Once baked, cover with a towel. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Take another non stick baking paper and dust with some icing sugar and keep aside.
Cut the edge of the cake sheet. Place the non stick baking paper and icing sugar on top of it. Invert and peel off the paper from the cake sheet.
Spread the Ermine frosting evenly. Spread it as thin as possible. Roll the first 2" then proceed to roll it into a log shape. The frosting may leak, freeze it until firm.
Prepare the fudge.
add 2 cups of semi sweet dark chocolate and 1 cup of milk powder. Add 1/4 cup of water.
Cook on low flames, stir until the mixture is melted and combined. Keep in freezer for 30 minutes until firm but still droppy in texture.
After the log and fudge is firm, pour the fudge into the log cake. Spread with a spoon. Keep back in freezer for another 30 minutes.
In the meantime, make the sugar leaves
Mix icing, water, flavor and food colorings. Knead with your fingers. You may need to moist your fingers if the paste is too dry to stick together like a dough.
Roll it flat between two non stick baking papers. Cut and divide in 4 equal sizes. Tuck the start and end of one portion of the paste to form a leaf. Mark the lines with a knife. Proceed for all.
Now once the cake is set, sprinkle with cocoa powder and make some wood like lines with a fork. Stick the leaves, stick some candied fruits or berries between the leaves
Dust with some icing sugar.
Storage:
- Store in refrigerated for a week or freezer for up to 1 month but without the sugar leaves. The leaves need to be store in airtight room temperature and use whenever you need. This can be stored for months!
It can be slice and serve immediately.
