 |
| Picture fromfoodiebaker Image Credit:Jasline |
MerryChristmas – Chocolate Log Cake
“You may endup with extra butter cream for this recipe. Store the extra in the refrigeratorand use it to frost cupcakes!” Jasline
Ingredients:
ChocolateSwiss Roll:
½ cup plainflour
5 tablespoongood-quality cocoa powder
4 eggs
½ cupcaster/granulated sugar
3 tablespoonhot, melted butter
PeanutButter Frosting:
6 tablespoonsicing sugar
5 tablespoonsunsalted butter, at room temperature
5 tablespoonssmooth, creamy peanut butter, at room temperature
ChocolateMeringue Butter cream:
½ cup darkchocolate
½ cup eggwhites, room temperature
5 tablespoongranulated sugar
½ cup unsaltedbutter, diced and chilled
Preparation:
ChocolateSwiss Roll:
Grease a 9×15inch sheet pan (0.5 inch in height), and line the bottom and the sides with
parchment paper.
Preheat theoven to 375°F.
Sift theflour and cocoa powder together thrice. Set aside.
Place theeggs in a metal pot.
Whisk in thesugar until combined.
Set the potover gentle heat and whisk constantly, until the mixture is foamy and thetemperature
is warm, that of baby’s milk.
Remove fromheat and transfer the mixture into a mixing bowl.
Whip themixture with an electric mixer on high speed until the mixture is no longerfoaming and
the bubbles disappeared.
Whip untilthe mixture has tripled in volume and is thick and rich.
Switch to thelowest speed and whip for 1 minute, until the mixture leaves a trail for ashort
while, before merging with the mixture.
Sift theflour mixture over the egg mixture in three parts, gently folding the flourinto the egg
mixture until thoroughly combined.
Thereshouldn'tbe any flour pockets visible and do not over-mix.
Pour a coupletablespoonfuls of cake batter into the hot, melted butter and fold until thebutter
has been incorporated into the cake batter.
Pour themixture back into the cake batter and fold it in gently.
Transfer thecake batter into the sheet pan.
Tilt thesheet pan so the batter spreads out evenly and drop it several times on thecounter top
to burst the uneven air bubbles.
Bake in themiddle rack for 10 to 15 minutes until the cake springs back when touchedgently
and a skewer inserted into thecenterof the cake comes out dry.
While thecake is baking, sprinkle a clean tea towel with granulated / caster sugar.
When the cakeis done, remove it from the oven and set it aside for 1 minute.
Turn thesponge out onto the tea towel with sugar.
Roll up thecake firmly from the shorter end and set it aside to cool completely.
PeanutButter Frosting:
In a mediumbowl, use an electric mixer and beat the icing sugar, butter and peanut butteruntil
smooth and creamy.
Set it aside.
ChocolateMeringue Butter cream
Place thedark chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
Place theheatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, ensuring that the water do nottouch
the bottom of the heatproof bowl.
Stir thechocolate occasionally until all the chocolate has melted.
Alternatively,microwave the chocolate on medium-high, checking the chocolate every 30
seconds, until the chocolate looks shiny.
Stir thechocolate until all has melted, heating it if needed.
Leave thebowl of chocolate aside to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
Place the eggwhites in a different heatproof bowl.
Place thebowl over a pan of simmering water, again ensuring that the water do not touchthe
bottom of the bowl.
Use a whisk and whisk the egg whites, addingthe sugar in 3 batches.
Whisk the eggwhites + sugar mixture until the mixture is warm like baby’s milk and that allthe
sugar has dissolved.
Test it bydipping your fingers into the egg whites and rubbing it against your fingers toensure
all sugar has dissolved.
Remove theegg whites mixture from the heat.
Using anelectric beater now, beat the egg whites mixture on high speed until the eggwhites
had cooled down completely and the mixture is thick and glossy (stiffpeaks).
The eggwhites will not slide even when the bowl is overturned.
Beat in theunsalted butter cube by cube.
The mixturewill become very watery and seems like the butter cream has failed.
But fret not!
After addingall of the butter, the mixture will gradually come together and become a creamy
and smooth butter cream.
Add in thecooled, melted chocolate (hot, melted chocolate may end up cooking the eggs, so
make sure it’s completely cooled!).
Beat with theelectric mixer on low speed until fully incorporated.
Assembly:
Unroll thecooled Swiss roll.
Spread aneven layer of Peanut Butter cream on the Swiss roll and roll it up to form alog.
Cut out ashort section of the Swiss roll at a diagonal to from the branch.
Spread someChocolate Meringue Butter cream on one end of the branch and join it to the
remaining section of the Swiss roll.
Spread a thinlayer of Chocolate Meringue Butter cream all over the log cake.
Refrigerateit for 10 minutes.
Spread aneven layer of the remaining Chocolate Meringue Butter cream all over the logcake.
Refrigeratefor 30 minutes.
Using a fork,draw lines all over the log cake and use a skewer to draw a spiral on the endsof
the log cake.
Decorate withChristmas decorations.
Refrigerateuntil ready to serve.
Enjoy thisrecipe and many more when visiting foodiebaker
