Dandelion Chocolate Buche de Noel / Yule Log

 Maria took a Buche de Noel baking class at Dandelion chocolate this year and was excited to make one for Christmas. There were a few slip ups but ultimately it did become a delicious rolled cake that looked like a log! recording the recipe and notes here for future use.

There are 4 parts to this recipe: The cake, the frosting, the sugared cocoa nibs and meringue mushrooms. This is a 2-day project!

Day before:

Prep the Chocolate Whipped Cream frosting an sugared cocoa nibs. Meringues might also be done this day or on the main baking day.

Chocolate Whipped Cream frosting:

• 410 g cream (almost a pint)
• 50 g milk
• 60 g sugar
• 80g ~75% chocolate

1. Combine the cream, milk and sugar and heat to a simmer. Pour over the chocolate and let sit for a couple of minutes to melt the chocolate. blend with immersion blender to emulsify. Chill overnight
2. the rest of the steps are for the main baking day.

Sugared Cocoa Nibs

• 60 g sugar
• 10 g water
• 60 g cocoa nibs

1. Dissolve the sugar in the water and bring to a boil in a small saucepan.
2. Stir in the cocoa nibs. Reduce the heat and stir rapidly until syrup crystallizes around the nibs. (This took longer than I expected but did eventually dry out. Keep stirring!)
3. Shake off excess sugar in a strainer
4. Save for later.

Meringues

• 4 egg whites, room temp
• 100 g sugar
• 100 g powdered sugar, sifted (keep separate from the granulated sugar)

1. Whisk egg whites in mixer using whisk until they are frothy (in the class, he said until it looks like the froth on a poured beer). Gradually add the granulated sugar in a very fine stream and whip until the mixture is thick, glossy, with stiff peaks. THEN fold in the powdered sugar.
2. Scoop the meringue into a piping bag and cut the end. Pip mushroom caps and stems onto a parchment lined sheet pan.
3. Bake at 200 F until the meringue is crisp, about 1 hour (some of mine took 10-20 minutes longer if they were bigger)
4. Hollow the caps with the point of a knife and attach the stems with a dab of melted chocolate.

Main baking day!

Bake the cake, frost, roll, and frost. Decorate with meringues.

The Cake

• 225 g 75% ish chocolate
• 75 g hot water (hotter than the melted chocolate)
• 8 eggs, separated, room temp
• 150 g sugar
• pinch salt

1. Preheat the oven to 325F. Prepare a half-sheet pan by spraying the rim with pan spray and lining with parchment paper with a slight overhang.
2. Melt the chocolate (microwave is fine!)
3. Using an electric mixer with whisk attachment, whip egg yolks with half the sugar until very thick and light, about 5 minutes.
4. In a super clean bowl and with clean dry whisk, whip egg whites at medium speed until foamy and opaque, then gradually add remaining sugar. Whip until firm peaks. 
5. Stir the hot water into the chocolate, being careful to smooth out any lumps. Soften the mixture by stirring in a small portion of the whipped egg whites.
6. Fold the whipped yolks mixture into the melted chocolate. Then fold in the rest of the egg whites. Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly. 
7. Bake for about 11 minutes (I think mine needed 2 more minutes). Let it cool and settle a bit in the pan. Free the cake from the edges of the pan with a knife, cover with a clean sheet of parchment paper, and flip onto a second half sheet pan. Remove the cake from the pan and peel away the parchment paper. invert so the cake is right side up.

Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting (pt 2)

• Transfer the chilled cream/chocolate mixture into your electric mixer with whisk attachment. Whip to soft peaks.

Assemble!

• Spread about half of the whipped cream in a thin layer on the flat cake, leaving about 2 inches uncovered on the long side closest to you. 
• Carefully roll the cake using the parchment paper to guide it, starting from the unfrosted edge closest to you. start with a tight fold (cake will likely crack a bit, don't give up!) and keep rolling. Wrap in paper and round it out. Chill in fridge to firm up slightly. 
• Bring the cake out of the fridge. Trim rough edges a bit (snack time!). Cut a small edge at a diagonal for the tree branch and place somewhere at the side or top of the cake.
• Apply the rest of the whipped cream all over the outside of the cake. Use a large fork to comb the edges and give a tree-bark like texture. 
• Remember those cocoa nibs we made yesterday? press them using a bench scraper to the case of the log to create a tidy finish. 
• Garnish with meringue mushrooms and any other decorations just before serving.
• Can be refrigerated if not serving right away. Can be safe at room temp for a couple hours if not wanting to serve totally cold. Whipped Cream will stay pretty soft even straight from the fridge.