Q1: What is the absolute, number one secret to a cake roll that doesn't crack?

The secret is to roll the cake up in a towel while it is still hot from the oven . This crucial step is what "trains" the cake into a spiral shape while it is at its most pliable, which is the key that prevents it from cracking when you unroll and fill it later.

Q2: Can I make this cake ahead of time for a party?

Yes, this is a perfect make-ahead dessert! In fact, it is even better when it is made a day in advance. The chilling time in the refrigerator allows the filling to firm up and the flavors to meld, which makes for beautiful, clean slices.

Q3: My Swiss Meringue Buttercream looks like cottage cheese! What did I do wrong?

You did nothing wrong! That curdled, broken appearance is a completely normal stage of making a Swiss Meringue Buttercream. The secret is to have faith and to just keep beating . After a few more minutes of whipping on a medium-high speed, it will magically come back together into a perfectly smooth and silky frosting.

Q4: Can I make this with a different kind of cake or filling?

Of course! A classic Bûche de Noël is a fantastic canvas for all sorts of flavor combinations. A simple vanilla sponge with a chocolate buttercream or a spice cake with a classic vanilla buttercream would also be delicious and festive.

Q5: What is a Genoise sponge?

A Genoise is a classic Italian sponge cake that gets almost all of its leavening from the air that has been whipped into the eggs. It has a wonderfully light, airy, yet slightly dry texture that is perfect for soaking up syrups or for being rolled with a rich filling, as in this recipe.

Ultimate Bûche de Noël (A Classic Christmas Yule Log!)

Bûche de Noël (A Classic Christmas Yule Log!)

A classic and elegant recipe for a Bûche de Noël, or Yule Log, a traditional French Christmas cake. This showstopper dessert features a light, chocolate sponge cake (génoise) that is filled with a rich, coffee-flavored Swiss meringue buttercream. The cake is rolled into a log, frosted with more buttercream, and scored with a fork to resemble the bark of a tree. The final, whimsical presentation is achieved by decorating the log with homemade, edible marzipan mushrooms, holly, and pine cones, all dusted with a ‘snow’ of cocoa powder and confectioners’ sugar.

Author: Grace

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Genoise Sheet:
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cake flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa
Butter and flour for the pan
For the Coffee Buttercream:
4 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
2 tablespoons rum or brandy
For the Marzipan Decorations:
8 ounces almond paste
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 to 5 tablespoons light corn syrup
Cocoa powder, red and green liquid food coloring

Instructions

Make the Genoise Cake: Preheat the oven to 375°F (inferred temperature for genoise). Butter a 10×15-inch jelly-roll pan, line it with parchment, and butter the parchment.
Beat the eggs, egg yolks, salt, and sugar in a mixer over a bowl of simmering water until warm, then whip on high speed until thick and tripled in volume. Sift the cake flour, cornstarch, and cocoa together. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture in thirds.
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cake springs back. Immediately invert the cake onto a clean towel dusted with cocoa powder, peel off the parchment, and roll the cake up with the towel. Let it cool completely in the rolled shape.
Make the Coffee Buttercream: Whisk the egg whites and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer over simmering water until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is hot.
Transfer the bowl to the mixer and whip with the whisk attachment on medium speed until cooled and stiff peaks form. Switch to the paddle attachment, beat in the softened butter a few pieces at a time, and continue beating until the buttercream is smooth.
Dissolve the instant espresso powder in the rum or brandy, then beat this mixture into the buttercream.
Assemble the Roulade: Gently unroll the cooled cake. Spread half of the buttercream evenly over the inside. Reroll the cake into a tight cylinder. Transfer to a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set.
Make the Marzipan Decorations: In a mixer, combine the almond paste and confectioners’ sugar, adding corn syrup a little at a time until a kneadable dough forms.
Divide the marzipan and color portions with cocoa powder (for mushrooms and pine cones), green food coloring (for holly leaves), and red food coloring (for holly berries). Shape the colored marzipan into mushrooms, leaves, berries, and pine cones.
Finish the Cake: Trim the ends of the chilled cake roll. Cut one end off at a diagonal and attach it to the side of the log with buttercream to resemble a branch.
Frost the entire outside of the log and branch with the remaining buttercream. Use the tines of a fork to create a bark-like texture.
Arrange the marzipan decorations on the cake. Dust with confectioners’ sugar to look like snow and serve.

Notes

This is a classic, multi-step showstopper dessert for the holidays. It is best to plan this as a multi-day project.
The buttercream is a Swiss meringue style, which involves heating the egg whites and sugar before whipping.
Rolling the warm sponge cake in a towel to cool is a crucial step that ‘trains’ the cake and prevents it from cracking when it’s filled and rolled later.
The marzipan decorations are a traditional part of the Bûche de Noël and can be made a day or two in advance.

Find it online: https://www.eatswithsoul.com/ultimate-buche-de-noel/