Yule Log Cake
Course: DessertCuisine: EnglandDifficulty: Medium4
servings1
hour30
minutes15
minutes1
hour45
minutesI am always amazed at the power, warmth and beauty of a crackling fire. It’s ability to mesmerize and draw you into a story played out in glowing embers that pop and crackle as flames lick around the logs like eerie finger tips. Sparks like wee creatures escaping and flying skyward into the night. At this time of year when the sun plays hide and seek and Old Man Winter takes hold and freezes us with his icy breath something deep within, our hidden primal spirit longs to sit beside a roaring fire and soak up it’s warmth. This is where the celebration of Yule comes in.
Ingredients
- Cake Batter
4 eggs, separated
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cake flour, sifted with a pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
grated lemon peel
- Filling
1 cup of whipping cream
2 tbsp fine sugar or powdered sugar
grated orange peel
1/2 tsp orange extract
- Frosting
6 tbsp. butter
1 cup powdered sugar
6 tbsp. cocoa
2 to 3 tbsp heavy cream (whipping cream)
walnuts pieces or any other nut you prefer
Directions
- Cake
- Set oven to 400 f
- Grease a large shallow pan (jelly roll pan or deep cookie sheet) and line with parchment paper.
- Beat egg whites until foamy, slowly add sugar and beat until stiff.
- Fold in flour and salt.
- Mix vanilla, lemon peel and beaten egg yolks.
- Gently and quickly fold the 2 mixtures together.
- Spread over pan gently and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Turn out onto a tea towel dredged with powdered sugar.
- Fold into a loose roll. When cool, gently open and spread with filling then re-roll into a tighter spiral.
- Wrap cake with a tea towel or waxed paper and place into refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Frosting
- In mixer with beater attachment cream butter at high speed for a minute or two then reduce speed to low.
- Mix sugar and cocoa in a separate then add slowly add to butter.
- Once incorporated add cream 1 tbsp at a time and continue to beat until creamy.
- If frosting is too stiff add a little more cream a teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
- If frosting becomes to runny add a small amount of powdered sugar to bring it back.
- Frosting should be creamy and easy to spread.
- Frosting The Cake
- Remove cake from refrigerator and place on serving platter.
- Frost cake using a spatula or frosting knife to resemble tree bark.
- Arrange walnuts over top of log.
- You can decorate with artificial holly sprigs or make meringue mushrooms to add to cake.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving to look like a fresh dusting of snow.
Notes
- This cake is most often associated with the Yule and Christmas season however…you can use vanilla cake and turn this into a spring cake as well by decorating it with white vanilla icing and using a little chocolate to create a birch log affect. Top it with edible sugared flowers like pansies and jolly jump ups. Check my list of edible flowers that can add flavour, colour and texture to your desserts, salads and more.
