Yule Log Cake

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Separate the egg whites from the yolks, placing the whites in a large mixing bowl & the yolks in a small bowl. Using an electric hand mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites until stiff.

Step 2

When the eggs whites start to stiffen, add the sugar & continue beating.

Step 3

Lower the speed to medium & add the egg yolks, one yolk at a time, beating after each addition.

Step 4

Sift the flour, baking powder & a pinch of salt into the batter, using a fine-mesh sieve. Then gently fold the ingredients together with a rubber spatula.

Step 5

Spread the batter onto a baking sheet (or jelly roll pan) lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12 minutes at 350°F.

Step 6

Meanwhile, finely chop the chocolate, using a chef's knife. (You could also use baking chocolate chips.) Cut the butter into small pieces.

Step 7

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler, or heat-proof bowl set over a small pot of boiling water. Once melted, remove from heat & add the pieces of butter. Mix with a rubber spatula until smooth & creamy.

Step 8

Remove the cake from the oven & gently flip it over onto a clean damp kitchen towel. (Note: Don't use a towel that smells strongly of detergent or softener!)

Step 9

Gently peel off the parchment paper. Then roll up the cake using the kitchen towel. Set aside.

Step 10

Pour the cream into a large mixing bowl. (The cream & bowl should be cold; you can chill them in the freezer for a few minutes beforehand.) Whip the cream using a hand mixer.

Step 11

When the cream stiffens into whipped cream, gently fold it into the chocolate-butter mixture using a spatula. You've just made chocolate buttercream frosting!

Step 12

Unroll the cake & spread the buttercream frosting evenly over the surface. Reserve at least 1/3 of the frosting for Yule log decorating.

Step 13

Once again, use the kitchen towel to tightly roll the cake into a log.

Step 14

Transfer the log to a wire rack, seam-side down. Frost it with the rest of the chocolate buttercream. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Step 15

Remove the Yule log from the refrigerator. Use the tines of a fork to draw lines in the frosting, creating a bark-like texture.

Step 16

Sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional). Cut into slices & serve. Enjoy!