Bûche de Noël Recipe

Bûche de Noël

6 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 325º. Grease only the bottom of a sheet pan with a lip and line with parchment (you want the cake to stick to the sides of the pan).

Beat the eggs and sugar on high until very light yellow. Sift flour, baking powder and salt, and then in three batches, fold into egg mixture, trying not to lose air.

Spread evenly onto sheet pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cake is a light gold. Run a knife along the edges of pan and let cool.

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

¾ lb semi-sweet chocolate chips

1½ lbs milk chocolate chips

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1½ cups heavy whipping cream

In a microwave or over a double 24 boiler, melt chocolate halfway, stirring to be sure not to burn it.

Heat cream to a boil and pour over chocolate. Remove from heat and let it sit for 1 minute. Whisk until smooth and silky. Whisk in butter, in chunks, until incorporated. Ganache will be liquid, and will thicken as it cools. You will want it to be pliable in order to frost.

Whipped Cream Nut Butter Filling

¾ cup peanut butter (or any smooth nut butter, preferably with sugar)

2 cups heavy whipping cream

½ cup confectioner’s sugar

Make the filling right before you’re about to use it. Beat nut butter until as fluffy as you can get it, and then add in cream and sugar and beat until a mousse consistency.

Assembly

Flip the cake out of the sheet pan and remove the parchment paper.

Make a little bit of sugar syrup on the stove or microwave – ½ cup water, ½ cup sugar, until dissolved. Feel free to add a shot of Cognac, amaretto, Frangelico or other liqueur you like. Thoroughly brush the cake with the syrup and give it a minute to soak in.

Spread the filling evenly on the cake. From the top, like a burrito or maki, roll the short end of the cake toward you. Don’t worry if it cracks a little or the filling oozes a little. It’s ok to keep gently “squishing” it together to keep the log shape as you roll. You can use the maki Firmly wrap the log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours until firm. You can use the maki technique with a piece of parchment paper to “tuck and roll,” too.

Firmly wrap the log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours until firm.

When you’re ready to frost, remove from wrap, slice o the ends on the bias to the size you want and arrange a “stump” on top of the log, using a patch of ganache as glue. Frost the rest of the cake with ganache.

Create the large bark look with a knife or the more delicate fork look, and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar for snow, if you'd like. Continue to decorate (or not!) as you wish!