I finally post about this 'work of art' that Anita and I made for New Year's Eve.
The recipe is from The Cake Book by Tish Boyle and it was a fantastic recipe for me.
Anita loved making the chocolate leaves; we used rose's, ivy's, laurel's and kumquat's leaves as a base but I confess I didn't temper the chocolate. The mushrooms were really much fun to make as well and everybody was very interested in the process of making both.
The cake itself it's a chocolate chiffon cake filled and frosted with an hazelnut and chocolate buttercreams.
I didn't know where to get praline paste so I made it myself following this link .
Please visit the Cake Slice Blogroll to see more Bouches de Noel !
65g plain flour
130g caster sugar
30g cocoa powder
1¼ tsp baking powder
2 eggs
90ml sunflower oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 egg whites
¼ tsp cream of tartar
Hazelnut Syrup
80ml water
25g caster sugar
1 tbsp Frangelico – Hazelnut liqueur (I omitted it)
Chocolate Hazelnut Buttercream
150g caster sugar
4 egg whites
45ml water
385g unsalted butter, soft
1 tsp vanilla extract
110g dark chocolate, melted and cooled
2 tbsp hazelnut praline paste
Chocolate Chiffon Cake
In a large bowl whisk the egg whites and cream to tartar together until foamy. Weigh out half the caster sugar and slowly add to the egg whites, whisking constantly until thick and glossy. Set aside.
In a clean bowl, whisk the whole eggs, oil and vanilla together until combined. Scatter the remaining half of the sugar over the top, along with the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Mix until just blended into a thick batter.
Take one third of the meringue mix and fold it through the chocolate mixture using a spatula to slacken it. Add the rest of the meringue and fold in gently until just mixed in.
Pour the chocolate mix into the prepared tin and spread it out into an even layer. It will be quite thin.
Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes until slightly puffed and springy to the touch.
Lay another piece of greaseproof paper over a cooling rack and lightly dust with caster sugar.
Flip the cake layer out onto the sugar dusted paper and carefully peel off the parchment attached to the cake. Leave to cool before brushing with syrup and filling.
Syrup
In a small saucepan combine the water and sugar and heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved. Stop stirring and increase the heat to a rolling boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes before stirring in the liqueur.
Chocolate Hazelnut Buttercream
Reduce the speed of the mixer and gradually beat in the butter, small chunks at a time, until incorporated. Then beat in the vanilla.
Melt the chocolate and stir it through the half the buttercream, and fold hazelnut paste through the remaining half. (We can’t easily get nut pastes in the UK so I simply doubled the amount of chocolate and used that for everything)
Assembly
Starting at the long edge, fold over a thin strip of the sponge to start off your roll. Then confidently roll up the rest of the sponge to form a log. Use the paper underneath to help you lift and roll the cake.
Trim off one end of the cake at a diagonal and place it on top of the cake to create a ‘stump.’ You can cut off another smaller piece to attach to the side too if you wish.
Transfer the cake to a large serving plate and use the chocolate buttercream to cover the cake.
Decorate with leaves, meringue mushrooms or however you choose.
Place in the fridge to chill for half an hour before serving.
14 comments:
Che meraviglia! Sei stata bravissima, avendone fatte tre di queste torte so quanto lavoro ci vuole, complimenti!
Ciao Natalia!
Your Christmas Log is Bellisimo!
That's mind blowing gorgeous!
Last year my daughter and I made a Bouche de Noel and it was such a fun process (nice not to do it alone). Your yule log brings cheer. And I'd love to pop a mushroom in my mouth. I'm sure that would bring in good luck for the year! Happy 2012!
Truly impressive Natalia. I am bookmarking this recipe for future reference. Thank you!
Che meraviglia,Buon Anno Natalia!!
This looks amazing. I love the leaves and mushrooms!
That looks absolutely exquisite. I'm full of admiration - I would never have either the skill or the patience to try anything like this.
Sue xo
Ciao Natalia :)
That Bouche de Noel is so impressive!
Maria
x
Wow, I can't believe I didn't see this until now. What a spectacular Buche de Noel!
My goodness, your cake is absolutley beautiful! You did a great job there :)
wooooooooooow che delizia! complimenti, un bacio :)
ps: ho realizzato un nuovo concorso "Fashion Food": in premio 100 euro di shopping! Ti aspetto :)
Hi, It looks yummy and mouthwatering.i tried this at home , my family and lid loved it. Thanks for this good posting.Your description is very nice any one can follow easily.
All the best keep posting..........
Hi Natalia! Have I told you I love your name? I probably did already! My daughter's name is Natalia! So... are you baking with us again? By "us" I mean "The Cake Slice" ... I hope you post soon, you have a lovely blog! :) Happy Holidays!
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