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Get the Recipe: Chocolate Chestnut Yule Log

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Ingredients

For the Vanilla Sponge Cake

  • Makes two 9 x 13-inch sheet cakes
  • 1/4 cup (1 ounce) cake flour
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup (5.25 ounces) granulated sugar, divided into two 6 tablespoon (2.60 ounces) portions
  • 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • confectioner's sugar

For the Chocolate Chestnut Filling

  • Makes enough for one cake
  • 8 ounces dark (at least 65% cocoa) chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 1 can (15 1/2 ounces) unsweetened chestnut purée
  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Chocolate Ganache Frosting

  • Makes enough for one cake
  • 10 ounces dark (at least 65% cocoa) chocolate, roughly chopped
  • 2/3 cup (2.65 ounces) confectioners' sugar
  • 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (6.5 ounces) heavy cream
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into 1-inch cubes

Assembly

  • green food coloring
  • marzipan
  • acorn cookies
  • cookie crumbs
  • matcha powder
  • mushroom chocolates
  • mushroom cookies

Equipment

  • Special Equipment: a handheld electric mixer
  • flower cookie cutters (see baker's notes)

Instructions
 

For the Vanilla Sponge Cake

  • Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 400 (F). Prepare two 9 x 13-inch sheet pans by spraying with cooking spray and lining with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the two longer ends. Spray the parchment paper with cooking spray as well and set aside.
  • In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup cake flour, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.
  • Combine 2 large eggs, 3 large egg yolks, and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract in a large bowl. Use a handheld electric mixer to beat on medium speed until slightly pale, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add 6 tablespoons granulated sugar, then turn the mixer speed up to medium-high and whip until the mixture is pale, thick, and quadrupled in volume, around 5 minutes. Turn the mixer off and sprinkle about half the flour mixture over the egg yolk mixture and mix on low speed just until incorporated; with the mixer still on low speed, add the remaining flour, mixing just until incorporated.
  • In the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine 3 large egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar. With the mixer on low speed, whisk the egg whites until slightly foamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn the mixer speed up to medium high and whip the whites to soft peaks, around 4 to 5 minutes. With the mixer running, gradually add the remaining 6 tablespoons granulated sugar in a slow, steady stream, then continue whipping until the mixture reaches medium peaks, 1 to 2 minutes more.
  • Once the egg whites are stiff, scoop about 1/4 of the mixture to the egg yolk batter, using a rubber spatula to fold them into the batter. Add the remaining whites in 2 or 3 more additions, gently folding the egg whites into the batter until incorporated — the egg whites will lighten the batter considerably. Try not to overmix since the egg whites are the only thing leavening the cake, but you do need the batter to be fairly homogenous — simply fold until the egg whites have disappeared into the batter and you have a uniform batter without any white streaks.
  • Divide the batter into the two prepared sheet pans, using an offset spatula to spread the batter across the pan evenly and quickly; try not to overwork the batter since too many swipes will deflate it. Transfer to the preheated oven and bake until the edges of the cake are just starting to turn golden and the center springs back when lightly touched, around 10 minutes.
  • Once the cakes are done baking, transfer to a wire rack and immediately use a fine mesh sieve sprinkle the tops of each cakes with a generous amount of confectioner's sugar. Place two pieces of parchment paper large enough to roll the cakes in on a work surface and dust each with a generous amount of confectioners' sugar. Working with one cake at a time, use the parchment overhang to lift each cake out of the pan (be careful — the cakes and sheet pans will still be warm) and invert each one onto its own dusted parchment paper. Carefully peel the parchment paper that lined the cakes while baking from the bottom of the cakes and discard. With one of the shorter sides of the cake facing you, use the underlying sheet of parchment to roll it up into a tight cylinder. Repeat with the second sheet cake. Transfer each cake back to the wire rack and let cool to room temperature completely before frosting and assembling.

For the Chocolate Chestnut Filling

  • Melt 8 ounces dark chocolate in a double boiler (or, make a homemade version by placing a heatproof bowl over a sauce pan filled with 2 inches of water over medium heat, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water). Use a rubber spatula to stir until smooth, then remove from heat to cool slightly.
  • In the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine 1 can unsweetened chestnut purée, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Beat on medium speed until well combined and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the melted chocolate and continue beating until combined.
  • For the Chocolate Ganache Frosting:
  • Combine 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate and 2/3 cup confectioner's sugar in a medium, heatproof bowl.
  • In a small saucepan over medium, bring 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream to a gentle simmer, whisking occasionally. Pour the hot cream into the medium, heatproof bowl containing the chocolate and confectioner's sugar mixture (from the 1st step). Stir the mixture with a heatproof, rubber spatula until the sugar is dissolved.
  • Once the sugar has dissolved, nestle the medium, heatproof bowl over a medium saucepan of simmer water to make a double boiler — be sure that the water in the saucepan doesn't touch the bottom of your heatproof bowl. Gently cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat.
  • In a separate, smaller heatproof bowl, whisk together 2 large egg yolks. Pour about 1/2 cup of some of the melted chocolate mixture into the yolks while whisking, to temper them. Pour the tempered mixture back into the larger, heatproof bowl containing the rest of the original mixture and whisk to combine. Add 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and stir until smooth.
  • Allow the ganache to cool for about 10 - 15 minutes, before using immediately.

Assembly

  • Carefully unwrap the cooled, room temperature sponge cake spirals to ensure that they don't crack or break. Use a sharp serrated knife to cut each cake in half lengthwise — you should end up with four skinny sheet cakes that are around 4 1/2 inches wide and 13-inches long. Use an offset spatula to divide the chocolate chestnut filling between the four cakes, spreading them smoothly and evenly across the top of each cake.
  • Roll one cake by starting from the short side and rolling it back into a spiral, this time with chestnut filling between the roll as opposed to parchment paper. Take the roll and match it next to a second strip of cake, short end to short end, and roll the cakes around themselves. Repeat this process for the next two sheet cakes.
  • Once all the cakes are rolled, flip the cake roll on its side so that the giant spiral is facing upwards. Use an offset spatula to cover with the chocolate ganache frosting, working quickly as the ganache frosting will harden and stiffen if it cools too quickly. To give the ganache a realistic tree trunk texture, place the back of the tip of your offset spatula at the base of the ganache frosting and swipe the offset spatula up against the cake, leaving a vertical trail. Repeat around the cake. Use the offset spatula to swipe and swoop the ganache frosting in a circular motion on top of the cake.
  • Next, make edible succulents: knead and roll 1 to 2 drops of food coloring in a ball of marzipan until the marzipan is an even green color. Use 1 to 2 different sized flower cutters to stamp out flowers and stack them on top of each other to create the succulents. Garnish around the cake, and finish decorating by adding acorn cookies, mushroom cookies and chocolates, and matcha powder for moss. Enjoy!
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