YULE LOG CAKE

CALLED BÛCHE DE NOËL IN FRANCE, A YULE log cake is a festive way to celebrate Christmas or other winter holidays. This impressive dessert is not nearly as difficult to prepare as it might seem. A yule log cake is nothing more than a fancy jelly roll cake with some meringue mushrooms for decoration. We tested every variable and developed a recipe that eliminates unnecessary steps and delivers foolproof results.

A yule log cake starts with a yellow sponge cake that's soft and moist but sturdy enough to be rolled. Many classic sponge cakes roll beautifully but can be tough and dry. We wanted a more tender, cakey crumb. Adding butter makes the cake fragile and difficult to roll. We found that whipping whole eggs gives the cake the desired lightness and that brushing it with brandy when cooled keeps it moist.

The cooled sponge cake is then spread with a thick, rich, light-colored buttercream (we like coffee here) and rolled up into a spiral. The cake is then covered with chocolate buttercream and decorated with meringue mushrooms. While many buttercream recipes start with confectioners' sugar, egg yolks, and butter, we found that powdered sugar results in a grainy texture, and dull color and flavor. A hot sugar syrup leaves behind no grittiness and because it does not contain any starch, it does not dull the flavor or color of the chocolate.

The same buttercream base can be used to make both the coffee and chocolate frostings for the inside and outside of the roll. Running the tines of a fork through the exterior buttercream imitates the rough texture of bark; slicing a piece off the roll and then attaching it to the top of the log creates a bump. Save extra buttercream for attaching the stems and caps of the meringue mushrooms, which are not essential but do make an attractive garnish.