Buche De Noel

This is the best recipe for the traditional Christmas cake that looks like a tree log. It has over the years won many awards for me in food competitions, however it is a very time consuming recipe. What's that old saying? Good things come to those who wait? ...or in this instance those that take their time to create!

• Ready In: 1 hr 40 mins
• Yields: 10

Ingredients

• 4  eggs, separated
• 2⁄3 cup sugar, divided
• 2  tablespoons water
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1⁄2 cup  ground almonds
• 1⁄2 cup  sifted cake flour
• 3  tablespoons  cocoa
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1  dash salt
• 2 -3  tablespoons powdered sugar
•  red glazed cherries
•  green glazed cherries

• Mocha Filling

• 1  cup  whipped cream
• 1  teaspoon instant coffee granules
• 1⁄4 cup  sifted powdered sugar
• 1  tablespoon  cocoa

• Rich Chocolate Frosting

• 1  ounce  unsweetened chocolate square
• 1  ounce  square  semisweet chocolate
• 1⁄2 cup butter or 1⁄2 cup margarine, softened
• 2  cups  sifted powdered sugar
• 2  tablespoons  cocoa
• 2  tablespoons milk
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Grease a 15 x 10 x 1 jelly roll pan and line with wax paper.
2. grease and flour wax paper and set aside.
3. Beat egg yolks in a large mixing bowl until think and lemon colored add 1/3 cup of sugar, beating well.
4. add water and vanilla.
5. fold in ground almonds.
6. gradually fold in cake flour and cocoa.
7. Beat egg whites (at room temperature) in large mixing bowl at high speed of an electric mixer until foamy.
8. add cream of tartar and salt; beating well until soft peaks form.
9. Add remaining 1/3 cup of sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.
10. gradually fold into batter.
11. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.
12. Bake at 375F until top springs back when touched.
13. Sift powdered sugar in a 15 x 10 inch rectangle on a towel.
14. Peel off wax paper.
15. starting at the narrow end, roll up cake and towel together.
16. let the cake cool on a wire rack seam side down.
17. Unroll cake; remove towel.
18. spread cake with mocha filling; gently re roll cover and chill.
19. Cut a 1 inch diagonal slice from the cake roll.
20. Place roll on a serving platter.
21. Position cut piece against side of cake roll to resemble a tree knot.
22. Spread Rich Chocolate Frosting over the cake.
23. Score frosting with the tines of a fork or a cake comb to resemble tree bark.
24. Garnish with red and green candied Cherries.
25. For Mocha filling: Pour whipping cream into a chilled mixing bowl, add coffee granules; let stand 3 minutes.
26. Combine powdered sugar and cocoa beat cream until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar mixture beating until soft peaks form. chill. Yield 2 cups.
27. Rich Chocolate Frosting: Place chocolate in top of a double boiler; bring water to a boil.
28. reduce heat to low; cook until chocolate melts, stirring frequently.
29. remove from heat.
30. Cream butter, add chocolate, powdered sugar, cocoa, milk and vanilla; beat until spreading consistency. Yield 2 cups.