Recipe courtesy of
Andy Liang
for
Food Network Kitchen
Recipe courtesy of
Andy Liang
for
Food Network Kitchen
Watch how to make this recipe.
Chocolate Bark-Covered Yule Log
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- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 4 hr (includes chilling)
- Active: 1 hr 45 min
- Yield: 10 to 12 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 12 servings
- Calories
- 524
- Total Fat
- 38 g
- Saturated Fat
- 19 g
- Carbohydrates
- 40 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 25 g
- Protein
- 8 g
- Cholesterol
- 133 mg
- Sodium
- 175 mg
This holiday roll cake begins with a light, tender chocolate sponge wrapped around an airy whipped chocolate cream, giving the cake a delicate texture while still delivering deep chocolate flavor. A traditional yule log cake is finished with a rich ganache sculpted to resemble bark, but this version uses a decoration that’s both distinctive and wonderfully simple. Melted chocolate is rolled between sheets of parchment, cooled and then pulled apart to form naturally curving shards that cleverly mimic tree bark. Arrange the pieces over the coated cake and scatter any extra pieces of bark around the base for a whimsical forest floor look.
- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 4 hr (includes chilling)
- Active: 1 hr 45 min
- Yield: 10 to 12 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 12 servings
- Calories
- 524
- Total Fat
- 38 g
- Saturated Fat
- 19 g
- Carbohydrates
- 40 g
- Dietary Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 25 g
- Protein
- 8 g
- Cholesterol
- 133 mg
- Sodium
- 175 mg
Ingredients
Chocolate Whipped Cream:
Cake:
Chocolate Bark:
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Directions
- For the chocolate whipped cream: Place 1/2 cup of the cream and the chopped chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until completely smooth, about 60 seconds. Whisk in the remaining 1 1/2 cups cream until smooth. Refrigerate until the cream is very cold, at least 1 hour.
- Transfer the cold chocolate cream to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the mascarpone, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and salt. Whip until the cream holds medium peaks that curl over slightly at the tip when you lift the beater. Reserve 1 1/4 cups of the chocolate cream in a medium bowl. Cover both bowls and refrigerate until needed.
- Meanwhile, for the cake: Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a rimmed 13-by-18-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly spray the parchment with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Sift the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, espresso powder, baking powder and salt together into a medium bowl. Reserve the sifter on top of the bowl for later use and set aside. Whisk the oil, buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl or measuring cup until combined. Set aside.
- Whip the eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium-high speed until doubled in volume, about 5 minutes. Slowly sprinkle the granulated sugar into the eggs and continue whipping until triple in volume and ribbons of egg stay on the surface when you lift the whisk attachment, 4 to 5 minutes longer.
- Working in 3 additions, sift a third of the flour mixture over the fluffy eggs and gently fold it in with a rubber spatula. Fold just until no dry spots remain. Drizzle the oil mixture over the batter and gently fold until just combined; be careful not to overmix and deflate the batter.
- Spread the batter evenly over the prepared baking sheet. Bake on the middle oven rack until the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed, about 10 minutes.
- While the cake is baking, dust a lint-free towel with an even layer of confectioners’ sugar through a fine-mesh sieve; set aside.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let the pan cool on a wire rack for 1 minute. Run a table knife around the edges of the cake and flip the cake onto the prepared towel. Carefully peel the parchment off the cake and dust the top with more confectioners' sugar. Starting from one short side, roll the cake and towel together into a tight log. Place seam-side down on a wire rack and cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
- Carefully unroll the cooled cake. Using an offset spatula, spread the larger amount of chocolate whipped cream over the cake in an even layer, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Gently roll the cake up again, this time without the towel. Once rolled, wrap the outside in the towel and refrigerate it seam-side down on the wire rack set over a baking sheet until the filling is firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
- Meanwhile, make the chocolate bark: Microwave the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted, about 90 seconds. Spread half the chocolate across a large sheet of parchment paper in a thin rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Cover with another layer of parchment. Starting from the short side, roll the parchment up tightly and place seam-side down on a baking sheet or a flat plate. Repeat the same process with the remaining chocolate and 2 more sheets of parchment. Refrigerate the rolls until the chocolate hardens, at least 30 minutes.
- Once hardened, working with one roll at a time, pull the 2 sheets of parchment apart, revealing the hardened chocolate and breaking it into shards that look like tree bark. Let the shards fall onto the cold baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chocolate roll. Refrigerate the chocolate shards until needed.
- Once the cake has chilled, unwrap it and use 2 large spatulas to transfer it to a cutting board. Trim the two ends of the cake with a serrated knife to create perfectly flat ends, then cut off about a 4-inch piece of the cake from one end on a diagonal. For the cleanest cuts, dip the knife into very hot water between each cut and wipe the knife with a towel to dry it each time.
- Transfer the two pieces of cake to a serving platter or cake stand. Place the diagonal edge of the shorter piece on the side of the longer piece so that it looks like a branch angling out. Don't worry if there is a gap between the two pieces; it won't show later. Spread the reserved 1 1/4 cups cream all over the cake, leaving just the ends of the cake exposed. Arrange the chocolate shards all over, covering all the cream but leaving the ends exposed. Scatter any remaining chocolate bark around the serving platter.
- If not serving immediately, refrigerate the cake uncovered for up to 6 hours. When ready to serve, dust the top with confectioners’ sugar and slice.
Cook’s Note
When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)
