This cake is so much fun to make! I made a few of these in my first year of Pastry School, and a couple of Vanilla ones as well, and they were very well-received. If you still have  little time before Christmas to do some baking, then I suggest you give this cake a try. It’s much harder looking than it actually is to make, truuuust me!

If you have access to some fondant or royal icing and some paste colouring, you can make some pretty mistletoe leaves and berries, or your own awesome design to “tszuj it up” to your taste!

Chocolate Buche de Noel

• 2 cups heavy cream
• ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 egg yolks
• ½ cup white sugar
• ¹/₃ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¹/₈ teaspoon salt
• 6 egg whites
• ¼ cup white sugar
• confectioners’ sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 10×15″ jelly-roll pan with parchment paper and butter the paper or spray a non-stick spray over the top.
2. In a large bowl, whip cream, 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until thick and stiff. Refrigerate.
3. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until thick and pale. Blend in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, and salt. In large glass bowl, using clean beaters, whip egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, and beat until whites form stiff peaks. Immediately fold the yolk mixture into the whites. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
4. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Dust a clean dishtowel with confectioners’ sugar. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and turn the warm cake out onto the towel. Remove and discard parchment paper. Starting at the long edge of the cake, roll the cake up with the towel. Cool for 30 minutes.
5. Unroll the cake, and spread the filling to within 1 inch of the edge. Roll the cake back up with the filling inside. Cut long cake in half, then cut one of the halves on the diagonal, in a 1/3:2/3 ratio (see image below for instructions).
6. Place seam side down onto a serving plate, and refrigerate until serving. Decorate and dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.