Chocolate Gingerbread Yule Log
(from Lucianolinda’s recipe box)
Source: Taste of Home magazine
Prep time: 75 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves 16 people
Categories: Cakes
Ingredients
- 5 eggs, separated
- 3/4 cup cake flour
- 1 to 1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 to 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. each ground nutmeg, pepper and salt
- 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 Tbsp. canola oil
- 1 Tbsp. grated fresh gingerroot
- 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- Baking cocoa
- Filling
- 1 carton (8 oz.) mascarpone cheese
- 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1/3 cup crystallized ginger, dried cranberries or miniature semisweet chocolate chips
- Buttercream
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/8 tsp. salt3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz. high- quality milk chocolate, melted and cooled
Directions
- Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Line bottom of a greased 15 × 10 × 1-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Grease paper.
- Sift flour, spices and salt together twice.
- In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until slightly thickened. Gradually add brown sugar, beating on high speed until thick.
-
beat in molasses, oil and fresh ginger. Fold in flour mixture (batter will be thick).
- Add cream of tartar to egg whites; with clean beaters, beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, 1 Tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition until sugar is dissolved. Beat on high until stiff, glossy peaks form. using a large whisk, fold a fourth of the whites into batter, then fold in remaining whites. Transfer to prepared pan, spreading evenly.
- Bake 10-12 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool 5 minutes. Invert onto a towel dusted with cocoa. Peel off paper.
- Roll up cake in towel jelly-roll style. (It works starting with short or long side.) Cool completely on a wire rack.
- For filling, in a owl, mix mascarpone, confectioners’ sigar, cream and salt just until blended; stir in ginger and refrigerate.
- For buttercream: place egg whites, sugar and salt in a heat-proof bowl; whisk until blended. Place bowl over simmering water in a saucepan over medium heat.
-
Whisking constantly, heat mixture until a thermometer reads 160 degrees, about 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat. With the whisk attachment of a hand mixer, beat on high speed until stiff glassy peaks form and mixture has cooled, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in butter, a few tablespoons at a time, on medium speed until smooth. Beat in cooled chocolate.
- To assemble, unroll cake and remove towel. Spread filling over cake to within 1/4 inch of edges. Roll up, without towel; trim ends. Transfer to a platter. Spread buttercream on cake.
- Refrigerate cake, loosely covered, until serving. Using a serrated knife, cut cake into slices.