Gingerbread Yule Log
I’m not sure when or who looked at a log on the ground and thought “Hey, what if I made an edible version of this and served it to my family on Christmas day?”, but I can certainly appreciate the results of that presumably life changing moment.
The Yule log, or Buche de Noel depending on where you’re eating it, has been a Christmas tradition for many-a-generation, and while the classics like chocolate or vanilla are good, I do think there are ways we can improve on such a classic.
This year, as a gift to my friends and family, I decided to bake up my own Yule log utilizing the flavors of one of my favorite holiday treats, gingerbread. I’ll be making a gingerbread cake rolled up with a lightly spiced whipped mascarpone filling and cover the entire log in a molasses buttercream. I think that the combination of flavors will make this the ultimate Christmas cake.
Serves 10-12
Time: 3 hours
Difficulty: Intermediate
For the Gingerbread Cake:
Cooking Spray
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
4 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup molasses
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup sugar
Powdered sugar, for dusting
For the Whipped Mascarpone Filling:
1 cup cold heavy cream
3/4 cup powdered sugar
8 oz (1 container) mascarpone cheese at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp allspice
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
A pinch of ground cloves
A pinch of salt
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
1/3 cup finely chopped candied citrus peel. (The kind you’d use for fruitcake)
For the Molasses Frosting:
2 sticks (16 tbsp) soft unsalted butter
1/3 cup molasses
A pinch of salt
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk, plus more if needed
Holiday sprinkles, for topping
Make the Gingerbread Cake
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/190 C. Grease and line a large sheet pan or jelly roll pan with a sheet of parchment paper.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, molasses and melted butter until smooth. Set aside.
Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until they start looking foamy. Gradually add the sugar then increase the speed to medium high and continue whipping to firm peaks.
Add the flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture, and beat with a spatula to combine. Add about a third of your whipped egg whites to the batter, then stir to combine, then add the remaining whites and gently fold until you can no longer see any streaks of egg white in the batter.
Pour the batter into the pan and spread into an even layer. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Immediately after taking the cake out of the oven, dust the top with a generous amount of powdered sugar, you really do need to be generous. Use a knife to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan, then lay a kitchen towel on top of the cake, place another sheet pan on top and quickly flip onto the towel. Carefully peel off the parchment paper.
Starting from one of the shorter ends, carefully roll up the still-hot cake into a tight roll, using the towel to help you out. Let the cake cool completely.
Make the Whipped Mascarpone Filling
7. Whisk the heavy cream and powdered sugar in a large bowl until it reaches soft peaks. Add the mascarpone, vanilla, spices and salt, then continue whisking until it becomes thick and creamy, making sure not to overwhip, then fold in the mini chocolate chips and candied citrus peel.
8. Once fully cooled, unroll the cake then spread the filling in an even layer, leaving about 1/2 inch of one side empty. Starting from the same end as before, roll up the cake into as tight of a log as you can, using the towel to help as the cake is a bit sticky. Set aside in the fridge while you make the frosting.
(Admittedly my cake did develop a few cracks on the outside, but that’s ok. This is not a problem that frosting can’t fix!)
Make the Molasses Frosting and Decorate
9. In a large bowl, beat the soft butter, molasses and salt with an electric beater until it becomes creamy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, keeping the mixer speed on low so you don’t end up with powdered sugar all over you, and continue beating until smooth and creamy. Then add enough milk to get a thick, spreadable consistency.
10. Cut a 2-inch slice off your yule log at a diagonal angle, then place that onto either side of the cake, angled side pointing out. Use a spatula or piping bag to cover the cake in an even layer of frosting all around, keeping the 3 ends bare as you want to see that beautiful swirl! Take a fork and, going lengthwise, drag that through the frosting to create wood-like lines. Finally, top the whole thing with holiday sprinkles.
Merry Christmas!
