Bittersweet Chocolate Roulade Yule Log We created a cake that is easy to roll but still moist, tender, and full of chocolate flavor. With the cream, ganache, and mushrooms, this cake also makes the ultimate yule log cake. The Problem: A chocolate roulade can be a baker's nightmare--hard to roll, lackluster in flavor, and with a dry texture. The Goal: A recipe for a true showcase roulade, with a velvety texture and not-too-sweet chocolate flavor. The Solution: Use bitter- or semi-sweet chocolate for maximum chocolate flavor, six eggs for support, and a combination of cocoa and flour for structural support and extra chocolate flavor. Once baked, cool briefly in the pan on a cooling rack, then unmold onto a kitchen towel rubbed with cocoa to prevent sticking. Roll the cake while it is warm with the towel inside, cool briefly and then unroll; the cake will retain its rolled memory and can be filled and re-rolled. For the filling, make a simple espresso mascarpone cream from just four ingredients, and top all with a rich dark chocolate ganache. Bittersweet Chocolate Roulade or Yule Log We suggest that you make the filling and ganache first, then make the cake while the ganache is setting up. Or, if you prefer, the cake can be baked, filled, and rolled--but not iced--then wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. The roulade is best served at room temperature. To finish the yule, add meringue mushrooms if you like, (see related recipe). Serves 8 to 10 Dark Chocolate Ganache 3/4 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 6 ounces semisweet chocolate or bittersweet chocolate (high-quality), chopped 1 tablespoon Cognac Espresso-Mascarpone Cream 1/2 cup heavy cream 2 teaspoons espresso powder 6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar (1 1/2 ounces) 16 ounces mascarpone cheese (about 2 cups) Roulade
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 ounces), plus more for dusting baking sheet 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate, chopped fine 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into two pieces 2 tablespoons cold water 1/4 cup cocoa (3/4 ounce), Dutch-processed, sifted, plus more for unmolding and garnish 1/8 teaspoon table salt 6 large eggs, separated, room temperature 1/3 cup granulated sugar (2 1/3 ounces) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar 1. For Dark Chocolate Ganache: Microwave cream and butter in measuring cup on high until bubbling, about 1 1/2 minutes. (Alternatively, bring to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat.) Place chocolate in bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. With machine running, gradually add hot cream and cognac through feed tube and process until smooth and thickened, about 3 minutes. Transfer ganache to medium bowl and let stand at room temperature 1 hour, until spreadable (ganache should have consistency of soft icing). 2. For Espresso-Mascarpone Cream: Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan over high heat. Remove from heat and stir in espresso and confectioners sugar; cool slightly. With rubber spatula, beat mascarpone in medium bowl until softened. Gently whisk in cooled cream mixture until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. 3. For Roulade: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 18 by 12-inch rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray, cover pan bottom with parchment paper and spray parchment with nonstick cooking spray; dust baking sheet with flour, tapping out excess. 4. Bring 2 inches of water to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Combine chocolate, butter, and water in small heatproof bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set bowl over pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and heat until butter is almost completely melted and chocolate pieces are glossy, have lost definition, and are fully melted around edges, about 15 minutes. (Do not stir or let water in saucepan come to boil.) Remove bowl from heat, unwrap, and stir until smooth and glossy. While chocolate is melting, sift cocoa, flour, and salt together into small bowl and set aside. 5. In bowl of standing mixer, beat egg yolks at medium-high speed until just combined, about 15 seconds. With mixer running, add half of sugar. Continue to beat, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary until yolks are pale yellow and mixture falls in thick ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 8 minutes. Add vanilla and beat to combine, scraping down bowl once, about 30 seconds. Turn mixture into medium bowl; wash mixer bowl and beaters and dry with kitchen towel. (If you have 2 mixer bowls, leave yolk mixture in mixer bowl; wash and dry beaters and use second bowl in step 6.) 6. In clean bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar at medium speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. With mixer running, add about 1 teaspoon of remaining sugar; continue beating until soft peaks form, about 40 seconds. Gradually add remaining sugar and beat until whites are glossy and supple and hold stiff peaks when whisk is lifted, about 1 minute longer. Do not overbeat (if whites look dry and granular, they are overbeaten). While whites are beating, stir chocolate mixture
into yolks. With rubber spatula, stir quarter of whites into chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in remaining whites until almost no streaks remain. Sprinkle dry ingredients over egg and chocolate mixture and fold in quickly but gently. 7. Pour batter into prepared pan; using offset icing spatula and working quickly, smooth surface and spread batter into pan corners. Bake until center of cake springs back when touched with finger, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time. Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes. 8. While cake is cooling, lay clean kitchen towel over work surface and sift 1 tablespoon cocoa over towel; with your hands, rub cocoa into towel. Run paring knife around perimeter of baking sheet to loosen cake. Invert cake onto towel and peel off parchment. 9. For finished cake: Starting at a long side, roll cake and towel together into jelly roll shape (see illustrations below). Cool for 15 minutes, then unroll cake and towel. Using offset spatula, immediately spread mascarpone cream filling evenly over surface of cake, almost to edges. Reroll cake gently but snugly around filling. Set large sheet of parchment paper on overturned rimmed baking sheet and set cake seam-side down on top. Trim both ends of cake on diagonal. Reserve 1/4 cup of ganache for attaching meringue mushrooms, (see related recipe). Spread ganache over roulade with small icing spatula. Use fork to make wood-grain striations on surface of ganache before it has set. Refrigerate cake, uncovered, on baking sheet to slightly set icing, about 20 minutes. 10. When ready to serve, carefully slide 2 wide metal spatulas under cake and transfer cake to serving platter. Arrange meringue mushrooms around cake, attaching them with dabs of reserved ganache. Sift light dusting of cocoa over mushrooms. Sift yule log with confectioners sugar. Serve within 2 hours. STEP BY STEP: Filling and Icing the Roulade 1. Roll cake--towel and all-- into a jelly roll shape. Cool for 15 minutes, then unroll cake and towel. 2. Using an offset spatula, immediately spread the filling evenly over the surface of the cake, almost to the edges.
3. Roll the cake up gently but snugly around the filling. 4. Trim both ends on the diagonal. Reserve slices if making a yule log. 5. Spread the ganache over the roulade with a small icing spatula. 6. Use a fork to make wood-grain striations on the surface of the ganache before the icing has set. 7. For Yule Log: Make Yule log "stumps" with reserved cake slices. Meringue Mushrooms If the caps and stems become soggy during storage, crisp them in a 200-degree oven for 30 minutes before assembling the mushrooms. Makes about 30 1/4 cup water 1/2 cup sugar (3 1/2 ounces) 2 large egg whites, room temperature Pinch table salt 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1. Adjust oven racks to middle and lowest positions and heat oven to 200 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. 2. Combine water and sugar in heavy saucepan. Cover and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Boil, swirling pan once or twice, until sugar has dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. If necessary, wipe down any sugar crystals on side of pan with damp pastry brush. Cook, uncovered, until temperature registers 238 degrees on candy thermometer, about 10 minutes. 3. While sugar is cooking, place egg whites in bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk. Beat at medium-low speed until frothy, about 1 minute. Add salt and cream of tartar and beat, gradually increasing speed to high. until whites hold soft peaks, about 1 minute. 4. With mixer at medium speed, slowly pour hot syrup into egg whites, avoiding whisk. Increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat until meringue cooks to room temperature and becomes very thick and shiny, 5 to 10 minutes. Using rubber spatula, fold in vanilla. 5. Fit pastry bag with 1/4-inch pastry tip and fill with meringue. Pipe about 30 caps and equal number of stems onto prepared pans, (see illustrations). 5. Bake meringue for 2 hours, turn off oven, and leave meringue in oven until very dry and crisp, about 30 minutes longer. Cool mushroom caps and stems on baking sheets. (Caps and stems may be stored in airtight container for up to 1 week.) To assemble mushrooms, use ganache to glue caps
and stems together, (see illustrations). STEP BY STEP: Forming Meringue Mushrooms 1. Holding pastry bag 1/4 inch above parchment, pipe 30 rounds to form mushroom caps. Dip finger in cool water to smooth top of cap. 2. To shape mushroom stems, hold pastry bag perpendicular to pan. Squeeze meringue through tip as you pull bag up to form 1-inch tall stems. 3. Use small paring knife or skewer to make indentation in underside of each baked meringue mushroom cap. 4. Using tip of knife or toothpick, place small dot of ganache into hole in each cap and onto tip of each stem. Gently press cap onto end of stem.