posted by Emma 10-16-100 3:52 PM
Buche de Noel
cake:
1-1/4 cups cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
filling and frosting:
21 ounces bittersweet chocolate, such as Lindt
1-1/2 cups crème fraîche or heavy, non ultra-pasteurized cream
1/ 2 cup chestnut purée
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 17 x 11 x 1-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Brush it with melted butter, and dust it with flour.
Prepare cake:
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together onto a sheet of parchment paper. Beat egg yolks and 3/4 cup of sugar with whisk attachment in an electric mixer until mixture is thick and lemon colored. Add dry ingredients at low speed, mixing until just incorporated. Add vanilla, mix quickly and thoroughly, and set aside (the batter will be quite thick).
In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form soft points. Add remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and whisk until egg whites are glossy and form points that stand up but are not too stiff. Fold one-fourth of the egg whites into cake batter until they are incorporated, then fold in remaining egg whites, working quickly. They should be incorporated into batter, but do not overmix it.
Spread batter in the prepared pan, and bake until cake is golden and your finger makes a slight indentation in the top of cake when you press it, 8 to 10 minutes.
While cake is baking, sift confectioner's sugar over a clean kitchen towel. Remove cake from oven, and immediately invert it onto sugar-dusted towel. Peel parchment paper from cake, and starting from one long side, gently roll cake up in towel. Allow to cool for 30 minutes.
Make frosting:
Melt chocolate and cream together in a medium-sized, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Shake pan occasionally, and when chocolate has completely melted, whisk mixture so it is completely combined. Let it cool to room temperature, so it is thick enough to spread. Transfer 3/4 cup of chocolate mixture to a small bowl, and whisk in chestnut purée. Season with vanilla if you like.
When cake has cooled, unroll it and trim off the edges so it is perfectly even, reserving trimmings. Spread filling evenly over cake to within about 1/8-inch from the edges, and roll cake back up. Roll trimmings into spirals, and affix these to the sides of cake with any leftover filling (usually two "knots" are sufficient!).
Using frosting, generously frost cake, including the knots and ends. Let cake rest for about 15 minutes, then decorate it, first with the tines of a fork, then with the decorations of your choice. Let sit for at least 8 hours and up to 24 before serving.