Caramel-Orange Buche De Noel Part 2
Submitted by tnkrbelle
Caramel-orange Bûche de Noël assembly with Grand Marnier buttercream, almond sponge, and pastry cream filling. The classic French Yule log cake for Christmas.
YIELD
1 CakePREP
30 minCOOK
30 minREADY
2 hrsThis is the second half of the caramel-orange Bûche de Noël project, the part where a flat jelly roll pan of almond sponge turns into a log worthy of a French holiday table. Part 1 handles the caramel and pastry cream. Part 2 is the cake, the buttercream, and the assembly.
The sponge leans on ground toasted almonds and just a whisper of flour, which keeps it tender enough to roll without cracking. Beating the yolks with brown sugar until the batter forms slow ribbons is not optional. That’s where the cake gets its lift, since there’s almost no flour to hold structure.
Rolling is where nerves get tested. Powdered sugar between the parchment sheets acts as a release agent, and the cake goes over while still slightly warm and flexible. Cold sponge cracks. Patience pays.
Pro Tips
- Toast the almonds until they smell deeply nutty, not just warm. A pale almond makes a pale cake.
- Keep 2 inches off each end when trimming, and angle your cut. Those offcuts become the knobby branches that give the log its character.
- Firm the finished cake in the fridge for at least an hour before serving, then let it rest at room temperature 20 minutes. Cold buttercream tastes like wax.
Variations
- Swap Grand Marnier for dark rum, Frangelico, or strong cold coffee to pivot the flavor profile.
- Decorate with marzipan mushrooms or meringue toadstools for the traditional forest look.
- Dust with cocoa powder over the buttercream to fake wood-grain bark before adding the cranberry and pine garnish.
Ingredients
Directions
See Part One FOR CAKE: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter llxl7-inch jelly roll pan. Line with parchment. Butter and flour parchment. Coarsely grind toasted almonds with flour in processor. Using electric mixer, beat yolks with 5 tablespoons brown sugar in medium bowl until slowly dissolving ribbons form when beaters are lifted. Stir in orange peel and vanilla extract. Using clean dry beaters, beat whites with cream of tartar and salt in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 5 tablespoons brown sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into yolk mixture. Gently fold in almond mixture. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Run small sharp knife around pan sides if necessary to loosen cake. Slide cake on parchment onto rack. Cool. Slide cake on parchment onto work surface. Loosen cake from parchment using heavy large knife as aid. Sift powdered sugar over cake. Invert onto cookie sheet. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and invert onto another parchment sheet. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in Grand Marnier. Add pastry cream ¼ cup at a time, beating after each addition until just blended. Spread half of buttercream over cake, leaving ½-inch border. Starting at 1 long side, roll up cake jelly roll fashion. Arrange seam side down on parchment. Set aside ½ cup buttercream; spread remaining buttercream over cake. Cut 2 inches off each end of cake, cutting on diagonal. Transfer cake to platter. Attach ends to top of cake, forming branches. Spread reserved ½ cup buttercream over cake ends and seams. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to firm buttercream. (Cake can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.) Arrange pine twigs on cake and on platter. Garnish with cranberries.
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