Caramel-Espresso Yule Log
By Andrea GearyPublished on September 4, 2019
Time
1¾ hours, plus 4 hours cooling
Yield
Serves 10 to 12
Ingredients
Filling
2 cups heavy cream, divided1 tablespoon instant espresso powder ¾ cup (5¼ ounces/149 grams) granulated sugar ¼ cup water 1 tablespoon light corn syrup 4 ounces (113 grams) cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces and softenedCake
1 ⅓ cups (5⅓ ounces/151 grams) cake flour ¾ cup (5¼ ounces/149 grams) granulated sugar 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ¼ teaspoon table salt 5 large eggs, separated½ cup vegetable oil ¼ cup water 2 teaspoons vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon cream of tartarGanache
¾ cup heavy cream 6 ounces (170 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine2 teaspoons light corn syrup Confectioners' sugar (optional)Before You Begin
We developed this recipe using Philadelphia Cream Cheese Brick Original. The filling has to chill for at least 3 hours before whipping, so make it before organizing the ingredients for the cake and the ganache. A smooth dish towel works best for rolling the cake. Some of the cake may cling to the towel, but it washes out easily. Use a high-quality chocolate for the ganache. We prefer to leave the cut surfaces of the log exposed, but there is enough ganache to cover them, if desired. For a more elaborate presentation, place the cake on a bed of Chocolate Crumbles and decorate with Meringue Bracket-Style Mushrooms. Recipe Update - December 1st, 2021: To ensure the success of the filling we have lowered the temperature to which it is chilled from 50 degrees to 40 degrees.
Make it gluten free: Substituting 1⅓ cups King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour in the cake produces a cake that rolls easily, but is slightly denser than the original.
Instructions
- Pour 1 cup cream into wide bowl. Whisk together espresso powder and remaining 1 cup cream in small saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and cover to keep hot. Bring sugar, water, and corn syrup to boil in large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, without stirring, until mixture is straw-colored, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, swirling saucepan occasionally, until mixture is deep coppery brown and just starting to smoke, 4 to 7 minutes longer. Off heat, carefully whisk in hot cream mixture a little at a time (caramel will bubble and steam). Add cream cheese. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk until mostly smooth (some small flecks of cream cheese are OK). Transfer mixture to bowl with cream and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until mixture registers 40 degrees or below, at least 3 hours or up to 4 days.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 18 by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet, line with parchment paper, and lightly grease parchment. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in large, wide bowl. Whisk egg yolks, oil, water, and vanilla into flour mixture until smooth batter forms.
- Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until stiff peaks form, 1½ to 2 minutes. Transfer one-third of whipped egg whites to batter and whisk gently until mixture is lightened. Using rubber spatula, gently fold remaining egg whites into batter. Pour batter into prepared sheet and spread evenly. Firmly tap sheet on counter 3 times to remove large air bubbles. Bake until cake springs back when pressed lightly in center, 12 to 14 minutes. While cake bakes, soak clean dish towel with water and wring out thoroughly.
- Transfer sheet to wire rack. Immediately run knife around edge of sheet, then carefully invert cake onto second wire rack. Carefully remove parchment. Lay damp towel over cake and invert first wire rack over towel. Invert cake and remove rack. Starting from short side, gently roll cake and towel together into jelly roll shape. Let cake cool on rack, seam side down, for 1 hour.
- Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Place chocolate and corn syrup in bowl, pour cream over top, and let stand for 1 minute. Whisk mixture until smooth. Let cool until mixture has consistency of pudding, about 1 hour.
- Transfer chilled filling to bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until mixture is thick and fluffy and resembles buttercream frosting, 1½ to 2 minutes. Gently unroll cake with short side parallel to counter edge (innermost edge of cake will remain slightly curled; do not flatten). Spread filling evenly over cake, leaving ½-inch margin on each short side. Reroll cake, leaving towel behind as you roll. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or up to 2 days.
- Arrange two 12 by 4-inch strips of parchment 1 inch apart on serving platter. Unwrap cake and place on cutting board. Using sharp chef's knife, trim ½-inch slice from each end of log, wiping knife clean between cuts; discard trimmings. To make branch stump, cut 1 end of cake at 45-degree angle, starting 1½ inches from end of log (shorter side of stump will be 1½ inches long). Transfer larger cake piece to platter, centering it lengthwise on parchment. To attach stump, rest straight side of smaller piece against side of log. Fill in top of space between pieces with about 1 tablespoon ganache. Using offset spatula, gently spread remaining ganache over log, leaving cut ends exposed. Use tines of fork to make wood-grain pattern on surface of ganache. Carefully slide parchment from beneath cake (hold stump in place with your fingertip while sliding out parchment). Refrigerate cake, uncovered, to slightly set ganache, about 20 minutes. (Cake can be covered loosely and refrigerated for up to 24 hours; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.) Dust lightly with confectioners' sugar, if using. To slice, dip sharp knife in very hot water and wipe dry between cuts. Serve.
for the filling
for the cake
for the ganache
Time
1¾ hours, plus 4 hours coolingYield
Serves 10 to 12Ingredients
Filling
Cake
Ganache
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Filling
Cake
Ganache
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Filling
Cake
Ganache
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Done right, a Yule log is a dessert with a huge “wow” factor: a moist, tender cake rolled around a rich, creamy filling; coated in frosting; and adorned with playful woodsy garnishes. The first step in making a successful rolled cake is choosing the right cake. We picked chiffon for its whipped egg whites, which provided resilience; its oil, which provided moist tenderness; and its baking powder, which provided extra lift. While many recipes involve rolling the warm cake into a sugar-coated towel to “train” it into shape, we found that doing so dried out the surface, making it hard for the ganache to adhere, so we opted for a clean, damp towel instead. For the filling, we started with a classic caramel and added espresso powder, cream, and a stealth ingredient: cream cheese. Its tang was barely detectable, but the cream cheese kept the sweetness in check and also gave the whipped filling enough body to stay put when the cake was rolled, resulting in a graceful spiral every time. A simple ganache made with bittersweet chocolate and cream (plus a bit of corn syrup for added flexibility and cling) made the perfect “bark.”
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
We developed this recipe using Philadelphia Cream Cheese Brick Original. The filling has to chill for at least 3 hours before whipping, so make it before organizing the ingredients for the cake and the ganache. A smooth dish towel works best for rolling the cake. Some of the cake may cling to the towel, but it washes out easily. Use a high-quality chocolate for the ganache. We prefer to leave the cut surfaces of the log exposed, but there is enough ganache to cover them, if desired. For a more elaborate presentation, place the cake on a bed of Chocolate Crumbles and decorate with Meringue Bracket-Style Mushrooms. Recipe Update - December 1st, 2021: To ensure the success of the filling we have lowered the temperature to which it is chilled from 50 degrees to 40 degrees.
Make it gluten free: Substituting 1⅓ cups King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour in the cake produces a cake that rolls easily, but is slightly denser than the original.
Instructions
- Pour 1 cup cream into wide bowl. Whisk together espresso powder and remaining 1 cup cream in small saucepan and bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and cover to keep hot. Bring sugar, water, and corn syrup to boil in large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, without stirring, until mixture is straw-colored, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, swirling saucepan occasionally, until mixture is deep coppery brown and just starting to smoke, 4 to 7 minutes longer. Off heat, carefully whisk in hot cream mixture a little at a time (caramel will bubble and steam). Add cream cheese. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk until mostly smooth (some small flecks of cream cheese are OK). Transfer mixture to bowl with cream and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until mixture registers 40 degrees or below, at least 3 hours or up to 4 days.
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 18 by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet, line with parchment paper, and lightly grease parchment. Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in large, wide bowl. Whisk egg yolks, oil, water, and vanilla into flour mixture until smooth batter forms.
- Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until stiff peaks form, 1½ to 2 minutes. Transfer one-third of whipped egg whites to batter and whisk gently until mixture is lightened. Using rubber spatula, gently fold remaining egg whites into batter. Pour batter into prepared sheet and spread evenly. Firmly tap sheet on counter 3 times to remove large air bubbles. Bake until cake springs back when pressed lightly in center, 12 to 14 minutes. While cake bakes, soak clean dish towel with water and wring out thoroughly.
- Transfer sheet to wire rack. Immediately run knife around edge of sheet, then carefully invert cake onto second wire rack. Carefully remove parchment. Lay damp towel over cake and invert first wire rack over towel. Invert cake and remove rack. Starting from short side, gently roll cake and towel together into jelly roll shape. Let cake cool on rack, seam side down, for 1 hour.
- Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Place chocolate and corn syrup in bowl, pour cream over top, and let stand for 1 minute. Whisk mixture until smooth. Let cool until mixture has consistency of pudding, about 1 hour.
- Transfer chilled filling to bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until mixture is thick and fluffy and resembles buttercream frosting, 1½ to 2 minutes. Gently unroll cake with short side parallel to counter edge (innermost edge of cake will remain slightly curled; do not flatten). Spread filling evenly over cake, leaving ½-inch margin on each short side. Reroll cake, leaving towel behind as you roll. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes or up to 2 days.
- Arrange two 12 by 4-inch strips of parchment 1 inch apart on serving platter. Unwrap cake and place on cutting board. Using sharp chef's knife, trim ½-inch slice from each end of log, wiping knife clean between cuts; discard trimmings. To make branch stump, cut 1 end of cake at 45-degree angle, starting 1½ inches from end of log (shorter side of stump will be 1½ inches long). Transfer larger cake piece to platter, centering it lengthwise on parchment. To attach stump, rest straight side of smaller piece against side of log. Fill in top of space between pieces with about 1 tablespoon ganache. Using offset spatula, gently spread remaining ganache over log, leaving cut ends exposed. Use tines of fork to make wood-grain pattern on surface of ganache. Carefully slide parchment from beneath cake (hold stump in place with your fingertip while sliding out parchment). Refrigerate cake, uncovered, to slightly set ganache, about 20 minutes. (Cake can be covered loosely and refrigerated for up to 24 hours; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.) Dust lightly with confectioners' sugar, if using. To slice, dip sharp knife in very hot water and wipe dry between cuts. Serve.
for the filling
for the cake
for the ganache
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