Name: Icebox Peppermint Yule Log Cake
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 20 round red- and white-striped hard peppermint candies; 2 3/4 cups heavy cream; 1/2 cup (2 ounces/57 grams) confectioners' sugar; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract; 36 Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers; 1/4 cup (¾ ounce/21 grams) cocoa powder, sifted; Candy spearmint leaves and Red Hots for garnish

Why This Recipe Works

When developing our Icebox Peppermint Yule Log Cake recipe, we were looking for a modern approach to the classic bûche de Noël that wouldn’t require a day in the kitchen to prepare. We sandwiched Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers together with minty whipped cream to form a long cylinder. For bolder mint flavor, we folded crushed peppermint candies into the whipped cream. To finish our Icebox Peppermint Yule Log, we frosted the entire cake with cocoa-flavored whipped cream.

Before You Begin

If you prefer, place the peppermint candies in a zipper-lock plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin or heavy skillet. For the chocolate wafers, a 9-ounce box will give you enough for this recipe.

Instructions

Make peppermint cream: Process candies in food processor until crushed but not ground. With electric mixer, beat 1 1/2 cups cream, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla, and peppermint extract in large bowl until soft peaks form. Using rubber spatula, fold crushed candy into peppermint cream.

Make cookie stacks: Spread 1 tablespoon peppermint cream on chocolate wafer. Top with another wafer and repeat 4 more times to produce stack of 6 wafers with cream in between each cookie. Make 6 stacks, each with 6 wafers. Spread 1 tablespoon peppermint cream on top of 5 stacks, leaving 1 stack plain.

Make log: Lay cookie stacks on sides and press together end to end, making one 16-inch log (plain stack without cream on top wafer should be placed at end). Wrap log in plastic and freeze until firm, at least 5 hours or up to 1 week.

Trim log: With electric mixer, beat remaining 1 1/4 cups cream, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and cocoa in large bowl until stiff peaks form. Cut thin piece diagonally from one end of frozen log and discard. Cut 2-inch piece diagonally from other end of frozen log and set aside.

Make bump: Transfer frozen cake to serving platter. Spread all but 1/2 cup cocoa cream evenly over top, sides, and ends of log. Press reserved 2-inch piece on top of log to make bump, placing it several inches from one end of log. Cover bump with remaining cocoa cream.

Decorate log: Drag tines of fork down length of log to simulate bark. Freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days. Before serving, let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Garnish platter with candy spearmint leaves and red hot candies.