Bûche de Noël (Christmas Chestnut Log)

My daughter made this buche for Christmas. The cake recipe is based on a recipe from America's Test Kitchen and the chestnut cream is a family classic. I helped her with advice on rolling, filling and decorating it.

Ingredients

Cake
5 eggs
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 by 16 inch baking sheet
Oil for the baking sheet
1 sheet of parchment paper
1 clean towel slightly bigger than the baking sheet
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Chestnut Cream Filling
1 can chestnut puree
¼ cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Chocolate Topping
7 ounces semisweet chocolate in small pieces
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon dark rum (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush the baking sheet with oil and cover with the parchment paper. In a large bowl beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla until pale yellow, 8 to 10 minutes. I used the flat beater on my mixer.
2. Sift the flour in a big bowl, add the baking powder, salt and mix. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the beaten egg mixture folding delicately, until well combined.
3. Spread the batter evenly in the baking sheet. Tap the baking sheet on the counter to remove any bubble. Bake until the cake springs back lightly when pressed, around 15 minutes.
4. Dust the towel with confectioners' sugar. Use a small paring knife to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan and invert the warm cake onto the towel. Gently remove the paper. Cut any stiff edges if necessary. Starting at a short end, carefully roll the cake and towel into a log. Cool at least 30 minutes.
5. Filling : in a saucepan, heat the chestnut puree, sugar, vanilla and cream on medium-low heat. Beat until smooth.
6. Gently unroll the cake, and spread the chestnut cream leaving 1 inch from the edge. Re- roll up the cake. Place the cake on a serving plate to decorate.
Don’t freak out if the cake cracks here and there, the topping will do a good job of sealing and hiding it.
Tip: Put parchment paper around the cake. This will keep the plate clean while you're frosting. You can see how we did it in the image below.





7. Topping : heat the chocolate and butter in a metal bowl over a saucepan filled of simmering water (to make a double boiler). Keep the sauce pan over low heat to melt the chocolate, stirring from time to time. Remove from heat, add the cream and rum. Stir until smooth. Spread the chocolate topping over the cake. Let it set for 2 minutes.
8. Use a fork to make ridges in the frosting to imitate a tree bark.






9. Decorate with whipped cream and fruits.

Tips:

• Make sure the cake doesn't overbake and become too dry, or it will be hard to roll.
• If you let the chocolate topping cool down too much it will set up, so frost your cake while it is still liquid or reheat before using.