Chocolate Mint Cake Roll... or A Buche de Noel

My husband was looking through a random catalog that came in the mail and found a delectable chocolate mint cake roll. He couldn't take his eyes off of it, and challenged me to figure out how to make one.  I'm never one to turn down a challenge when it comes to a yummy dessert :).

image source

 As I made it, some words to an old song "throw the yule log on Uncle John" kept coming to my head (yes, I am a nerd). I remembered this European tradition with yule logs and cakes.

Anciently, families celebrated the winter solstice or Christmas Eve by finding the biggest log they could. The oldest and youngest member of the family would throw it into the fire. The families would sing and tell stories around the fire, and they would let it burn all night. The embers were supposed to bring joy, love, happiness, and blessings during the next year.

In France however, Napoleon Bonaparte ordered everyone to close their chimneys during winter because he thought cool air was one way of spreading illness. Since the French were forbidden to use the fire place, they made a Buche de Noel to resemble the yule log. It is still a tradition in France to tell stories, sing, and then eat the "yule log" or Buche de Noel. The ones in France are made to resemble a real piece of wood, with meringue mushrooms and all:

Source: Allrecipes.com

My Buche de Noel isn't truly authentic with mushrooms or genoise yellow cake. It isn't exactly branch shaped either, but the mint filling and ganache frosting make up for it!


(Adapted from a Kraft cake roll recipe)
Ingredients:
Cake:
3 squares Baker's semi-sweet Chocolate
6 Tbsp. butter
1 up granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 Cup flour, divided
1/2 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup water
1/4 Cup powdered sugar

Mint Filling:
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 Cup powdered sugar
1 container Cool Whip
1/4-1/2 tsp peppermint extract
3-5 drops green food coloring

Ganache Frosting:
2 Tb. Corn syrup
6 oz. heavy cream
12 oz. chocolate, chopped (dark or milk, depending on your taste buds)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Andes mint chips


Heat over to 350 F.

Start by spraying a cookie sheet. Then put a layer of tinfoil or parchment paper down, and SPRAY IT AGAIN!!

Microwave chocolate squares and butter until melted... check and stir every 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar and mix well.

Beat eggs in a mixer on high for 3 minutes or until thickened (not shown). Blend in chocolate & butter mixture. Add 1/4 cup of the flour and baking soda; beat just until blended. Add remaining flour alternately with the water, beating after each addition.

Spread into prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes or until the top of cake springs back when touched.

Immediately sprinkle 1/4 cup of powdered sugar over cake. (This keeps it from sticking on the next part).

Immediately after that, put a clean towel over the top of the cake....

and turn the pan over, or invert it.

Remove the pan, and then very carefully peel off the tin foil or parchment paper...

The cake will be on that towel. With the cake still on the towel, immediately roll up the cake. Put it on a wire rack and let it cool completely, or almost completely.

Make the mint filling

 (Here's a repeat of the ingredients so you don't have to keep scrolling up and down).
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 C. powdered sugar
1 package of cool whip
1/4-1/2 tsp peppermint extract
3-5 drops green food coloring

Mix the powdered sugar and cream cheese til blended. Stir in the cool whip, peppermint extract, and green food coloring until blended.

Unroll the cake roll. Spread the mint filling evenly. Carefully roll cake back up.

There will probably be a few cracks like this...

that's okay. The topping will cover it up.

When the cake is rolled, put it seam side down on a platter.

Make the ganache:
2 Tb  corn syrup, 6 Tb heavy cream, 12 oz. chocolate, chopped, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

On top of double broiler combine corn syrup, chocolate and heavy cream. Cook at medium high heat until melted. Remove, add vanilla. Let cool for a few minutes.

Pour on top of cake roll, add some mint chips. That's it!

Enjoy!
XO,
Nancy