Cooking Therapy

A Bûche de Noël (yule log), is a traditional dessert eaten in Europe during the holiday season between Christmastime and New Years. It is a rolled up sponge cake stuffed with a cream filling and topped with a buttercream frosting. For my variation, I incorporated both mascarpone and cream cheeses in the filling and frosting for a creamier, smoother texture. This is a delectable dessert to serve company, during a holiday dinner, or even indulging alone by a warm fire. Try this recipe today!

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Wait time: 1 hour and a half

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

1 box of yellow cake mix

1 pinch of sea salt

4 eggs at room temperature, egg whites and yolks in separate bowls

2 cups of milk at room temperature

1 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature

1 package mascarpone cheese at room temperature

1 package of cream cheese at room temperature

2 cups of powdered sugar

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

4 tablespoons of Nutella ™

Zest from one orange

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Butter a 10x15in baking pan and line with parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper and put aside
• Sift the cake mix into a bowl and mix in the salt
• In the bowl with the egg yolks, add one teaspoon of the vanilla and beat the yolks. Add them to the cake mix and stir
• Slowly add in the milk until a thick batter begins to form. You might not need to use the whole 2 cups, only enough to where the thick batter forms
• In a stand mixer with whisk attachment, or with an electric hand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. One big spoonful at a time, fold the egg whites into the batter and slowly incorporate. Do not overwork the batter
• Pour the batter into the pan and gently spread it until it is even. If there are any peaks visible, smoothly pass over them without pressing down
• Place in middle rack in oven and bake for at least 15 minutes or until the cake is set and bounces back when lightly pressed
• Coat a clean towel with powdered sugar. Make sure the towel is larger than the cake. Invert the cake onto the towel and remove the parchment paper. Fold the edge of the towel onto the short edge of the cake and slowly and carefully roll the cake. Allow it to cool. While the cake cools, make the buttercream
• In a stand mixer with paddle adjustment, add both cheeses and stir on high for 10 seconds. Add the powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons of butter from the stick, the orange zest, and the remaining teaspoon of vanilla and whip on high until a smooth mixture forms. Remove half of the cream and place in a separate bowl. This will become the filling
• In the leftover buttercream in the stand mixer, add the remaining stick of butter and the Nutella ™ and blend until smooth. This will become the frosting
• Once the cake has cooled, carefully unroll it. Add the vanilla filling and spread it across the cake. Carefully roll the cake again.

• Coat it evenly with the Nutella ™ frosting. Using a fork, draw lines across the cake to resemble bark. You may top with sprinkles, nuts, dried fruit, or just leave as is

• Put in the fridge and allow to cool for at least an hour
• Serve and enjoy!