Staff Photo by Allison Carter/Chattanooga Times Free Press – Rembrandt’s Coffee House, in the Bluff View Art District, offers various types of pastries including yule logs. The log is adorned with edible holly, mushrooms and snow.As pastry chef for the Bluff View Art District for the past 12 years, Kari Evans is known for masterpieces made of butter, flour and eggs. But none of her cakes may be as beloved as the Buche de Noel, better known as a Yule log.
Though Evans’ Italian cream cakes, turtle cheesecakes and chocolate cakes with mint frosting may replace visions of sugarplums for something truly mouthwatering during the holidays, the Yule log uses its signature shape — a rolled cake made to look like a fallen tree limb — to spread glad tidings.
“The story behind it is great, and they’re fun for kids to help make and decorate really any way they want to,” Evans said. “They’re much more whimsical than a normal cake.”
Baking a Yule log is a chance to get creative and fun. The cake can be made to look rustic, with a dusting of snow made from shavings of white chocolate or mushrooms fashioned from meringue. Or the log might serve as the base for a fanciful village of Christmas characters.
When making any cake, there are a few tips to follow for success.
Evans advised:
* Pay attention to the recipe. If any of the ingredients, such as eggs or butter, are supposed to be at room temperature, make sure they are. “That makes a huge difference,” she said.
* Use the exact ingredients called for, without swapping sugar for no-calorie sweeteners or real butter for tub margarine. “This is no time to play with substitutions,” she said.
* Do not overbake the cake. Check with a toothpick or use your finger to see if it springs back in the center when lightly pressed.
* Don’t overfill the pan. This is a particular problem with odd-shaped pans. Keep the instructions that come with the pan. They should tell you how much batter the pan holds. “You can’t eyeball it. That doesn’t work,” she said.
Dozens of Evans’ cakes will be sold through Christmas at Rembrandt’s, the district’s coffeehouse, said Bluff View spokeswoman Michelle Kephart.
This is Evans’ recipe for a Yule log she bakes at home — if she gets a break from making them for the arts district, that is.
Buche de Noel (Yule Log)
DID YOU KNOW?There are many stories of the history of Yule logs. One of the most endearing is of a French pastry chef who came up with the idea of replacing the real Yule log with a cake that was log-shaped, since many new homes in the late 1800s were built without wood-burning fireplaces.– www.joyofbaking.com
Cake:
5 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup cake flour
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Mocha cream filling:
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
11/2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
Mocha buttercream frosting:
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup baking cocoa
2 cups confectioners sugar
11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon brewed coffee
2 tablespoons milk
For cake: Line a 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan with parchment paper; grease the paper. Place egg whites in a small mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks on high until light and fluffy. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, beating until thick and lemon-colored. Combine flour, cocoa and salt; gradually add to egg yolk mixture until blended.
Beat egg whites on medium until foamy. Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating on high until stiff peaks form. Stir 1/4 of mixture into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining egg whites until no streaks remain.
Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes or until cake springs back (do not overbake). Cool for 5 minutes; invert onto a linen towel dusted with confectioners sugar. Peel off parchment paper. Roll up in the towel, starting with a short side. Cool on a wire rack.
For filling: In a mixing bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add sugar and coffee granules. Beat until stiff peaks form; chill. Unroll cooled cake; spread filling to within 1/2 inch of edges. Roll up again. Place on serving platter; chill.
For frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat frosting ingredients until smooth. Frost cake. Using a fork, make lines resembling tree bark. Decorate as desired.
Decorating tips: You can use white chocolate shavings to create a snow scene on the log, or simply use colored frosting to make decorative touches such as leaves and brush. Peppermints and sugar-dusted cookies also are good choices.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6285.