Mocha Christmas Yule Log

This is a delicious Christmas Yule Log! This recipe is adapted from Taste of Home's. I made this with Lynne on Christmas Day!

Ingredients:

Cake

• 5 eggs (separate into yolks and egg whites)
• 1 cup sugar (divided into 1/2)
• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Mocha Cream Filling:

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1.5 tsp instant coffee granules

Mocha Buttercream:

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, unsalted
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 2 cup icing sugar
• 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp brewed coffee
• 3 tbsp 2% milk

Steps:

Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 10 inch by 15 inch by 1 inch deep tray with parchment paper and spray/grease with butter or shortening. 
2. Separate eggs into a bowl for egg yolks and another bowl for egg whites. 
3. In a large bowl beat egg yolks until light and fluffy. Add 1/2 cup sugar and beat until thick. 
4. In a separate bowl for dry ingredients, whisk together flour, cocoa powder and salt. 
5. Add the flour mixture gradually to the egg mixture beating thoroughly. Set aside.
6. In a third separate bowl, beat egg whites until foamy Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks appear. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar beating until there are stiff peaks. 
7. Fold egg white mixture into chocolate mixture until there are no longer any streaks. 
8. Pour batter into the tray and spread evenly with spatula.
9. Bake for 12-15 minutes until cake springs back (careful not to over bake). 
10. Once done, invert onto a towel dusted generously with icing sugar.  Remove parchment paper, Roll up the cake in towel starting with the short side. Allow to cool.

Mocha Cream Filling:

1. In a large bowl, beat heavy cream as it starts to thickening. Gradually beat in sugar and coffee granules until stiff peaks from. 
2. Unroll cooled cake, and apply the filling throughout the entirety of the cake within 2 cm of the border. Roll up once more and transfer to your serving platter. 

Mocha Buttercream Frosting:

1. Add 1/3 cup butter, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1.5 cups icing sugar, 1.5 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tbsp brewed coffee and 3 tbs 2% milk to a large bowl, beat until smooth. 
2. Ice the cake with your Mocha Buttercream, using a spatula to make large lines, and a fork to create smaller lines. 

Part 1: CAKE

1. To get setup, first preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

2. Then line a 10 x 15 inch x 1 inch deep tray with parchment paper and grease with butter, shortening or baking oil spray. 

3. Separate eggs into a bowl for egg yolks and another bowl for egg whites. You do this by cracking the egg in two, and transfer the yolk back and fourth between the two pieces as the egg white drips through into a bowl below. Once there's no egg white left drop the egg yolk into another bowl. Repeat until you have separated 5 eggs.

4. Beat egg yolks until light and fluffy.

5. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup sugar to egg yolk mixture until thick. .

6. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup cake flour, 1/4 cup cocoa powder and 1/4 tsp salt.

7. Next gradually add cocoa mixture to egg yolk mixture, beating between additions until you get well blended mixture. Set aside.

8. Next, in a separate bowl, beat egg whites until foamy.

9. Add 1/2 a tsp of cream of tartar, and beat until soft peaks form.

10. Add 1/2 cup of granulated sugar to the egg yolk mixture and beat until stiff peaks form.

11. Fold egg white mixture gradually (in four parts) into chocolate mixture, and mix until no streaks remain.

12. Pour mixture into your parchment lined tray, use a spatula to spread evenly.

13. Place in oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until cake springs back when you gently push on it.

14. While the cake is cooling, grab a linen cloth and dust a generous amount of icing sugar onto the linen cloth.

15. Flip your cake onto the linen cloth, carefully peel back the parchment paper.

16. Starting at the shorter width, roll your yule leg with cloth overtop. Set aside.

Part 2: Mocha Cream Filling

17. In a separate bowl, beat 1 cup heavy whipping cream until thick:

18. Add 1.5 cups of icing sugar, 1.5 tsp of instant coffee granules and beat together. Our mocha cream filling is now done!

19. Cover your Mocha Cream Filling and Refrigerate until ready to use!

Part 3: Mocha Buttercream

20. Next we are going to make Mocha Buttercream. In a large bowl, beat 1/3 cup butter, add 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1.5 cups icing sugar, 1.5 tsp vanilla, and 3 tbsp milk.

21. Beat ingredients until well combined - you should have a rich Mocha Buttercream! Set aside.

PART 4: ASSEMBLING THE CAKE

22. Unroll your cake and apply the Mocha Cream filling evenly. Leave about 1/2 inch border around the edges.

23. Next roll your cake again, starting the shortest width of the cake without the linen towel this time. You might notice parts of the cake stick to the cloth, add more icing sugar in that case.

24. Take your mocha buttercream and use a spatula to spread around your cake. You can use the spatula to create a bark like texture

25.The end is a bit droopy, so we decided to slice the end to give the edge a much cleaner look.

26. Sprinkle icing sugar on top to give it a "snowed-on" like feel.

27. You can use a fork to create bark like texture.