Snowy Cranberry and Chocolate Bûche de Noël

By foodiva

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup 1/2cupgranulated sugar
• 1/2 cup 1/2cupwater
• 1/2 cup 1/2cupwhole cranberrywhole cranberries
• 1/4 cup 1/4cupcoarse sugar
• 6 oz 6ozbittersweet chocolate, melted
• 5 5eggeggs, separated
• 1 cup 1cupgranulated sugar
• 1 tsp 1tspvanilla
• 1/2 cup 1/2cupall-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup 1/3cupcocoa powder, sifted
• 1 pinch 1pinchsalt
• 1 tub (475 g) 1 tub (475 g)mascarpone cheese
• 1 cup 1cupcranberry sauce
• 1/4 cup 1/4cupmilk
• 1 tbsp 1tbspicing sugar
• 1/2 cup 1/2cupunsalted butter, softened
• 1-1/4 cups 1-1/4cupsicing sugar
• 1 pinch 1pinchsalt
• 2 oz 2ozunsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
• 2 tsp 2tsphot water

Details

Servings 10
Preparation time 40mins
Cooking time 40mins
Adapted from canadianliving.com

Preparation

Step 1

In small saucepan, heat granulated sugar and water over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Pour over cranberries in small bowl; cover and refrigerate for 12 hours. Drain and toss with coarse sugar. Set aside.

Chocolate Cake: In large bowl, beat egg yolks with half of the sugar until pale and thickened, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

In separate bowl, sift together flour, all but 1 tbsp of the cocoa powder and salt.

In another bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; beat in remaining sugar, 2 tbsp at a time, until stiff peaks form. Spoon one-third over yolk mixture; sift one-third of the flour mixture over top and fold in. Repeat twice with remaining egg white and flour mixtures. Scrape into parchment paper–lined rimmed 17- x 11-inch (45 x 29 cm) jelly roll pan, smoothing top.

Bake in 400°F (200°C) oven until cake springs back when lightly pressed in centre, about 12 minutes. Run paring knife around edges to loosen cake.

Dust clean damp tea towel with remaining cocoa; invert cake onto towel. Gently peel off paper. Starting at narrow end, roll up cake in towel. Set aside, seam side down.

Filling: In bowl, beat mascarpone until fluffy; mix in cranberry sauce, milk and icing sugar.

Unroll cake. Using offset spatula, spread filling over top, leaving 1/4-inch (5 mm) border. Gently roll up; place, seam side down, on serving platter.

Butter Icing: In bowl, beat together butter, icing sugar and salt until fluffy; beat in chocolate. Beat in hot water. Spread over cake. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

Meanwhile, on parchment paper–lined baking sheet, spread chocolate to 1/16 -inch (1.5 mm) thickness. Refrigerate until just firm, about 8 minutes. Peel off paper; cut into large shards. Arrange all over cake. Scatter sugared cranberries on top.