Cordon Rose Christmas Log (Bûche de Noël)

By norsegal8

I made this traditional holiday cake for Christmas dinner in France some years ago in the home of my dear friends the Brossollets. It quickly became a family project with Martin, the youngest, running out to the corner store for parchment for piping the meringue mushrooms and Nadège sneaking her husband's oldest rum for the ganache, saying he would have a fit if he knew it was being used for a cake.
My version uses a moist chocolate roll and whipped cream instead of the usual yellow cake roll and chocolate buttercream, which I always found to rich and heavy under the chocolate "bark."

Ingredients

• CAKE COMPONENTS
• 1 recipe Chocolate Cloud Roll
• 1 recipe Perfect Whipped Cream
• 1 recipe Dark Ganache Frosting
• OPTIONAL DECOR
• meringue mushrooms
• pistachio marzipan ivy leaves
• green tea pine needles

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING CAKE
1. Fill the Chocolate Cloud Roll with the Perfect Whipped Cream.

2. Chill for at least 1 hour.

3. Cut a diagonal slice from one end of the roll and place it on top to form a knot.

4. Spread the ganache frosting over the log and use the tines of a fork to make lines resembling bark. Make a few round swirls with the fork on top of the know.

5. Decorate with meringue mushrooms, marzipan leaves, etc.


The cake can be assembled and refrigerated 2 days ahead. The meringue mushrooms should not be set on the log until serving day.