Christmas Log, كعكة جذع شجرة

Christmas Log Cake

(with a taste of Black Forest cake)

Ingredients


The Cake

  • 5 eggs, separated
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup plain cocoa
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 2 tbsp. vanilla
  • 1 tsp. lemon or orange zest (optional)

The Filling

  • 1 cup whipping cream, whipped
  • 2 tbsp. icing sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • 1 cup cherries in light syrup (pitted and halved)

The Frosting

  • 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup (4 oz) semi sweet baking chocolate
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. cocoa
  • 3 tbsp. icing sugar
  • 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

  1. Prepare the Filling:  In a bowl, mix one cup of the  heavy whipping cream, sugar and vanilla and whip until soft peaks form.

  2. Prepare the Frosting:  Melt chocolate and let it cool for a few minutes.  In a bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream, sugar, vanilla and whip until soft peaks form.   Stir in the cooled melted chocolate and mix until well incorporated.

  3. Separate egg whites from yolks.  Place the egg whites in a mixing bowl and the yolks in another bowl, cover and allow to come to room temperature before using.

  4. Sift flour, cocoa and baking powder.

  5. When the eggs are ready, mix the egg yolks, vanilla, sugar and lemon or orange zest until pale, thick and fluffy.   Add half the dry ingredients into the egg mixture and fold until they are incorporated, add the remaining flour mix and fold in.

  6. Whisk the egg whites on high speed until they form stiff peaks.

  7. Gently fold in a little of the egg whites to the batter to lighten it and then fold in the remaining egg whites.

  8. Pour the mixture into a 13" x 18" swiss roll pan lined with parchment paper and bake in a 375 degrees F preheated oven for 12 - 15 minutes.

  9. Invert the cake on a sheet of parchment paper or a clean tea towel immediately after taking out of the oven.  Gently remove the parchment paper and then roll the cake while still hot and pliable.  Allow the cake to cool.

  10. After the cake has cooled, unroll it, spread with whipped cream and cherries and roll again.   Spread the frosting on the outside of the cake making lines resembling a tree bark.

Variation:  Instead of adding melted chocolate to the whipped cream frosting you can keep the frosting white and top with chocolate flakes just like the original Black Forest Cake.