Servings: 8
Preparation time: 2h15 (1 hour resting time)
Cooking time: 20 min
For Christmas, I'm tackling a great classic: the Yule log. To give it a Quebec BBQ flavor, I used Gâteau spices, which are reminiscent of Christmas. Don't be put off by the number of steps in the recipe; it's much simpler than it looks!
Cake
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¼ Cup Cake Seasoning
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⅓ cup milk
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¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
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¼ Cup cocoa (Dutch method ideally)
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1 pinch of salt
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¼ tsp baking soda
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2 eggs, separated
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¾ Cup sugar, divided (½ and ¼)
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¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
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½ tsp vanilla extract
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2 tbsp orange liqueur, Grand Marnier (see tips)
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1 tbsp icing sugar
Preparation :
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Preheat BBQ to 350°F, keeping indirect heat. Line a 17 x 12-inch (43 x 30 cm) baking sheet with parchment paper, leaving the overhang. Generously butter the paper and unlined sides if necessary. Set aside.
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In a small bowl, mix cake seasoning with ⅓ cup milk. Set aside until spices are completely dissolved.
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In a bowl, sift together flour, ¼ cup cocoa, salt and baking soda. Mix and set aside.
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In another bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add 125 ml (½ cup) sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
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In a third bowl, cream ¼ cup sugar with butter using an electric mixer. Add egg yolks, vanilla and orange liqueur.
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On low speed, beat in dry ingredients alternately with spiced milk mixture. Gently fold egg whites into batter with a spatula. Spread evenly over baking sheet. Bake on indirect heat for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. If baking sheet extends beyond indirect heat, place another baking sheet upside down on the rack and place the cake sheet on top. Be careful not to overbake the cake.
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Place parchment paper on a cooling rack. Sprinkle with about ½ tbsp of icing sugar using a sieve. Once removed from the grill, sprinkle the top of the cake with the remaining icing sugar before inverting it onto the parchment paper. Leave the baking sheet on the cake to retain its moisture. Let cool completely at room temperature, about 1 hour.
Trim
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1 pkg Philadelphia cheese (250 grams), at room temperature
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2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
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3 cups icing sugar
Preparation
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In a bowl, cream the cheese and butter with an electric mixer. On low speed, gradually add the icing sugar until the frosting is smooth and creamy. Set aside in the refrigerator.
Decoration:
Ganache
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1/2 cup of 35% cream
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1 tbsp cake seasoning
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1 tbsp orange liqueur (Grand Marnier)
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6 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
Preparation
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Preheat the BBQ, with all burners on maximum.
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In a small saucepan, combine cream, Gâteau seasoning and Grand Marnier. Heat until simmering, just below boiling.
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Tuck the cream inside. In a bowl, add the hot cream to the chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted.
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Warm at room temperature until the ganache thickens slightly. This should only take a minute or two. Set aside.
Grilled oranges
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1 orange, sliced about 0.5 cm
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Cake spices
Preparation
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Sprinkle both sides of the orange slices with the Cake seasoning.
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Grill over direct heat for 2 minutes per side.
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Leave to cool on absorbent paper.
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Blot as needed.
Assembling the log:
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Once the cake has cooled completely, remove the baking sheet and parchment paper. Turn the rack over so that the side with the icing sugar is on top.
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Spread the filling evenly over the entire surface.
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Carefully roll the cake widthwise using the parchment paper.
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Place on a serving plate, with the end of the roll underneath.
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Pour the lukewarm ganache over the log and let it run down the sides.
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Decorate with chocolate bark and grilled orange slices sprinkled with Cake spices, etc.
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Keep refrigerated.
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Remove and leave at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
Tips:
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Grand Marnier comes in a 50 ml format, the perfect amount for the recipe!
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Don't worry if the cake cracks as the decoration will cover up the imperfections.
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The more cautious might also decide to make a layered cake instead of rolling the cake. In this case, simply cut the cake into 3 equal parts and spread the filling between the 2 bottom layers.
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To make chocolate decorations, simply melt chocolate and pipe shapes using a pastry bag (or a ziploc bag with one corner cut off) onto parchment paper.