Christmas log of mascarpone, cherry and chocolate

One of the best times of the year for those with a sweet tooth is Christmas, without a doubt. We can find a very wide and varied selection, so it is totally impossible not to feel satisfied. I include myself, because I have a sweet tooth.

When it comes to serving desserts during these days, there is a classic that never fails and with which we will always look good, the famous Yule Log . This dessert has many advantages, starting from the fact that it is a very simple preparation. to carry out, which allows us to prepare it in advance and, in addition, it is very versatile. Not to mention that we can transport it to the home of friends or relatives knowing that it will arrive in perfect condition.

In my case I'm leaving you with a mascarpone and cherry cream filling, but you can change it for another one if you wish; pastry cream, Chantilly, cream with cocoa, coffee, caramel, nougat... The option you like the most. The decoration is very simple and attractive, it will not take us much work. Something that is very important during these days, especially if we have to prepare dinners or meals at home.

Origin of the Yule Log

The origin of this preparation dates back to the pre-Christian tradition in which a large log of wood, preferably from fruit trees, was burned to celebrate the winter solstice. The fire revived the energy to begin the new year, thus driving away the darkness that could haunt our lives.

To perform this ritual, certain steps had to be followed. The log had to be lit by the oldest or youngest member of the family and, on some occasions, it was done with ashes from the log burned the previous year. This should burn for at least 3 days and during this period it should be sprinkled with wine, oil or water.

This very peculiar custom was recovered by the Catholic Church and incorporated into Christmas rituals.

In the 19th century, with the arrival of stoves in homes, tradition was modified and this log of firewood was replaced by a dessert that simulated it, thus giving rise to the Christmas log.

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 120 g of soft pastry flour
• 20 g of cornstarch
• 5 large eggs (whites and yolks separated)
• 150 g of sugar
• 60 g whole milk
• 80 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 5 g of baking powder or booster
• A pinch of salt

For the mascarpone and cherry cream:

• 200 g mascarpone cheese
• 200 g liquid whipping cream
• 90 g cherry jam
• A few drops of cherry extract (optional)
• 4-5 candied cherries, chopped

For the Chocolate Ganache:

• 200 g of pure dark chocolate
• 135 g liquid whipping cream

To decorate:

• Fresh currants
• Rosemary branches, dill, fresh carrot stems/leaves…
• Pine cones and candles (optional)
• Golden sprinkles with Christmas motifs

Preparation

We prepare the cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC with heat from above and below.
2. We line the KitchenAid rectangular tray measuring 25 x 38 x 2.5 cm with baking paper and set aside. To help the paper stick, we will spread the tray with a little butter or release spray .
3. We sift the flour together with the cornstarch, baking powder and salt. We set aside.
4. We separate the yolks from the whites and set aside.
5. In a bowl, beat the yolks together with the milk and the melted and cooled butter.
6. Add the flour mixture to the yolk mixture. Mix until smooth and set aside.
7. Beat the egg whites and, as soon as they begin to foam, gradually add the sugar until all of it is added. Beat, gradually increasing the speed without reaching the maximum, until you obtain a meringue with soft peaks. You should not beat the egg whites to obtain a firm, dry meringue.
8. Once the meringue is ready, we begin to add it to the mixture of yolks and flour that we prepared earlier. We will do it in batches and with gentle, enveloping movements.

We pour it into the mold and bake it.

1. Pour the mixture into the baking tray and smooth the surface with a spatula or scraper .
2. Place in the oven at medium height and bake for 17-18 minutes.
3. We take it out, unmold it and let it cool on a rack.

Set of 5 KitchenAid metal moulds , KitchenAid floral white ceramic bowl and set of 3 Küchenprofi scrapers .

We prepare the mascarpone and cherry cream

* The cream must be in the cold for at least 24 hours.

* The bowl where we whip the cream must be cold. I recommend using an aluminum bowl and placing it in the freezer 20 minutes before preparing to whip the cream.

1. Pour the jam together with the mascarpone cheese into the KitchenAid bowl and mix with the whisk.
2. Add the cream and mix again with the whisk, at medium-high speed.
3. We beat until we obtain a cream with a lot of body. Be careful not to over beat or we will make butter.
4. We put the cream in a bowl, cover the bowl with film and refrigerate until we are going to use it.

We prepare the cake to roll

1. Carefully remove the baking paper and prepare a new one.
2. We cut the ends of the cake to obtain a clean result.
3. We spread the mascarpone and cherry cream over the surface with the help of a spatula. We should place a larger quantity of filling on the part of the cake that we will begin to roll. And, as we advance placing the filling towards the part that will be the final part of the roll, we will reduce the thickness of the filling. In this way we will avoid having excess cream in the final area when rolling it.
4. We arrange the chopped candied cherries on the cherry and mascarpone cream.
5. We carefully roll it up on itself. Once it is rolled up, we stretch the paper and use the scraper to adjust and tighten the roll.
6. We roll it in baking paper, cover it with film and refrigerate it for 2-3 hours or until the next day.

SECOND DAY:

We prepare the chocolate ganache

1. We chop the dark chocolate and set aside.
2. In a saucepan, add the liquid cream, place over medium heat and allow it to come to a gentle boil.
3. Remove from heat, add the chopped chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes.
4. Using a whisk, mix until you achieve a homogeneous and silky texture.
5. Pour into a bowl, cover with film and let cool.
6. Once it has cooled, we put it in the fridge for 1-2 hours. We want it to have a spreadable consistency, but not hard. If we let it cool too much, it will become too thick and we will not be able to spread it on the Christmas log.

We cover with the chocolate ganache

1. We cut the ends of the roscón to give it a “cleaner” finish. In my case, I cut a little more to be able to fit it on the tray I was going to use to present it. De Buyer baking mat
2. Using a spatula, cover the entire Christmas log with the chocolate ganache.
3. We will try to be careful when covering the lower part, trying to do it as best as possible.
4. As you spread the ganache over the surface, it will solidify. If you wish, you can grate the surface with a fork to give the log more texture. In my case, I added texture with the help of a spatula.

De Buyer baking mat

We decorate the Christmas log

1. We place fresh currants, dill leaves and carrot stems on the trunk (to simulate the leaves). You can use rosemary if you wish.
2. We can add some pine cones if we want, as well as some golden sprinkles with Christmas motifs.
3. We stick some candles on the surface and light them.
4. We serve.

GRADES:

• We must be very careful when integrating the meringue into the dough to avoid lowering it and obtaining a very fluid dough that, in addition, will not have a spongy result.
• If you do not have this baking tray, you can pipe the dough using a pastry bag onto a perforated tray, previously lined with baking paper.
• It is not necessary to roll the cake once it is baked. The result is a very elastic cake that will allow us to roll it without fear of it cracking.
• If we wish, we can soak the cake with a little syrup, even with a light touch of rum.
• The filling is completely optional, you can adapt it to your tastes.
• Keep an eye on the ganache when refrigerating it to get the right consistency to cover the log. If left too long, it can harden too much.
• The chocolate coating will help preserve the juiciness and tenderness of the cake.
• We can keep it, refrigerated, for 2-3 days.

A dessert that will undoubtedly surprise your friends and family, this Christmas log is a great option to end a meal, dinner or even to enjoy in the middle of the afternoon.

If you dare to prepare it, we would love to know how it went!