Mascarpone, Cherry and Chocolate Yule Log

One of the best times of the year for sweet lovers is Christmas, without a doubt. You can find a very wide and varied assortment, so it is totally impossible not to feel satisfied. I include myself, because I’m a big sweet tooth.

When presenting desserts during these days, there is a classic that never fails and with which we will always do very well, the famous Yule log or Christmas log. This dessert has many advantages, starting with the fact that it is a very simple preparation to carry out, allows us to prepare it in advance and, besides, is very versatile. Not to mention that we can transport it to friends' or relatives' houses knowing it will arrive in perfect condition.

In my case I leave you a mascarpone and cherry filling, but you can change it for another if you wish; pastry cream, Chantilly, whipped cream with cocoa, coffee, caramel, nougat… The option you like best. The decoration is very simple and striking, it will give us little work. Something 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 goes 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 rekindled energy to begin the new year, thus driving away the darkness that might hover around our lives.

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

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

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

Ingredients

For the sponge cake:

• 120 g of low-protein pastry flour
• 20 g of cornstarch (Maicena)
• 5 L eggs (whites and yolks separated)
• 150 g of sugar
• 60 g of whole milk
• 80 g of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 5 g of baking powder
• A pinch of salt

For the mascarpone and cherry cream:

• 200 g of mascarpone cheese
• 200 g of whipping cream
• 90 g of cherry jam
• A few drops of cherry or maraschino extract (optional)
• 4-5 chopped glacé cherries

For the chocolate ganache:

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

To decorate:

• Fresh currants
• Sprigs of rosemary, dill, stems/leaves of fresh carrot…
• Pinecones and candles (optional)
• Golden sprinkles with Christmas motifs

Preparation

We prepare the sponge cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC with top and bottom heat.
2. We line the rectangular tray 25 x 38 x 2.5 cm from KitchenAid with parchment paper, set aside. To help the paper stick, spread a little butter on the tray or baking spray.
3. Sift the flour together with the cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
4. Separate the yolks from the whites. Set aside.
5. Beat in a bowl the yolks together with the milk and the melted, cooled butter.
6. Add the flour mixture to the yolk mixture. Mix until homogeneous and set aside.
7. Whip the egg whites; when they begin to foam, start adding the sugar little by little until all is added. Beat, gradually increasing the speed without reaching the maximum, until obtaining a meringue with soft peaks. We should not whip the whites to obtain a firm, dry meringue.
8. Once the meringue is ready, begin incorporating it into the yolk and flour mixture prepared earlier. Do it in batches and with gentle, folding motions.

Pour into the pan and bake

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

Set of 5 KitchenAid metal molds, white floral ceramic bowl from KitchenAid and Set of 3 Küchenprofi scrapers.

We prepare the mascarpone and cherry cream

* The cream must be chilled for at least 24 hours.

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

1. Pour the jam together with the mascarpone into the KitchenAid bowl and mix with the whisk.
2. Add the cream and mix again with the whisk, at medium-high speed.
3. Beat until you obtain a very firm cream. Be careful not to overbeat or you will make butter.
4. Transfer the cream to a bowl, cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate until ready to use.

Prepare the sponge cake for rolling

1. Carefully remove the parchment paper and prepare a new one.
2. Trim the ends of the sponge cake to get a clean result.
3. Spread the mascarpone and cherry cream over the surface with the help of a spatula. You should place more filling on the side of the sponge that you will start rolling. And, as you progress placing the filling toward the side that will be the final part of the roll, reduce the thickness of the filling. This way we avoid having excess cream at the end when rolling.
4. Place the chopped glacé cherries over the mascarpone and cherry cream.
5. Roll carefully onto itself. Once rolled, pull the paper and use the scraper to adjust and tighten the roll.
6. Wrap in the parchment paper, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or until the next day.

SECOND DAY:

We prepare the chocolate ganache

1. Chop the dark chocolate, set aside.
2. In a saucepan add the whipping cream, place over medium heat and let it come to a gentle boil.
3. Remove from heat, add the chopped chocolate and let rest for 2 minutes.
4. Using a whisk, mix until achieving a smooth, silky texture.
5. Pour into a bowl, cover with cling film and let cool.
6. Once cooled, refrigerate for 1-2 hours. We must achieve a spreadable consistency, but not hard. If we let it cool too much, it will become too firm and we won't be able to spread it over the Christmas log.

Cover with the chocolate ganache

1. Trim the ends of the roll to give a cleaner finish. In my case I cut a bit more to fit the tray I was going to use to present it. De Buyer baking mat
2. With the help of a spatula, cover the entire Yule log with the chocolate ganache.
3. Be careful when covering the bottom, trying to do it as neatly as possible.
4. As you spread the ganache over the surface, it will start to set. If you wish, you can scratch the surface with a fork to give more texture to the log. In my case I added texture using the spatula.

De Buyer baking mat

Decorate the Yule log

1. Place fresh currants, dill leaves and carrot stems (to simulate leaves) on the log. You can use rosemary if you prefer.
2. You can add a pinecone if desired and some golden Christmas-themed sprinkles.
3. Stick a few candles into the surface and light them.
4. Serve.

NOTES:

• Be very careful when folding the meringue into the batter to avoid deflating it and obtaining a very fluid batter that, moreover, will not yield as spongy a result.
• If you don't have this baking tray, you can pipe the batter with a piping bag onto a perforated tray, previously lined with parchment paper.
• It is not necessary to pre-roll the sponge once baked. The result is a very elastic sponge that will allow us to roll it without fear of cracking.
• If desired, you can soak the sponge with a little syrup, even with a light touch of rum.
• The filling is completely optional; you can adapt it to your tastes.
• Watch the ganache when refrigerating it to achieve the right consistency for covering the log. If left too long, it can harden too much.
• The chocolate coating will help preserve the sponge's juiciness and tenderness.
• We can keep it refrigerated for 2-3 days.

A dessert with which you will undoubtedly surprise your friends and family, this Yule log is a great option to finish a lunch, dinner or even to enjoy in the mid-afternoon.

If you dare to make it, we would love to know how it turned out!