Bûche de Noël

• At Christmas, it is Houle family tradition to get together for a day of baking. The main recipes are Hello Dollies, Adventure Balls, Nutmeg Logs, Rum (or Bourbon) Balls, Bûche de Noël, and the Chocolate Marshmallow Fudge.
• Consider researching traditional yule log decorations before serving.

Ingredients

Cake

• ½ cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ cup cocoa
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 eggs, separated
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 Tbsp water

Filling

• 5 Tbsp flour
• 1 cup milk
• ¼ pound unsalted butter (1 stick)
• ⅓ cup shortening
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Dash of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Sift together dry ingredients and set aside.
2. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually add half of the sugar and beat until glossy.
3. In a third bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and add the remaining sugar. Slowly add water and beat until a lemon color.
4. Add egg whites to yellow mixture and fold in dry ingredients.
5. Grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan and line it with greased and floured parchment paper. Pour mixture in pan.
6. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes.
7. As soon as you pull the cake out of the oven, turn it out onto a tea towel lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Peel parchment paper off of cake. Starting at one of the short ends, roll the cake up into the towel and cool completely. This will help train the cake to roll up nicely later once its filled.
8. While the cake cools, prepare the filling. Blend together flour and milk to form a paste. Add remaining ingredients and cream for 3-5 minutes.
9. Once the cake has cooled, gently unroll it. Spread the filling across the cake, leaving about a half an inch around the edge unfrosted (the filling will spread as you roll).
10. Roll your cake at the same short end you started with before. Then keep rolling the cake up into a spiral.
11. Refrigerate your cake for 30 minutes or more before serving.