Recipes
Molly Wilkinson’s Bûche de Noël
INGREDIENTS
Chocolate Génoise Cake
- ⅔ cup (85 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (20 grams) cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
White Chocolate Peppermint Buttercream
- 19 tablespoons (270 grams) Kerrygold Unsalted Pure Irish Butter, room temperature
- 3 cups (360 grams) powdered sugar
- ⅔ cup (120 grams) white chocolate
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
Chocolate Ganache
- 6 ounces (170 grams) bittersweet, semisweet, or dark chocolate (60-70%), chopped
- ⅔ cup (160 milliliters) heavy cream
method
- For the cake: Prepare a 10x15 inch (25x38 cm) jelly roll pan. Grease it with baking spray and then press a sheet of parchment paper inside to where it goes up the long ends of the pan. Grease the top as well. Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C. Measure out the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, and set aside with a sieve or sifter nearby. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the whole eggs and sugar. Whip with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until triple in volume, very pale yellow in color (practically white), and mousse-like and thick in texture. This can take 8 to 10 minutes to achieve. If needed, turn up the speed of the mixer slightly. Sift the dry ingredients over the whipped eggs in two additions, gently folding after each until mostly incorporated. Pour the batter in a line down the prepared jelly roll pan. Use an offset metal spatula to first spread the batter into the corners, and then fill in the rest of the pan. Do this quickly and aim for an even layer. Immediately place in the pre-heated oven to keep the batter from deflating. Bake 9 to 11 minutes. The cake is done when the top is mat in color and the cake is pulling away from the sides of the pan. To double check, you can see if a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. As soon as you remove it from the oven, cover with a damp cloth. It’s ok if it touches the cake. This will keep the moisture in and help prevent any cracking. Allow to cool completely in the pan.
- For the buttercream: Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in short 10 to 15 second blasts. Let cool. Whip the butter in an electric mixer with the whisk attachment until soft then slowly add the powdered sugar. Scrap down the bowl as necessary. Whip in the melted white chocolate and peppermint extract. Divide the buttercream in half. Add 2 to 3 drops of pink food coloring to half of the buttercream and stir in. Transfer to two piping bags with the ends cut off to ½ inch or with a Ateco 804 or Wilton 2A tip.
- For the ganache: Place the chocolate in a large-medium bowl. Heat the heavy cream just to simmering and pour over the chocolate. Wait a couple of seconds for the chocolate to start to melt and then whisk to combine. Set aside at room temperature to firm up until in a spreadable consistency.
- Pipe lines of icing on top of the cooled genoise cake crosswise (aka in line with the short sides), alternating the pink and white icing. Use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut the cake in half lengthwise into two long rectangles, cutting against the piped lines. Line up the two rectangles of cake into one long rectangle and roll to form a log. Set onto your serving platter, cut side of the cake facing down. Chill 15 to 20 minutes to firm up the buttercream before decorating. Ice the sides with the chocolate ganache when it is at a spreadable state.
- The cake will last two days well-wrapped in the fridge. Bring to room temperature before serving.
- Reprinted with permission from Molly Wilkinson.
