Love Cake

Happy Holidays and Happy Festivus to all of you

Growing up, we never really celebrated Christmas, well, not in the traditional sense... It was a great excuse for all to get together for dinner and watch movies, stay up late and eat until we'd have to unbutton our pants.We wouldn't necessarily celebrate every year though. I remember many years, looking through the window to see how other families were celebrating. I never thought we really had a Christmas tradition until this year. We had our tree up, friends over for dinner, a family party and yet, something was still missing. Without the obvious that was missing, which is my family up in Montreal, I was missing a Bûche de Noël (Christmas Yule Log Cake).
Every year, whether we would have a family get together or not, one thing was always present, La Bûche de Noël. My mother would bring it from our store and we would all eat it while talking about all the events that marked the year that was about to end. That Christmas Log Cake was decorated with a plastic axe that I licked the icing or ice cream off of. I never realized its presence in our family tradition until now.
I made an extra effort to not be a curmudgeon and tried to remain mindful of the joy around me, but all I could think about was my beloved grandmother who was admitted to the hospital. This could have been a perfect Christmas. I wish I had a real axe so I could let out my anger. Chopping wood seems so relieving. I miss my grandmother. I miss my family. I can't find any Christmas log cake around here. I will have to settle for a chocolate cake and ice cream, and pretend that I'm eating a Christmas log since I'm such an awful baker...

La Bûche de Noël

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 6 egg whites
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whip cream, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until thick and stiff. Refrigerate.
2. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until thick and pale. Blend in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, and salt. In large glass bowl, using clean beaters, whip egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, and beat until whites form stiff peaks. Immediately fold the yolk mixture into the whites. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Dust a clean dishtowel with confectioners' sugar. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and turn the warm cake out onto the towel. Remove and discard parchment paper. Starting at the short edge of the cake, roll the cake up with the towel. Cool for 30 minutes.
4. Unroll the cake, and spread the filling to within 1 inch of the edge. Roll the cake up with the filling inside. Place seam side down onto a serving plate, and refrigerate until serving. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.