Hi everyone! Here’s the last recipe of Yule Log of the year. I’ve decided to realise a Yule Log made up of a soft cocoa sponge cake, filled with some orange candied cremeux, and decorated with a delicious whipped chocolate and orange ganache and some meringues. The orange and chocolate combination is one of my favorites and fits perfectly this season. The recipes come from French pastry chefs and blogs. This is a very easy dessert to make and an amazing Buche to serve at the end of the meal!
For a 33cm Yule Log:
Sponge cake:
- 5 eggs of 50g
- 20g of flour
- 25g of corn starch
- 20g of cocoa powder
- 35g of butter
- 40g of sugar
Whipped chocolate and orange ganache:
- 400g of full liquid cream (300g + 100g)
- 180g of dark chocolate
- The zests of 2,5 oranges
- 4,8g of powdered gelatin
Orange cremeux:
- 3,5g of orange zests
- 50g of orange juice
- 8g of lemon juice
- 20g of sugar
- 100g of eggs (= 2)
- 2g of powdered gelatin
- 50g of soft butter
Candied orange:
- 50g of orange peel
- 150g of orange juice
- 75g of sugar
Meringues:
- 30g of egg white (= 1)
- 30g of icing sugar
- 30g of sugar
Let’s begin with the whipped ganache:
1. Hydrate the gelatin with 6 times its weight in cold water.
2. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie (or microwave).
3. Bring to boil the 300g of full liquid cream with the orange zests, cover with a plate (or cling film) and let it infuse 15-20min.
4. Then, bring to boil the infused cream and pour it in three times over the melted chocolate. Mix vigorously between each addition.
5. Add the hydrated gelatin and the 100g of very cold cream left.
6. Cover with cling film (it must touch the surface) and refrigerate minimum 4h, the best is overnight.
Now, for the candied orange:
1. Peel the orange using a peeler and try not to take too much of the white part. You can then, with a knife, remove even more some of the white parts.
2. Cut the peel into thin slices and place them in a saucepan. Add water and bring to boil. Empty the water and repeat this operation 2 more times. This will remove the bitterness of the orange peel.
3. Add the orange juice and the sugar. Cook over low heat for about 30min until there isn’t much juice left. Make sure to stir from time to time so the sugar doesn’t burn.
4. Spread the candied orange over a silicone mat and let them cool down.
5. Cut the slices into small cubes and store them in a container until use.
For the cremeux:
1. Hydrate the gelatin in 6 times its weight in cold water.
2. In a bowl, mix the eggs with the sugar until it whitens.
3. Combine the orange juice, lemon juice and zests in a saucepan and bring to boil.
4. Pour it over the egg mixture in three times and mix well.
5. Return everything to the pan and cook over medium heat, while mixing regularly, until it reaches 82°C.
6. Off the heat, add the hydrated gelatin.
7. Wait until the cream goes down to 45°C, add the butter cut into small cubes and mix with a hand blender or a blender.
8. Wrap the cream with cling film (it must touch the surface) and refrigerate minimum 3h.
For the meringues:
1. Whisk the egg whites by increasing the speed progressively. When a little bit of foam appears, add the first third of sugar. Whisk a bit more and add the second third. When the egg whites begin to thicken, add the last third. The egg whites are done when they tightly hold to the whisk.
At this moment, you can add the first third of sugar 
Now, you can add the second third.
2. Gently incorporate the sifted icing sugar using a rubber spatula.
3. Place the mixture in a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip. Pipe on a baking sheet regular sticks of meringues.
4. Cook them immediately in a 100°C preheated oven (fan-assisted) for 2 hours. The meringues are ready when they easily remove from the sheet without leaving any marks.
Last preparation, the sponge cake:
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C fan assisted.
2. Separate the white and the yolk of the eggs.
3. Beat the egg white by adding the half of the sugar (20g) progressively until stiff peaks form.
4. Melt the butter and let it cool down.
5. Whisk the egg yolks with the other half of sugar until it whitens.
6. Pour it over the beaten egg white and gently stir with a spatula.
7. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and corn starch over the mixture and incorporate it gently.
8. Finish by adding the melted butter.
9. Pour the mixture on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Mine is 38x31cm. If you have, I suggest you to use a silicone baking mat, it will be easier to unmold.
10. Cook for 8-9min, the time may vary depending on your oven. The cake is ready when you see the borders beginning to golden.
11. Flip it immediately over another parchment paper and let it cool down slightly before unmolding it.
12. Cut the edges and roll it in the paper.
It’s time to assemble the Buche!
1. Whip your chocolate ganache by increasing the speed progressively. The cream must have lightened in color and must stick tightly to the whisk.
2. Add the candied orange cubes to the cremeux and whisk vigorously. Don’t forget to save some cubes for the decoration.
3. Spread over the sponge cake a thin layer of whipped ganache. Cover generously with orange cremeux.
4. Roll the cake tightly using the parchment paper. To make sure it’s tight enough, push the cake with a cutting board while pulling the parchment paper towards you.
5. Cut the edges for a neater look. Place the rest of the ganache in a pastry bag fitted with a wide plain tip and pipe small dots on the entire Buche.
Before cutting 
After cutting 
6. Refrigerate until tasting.
Just before you serve, decorate with the meringue sticks and the candied orange cubes.
Your Orange and Chocolate Yule Log is ready! Enjoy!
Don’t forget to write an email to partage@justonemorecake.com to share your pictures of the recipe and your opinions! I will add them at the bottom of this article.
