I kept reminding myself that the reason I joined Daring Bakers was to challenge myself to bake new and different dishes that I would never attempt on my own. “You can do it, you can do it,” I say the entire time I go through each step of the Buche de Noel recipe. Well, I have done it!! After a few mistakes, none fatal to the Buche, the cake came together. Now whether it is a professional job, the jury is still out on that one. I followed the recipe, but brushed the baked, unrolled cake with an orange syrup and filled the cake with chocolate whipped cream which another flavor dimension to this rich dessert. It was a humid day when I make my buche, so I chose the marzipan mushrooms instead of the meringue ones.Orange Syrup1/4 cup sugar1/4 cup water3 tablespoons Triple-Sec or fresh orange juiceSimmer sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add liqueur. Set aside until ready to brush on cake.Chocolate Whipped Cream Filling2 cups heavy cream1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder1 teaspoon vanilla extractCombine ingredients in a large mixing bowl, whip until stiff and thick. Refrigerate.When the cake has cooled, brush with the orange syrup, then following directions in the recipe, fill with the chocolate whipped cream filling instead he of the buttercream. Continue with original recipe.
To GarnishFresh Rosemary cut into suitable lengths-4 inches or soDried Cranberries or fresh using this recipe from Cooking Light1 egg white1 tablespoon watergranulated sugarWhisk egg white with water until frothy. Using a small pastry, paint egg white onto leaves and stem of the rosemary, Dip into the granulated sugar, shaking off excess. Let dry for several hours before using.Thanks to Lisa and Ivonne for having the confidence in all of theDaring Bakers’ to put forth such a challenging and beautiful holiday dessert.
Love the addition of rosemary! A beautiful yule log!
Your buche de noel turned out lovely. The rosemary looks like pine needles and the frosted cranberries are a great touch also. Looks good enough to eat!
I thought the same thing….A challenge is supposed to just that..a challenge. Ugh! It was fun though. Your Buches de Noel looks wonderful!
Brilliant – love the decoration too. Merry Christmas!
Beautifully baked and decorated! The filling sounds heavenly.
Very sweet. I love the rosemary garnish.
How lovely! I think your garnish is wonderful. Keep up with the challenges!
Ooo, the idea of brushing the cake with syrup is great because my genoise turned out dry and this extra step might’ve rescued the dryness. Anyway, the log looks delish! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
hehehe I can totally relate to the mantra “You can do it! You can do it.” while baking a DB challenge. heheee!And guess what.. you did do it! And quite beautifully at that!xoxo
Well, this part of the jury is in: This is first rate Lynnylu! Love you mushrooms, bark lines and the “pine”! Beautiful!
Nicely done (both the cake and the challenge).
So nice to see how everyone decorated their log. The frosted cranberries are so cute. Scored!
Your Buche de Noel looks Beautiful! Great Job!
WOW your decorations are beautiful!! It looks delicious!
You did it, you did it! I agree that the cranberries and rosemary are lovely.
Job well done. See, it is amazing what you can accomplish if you just try and do it.
Stunning! Very nice decoration.
I am impressed, beautiful!
Rosmary instead of pine needles – great idea! You did a wonderful job! Happy holiday!
Yummy!! I’m totally in love with your mushrooms!
it looks so pretty! the rosemary and cranberries make it prettier! u pulled it off so well its hard to believe you found it challenging! :PHappy Hols!
I wish I would have given mine a brush of syrup. What a great idea to keep it moist. Looks fantastic.
How beautiful! I am really impressed. Great job.
I think your Yule log looks beautiful. The sugared rosemary gives it such a French air.
It’s beautiful!
Beautiful yule log, Lynne. Congratulations on stepping up and meeting the challenge! I love your chocolate cream filling!I hope your holiday was a joyous one, and that 2008 brings you health and happiness, laughter and love.
It looks beautiful, great job! You’re such a Daring Baker!
Absolutely gorgeous! I love the classical feel of it and the decoration is top notch!Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
What a wonderful looking log! I love those dainty mushrooms…Cheers and Happy New Year 2008!Rosa
Fantastic suggestions for modification. The orange syrup sounds awesome. Bien faites.
It’s gorgeous! Well done!
Love the sugared cranberries and rosemary. They just give the buche that extra touch. Lovely cake. Wendy
So pretty! Your yule log came out wonderfully – great job :)jen at use real butter
Thanks, Michelle. I love the pine scent rosemary.Scotbrit-thanks-the buche was tasty.Chris-you are correct-if we knew how to cook everything, there would be no challenge or fun!Meeta-thanks-Merry Christmas to you, too. Looking forward to a new challenge.Gigi-thanks-I had leftover filling and I ate it from the bowl. Not so good for the diet, however.Thanks, Kim. Rosemary is my favorite herb.Claire-thanks-I love the challenges. marias23-the orange syrup gave the buche another dimension. thanks for your comments.Lis-thanks, it helps to keep myself focused to keep saying the mantra.mykitcheninhalfcups-thanks, I appreciate your comments.Thanks, Judy.Bakingsoda-thanks, there are some talented bakers out there.happyhubbard-thanks so much for commenting.
I love the looks of the “iced” rosemary, it goes so well with your log.
I’m slowly getting around to everyone’s comments-sorry to be so late. I could blame it on the holidays!Bethg-thanks-my trusty rosemary bush saves me again.lunchbuckets-I did and I’m proud because I never would have done it on my own.peabody-thanks-you are an amazing baker with a great sense of humor.zorra-thanks-i have enjoyed your blog.ostwestwind-thanks-just looked at your dulce de leche ice cream-looks fab!claudia-thanks-rosemary is always available at my house.katieb-thanks-they were pretty simple to make.aamena-I had to take some very deep breaths at times-didn’t think I could pull it off.cheryl-the syrup helps the flavor, too.maryann-thanks-it was daring.africanvanielje-thanks-i’m glad you liked my buche.april-thanksdelores-thanks-hope you have a wonderful 2008, too.hilda-thanks-we are all daring bakers.tartelette-thanks, have a wonderful year blogging.rosa’s yummy yums-thanks and a wonderful new year to you.molly loves paris-i love orange and chocolate together. thanksdeborah-thanks.wendy-thanksjen yu-thanksquellia-thanks-i had seen the rosemary on other desserts.
I would love to have this recipe for the Buche de Noel but it won’t let me get to the recipe when I click the link. I have tried to join the Baker’s log but I have been waiting a week for them to authorize my membership. Can you send me the recipe? I would love to make this for presents this year. Thanks, Bren