Christmas is getting closer and this Monday we had our last pastry class before the holiday break. The famous known Christmas cake is Buche de Noël which means the log of Christmas and gives me the first opportunity to put the ‘e’ with the two dots enhancement mark. We already had it as a dessert in the cafeteria so I knew what it was about but it’s nothing I could imaging they’re making for Christmas. All I heard about is the fruit cake and the dry big cake the Russians buy for Christmas. So it was pretty new to me. Especially all the small decorations that comes with it and are mandatory like the branching of the log, the mushroom meringue, the marzipan holy leaves etc. Just as a remark I asked the inevitable questions at class: why the hell would anyone do a log shaped cake for the holiday? It’s weird thing to do, don’t you think? Surprisingly I got a really nice story from Chef Antoine about the old times when people came as guests to the holiday, they would bring a log with them as a courtesy to put in the fire and get warm. Since then we have electric heating and guests bring flowers or a cake. So why not bring a log cake as a homage to the old time present, just that it’s edible! And exploded with sugar and butter.
Making meringue mushrooms with cacao frost
Before baking
Making the sponge cake base
Squared and baked base for the cake
For the butter cream, butter is whipped until fluffy (left) and yolks are whipped with sugar syrup (right)
For the chestnut mousse, melting chestnut curd with some cream
Adding whipped cream
Yum! The best part of this cake!
The butter cream - half chocolate, half vanilla and the chestnuts mousse
What a mess
Moist the base, spread whatever and roll
A monstrous big log
My smaller log before rolling
Marzipan colored in red and green
Let the fun begin
Some creativity needed now
What?
Marzipan rose, demoed by a guest french chef
My red rose, the technique works!
Chocolate frosting
Log making with coffee flavored butter cream
My holy leaves decorations
My finished presentation
!
Two color frosting
Little snow man in the snow
Chef's huge presentation with real tree branches
Taking home a lot of cake
Bottom line: Not the best cake flavor-wise and too buttery for me. I liked the marron mousse alone, the marzipan alone. Either way it’s a nice present and something to get you in the holiday spirits.
p.s.
I’m freezing some of it now so I can maybe take some home with me for the holiday. Hope it goes as planned and you can try some!
מקווה שאכן הבאת איתך הביתה
אכן כן, קצת נמעך אבל ניחא
אני מוכנה להקריב את עצמי ולקבל את המעוכים
it is great even after the trip to the holly land. and yes I agree the chestnuts mousse is the best.