Mocha yule log with salted butter

One yule log for 10 people

For the cake

• 5 eggs
• 125g (4 oz) of sugar
• 1/2 tsp of vanilla seeds
• 125g (4 oz) of flour
• 1/2 pack of baking powder

For the butter cream

• 4 egg yolks + 1 whole egg
• 300g (10 oz) of salted butter
• 250g (8 oz) of sugar
• 1dl (1/2 cup) of strong coffee

For the meringues

• 1 egg white
• 80g (3 oz) of icing sugar
• Cocoa powder

Prepare the sponge cake.

Separate egg whites from yolks.

Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until firm peaks forms.

Mix the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla seeds until it whitens. Add the baking powder and the sifted flour and mix until smooth. Then gently incorporate the beaten egg whites. Pour the mixture on a buttered silicone mold (or on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper). Bake in preheated oven at 210°C (410°F) for 15 to 20 minutes. Be careful because the sponge cake cooks fast. It must be dry on top but still mellow inside.

Unmold immediately on a damp cloth, and roll the cake around it. Let cool for one hour.

Prepare the little meringues.

Beat the egg white until firm, then add slowly the sifted icing sugar. Form little balls of different sizes on a parchment paper with the mixture, using a pastry bag. Bake two hours at 80°C (175°F) then let cool down.

In the meantime, prepare the mocha butter cream.

In a pan, heat the sugar and the coffee until syrupy. The bubbles become smaller.

In the bowl of a food processor, place one egg and four yolks. Begin to beat them at medium speed. Gently add the syrup by sliding it on the sides of the bowl. When all the syrup is poured, beat at high speed until the mixture cools down. (A few minutes).

Then get back to a little speed and begin to add the butter in pieces.

The butter cream is going to get thicker, smooth and shiny.

When the cream is ready, unroll the cake and fill it with 2/3 of the cream. Roll the cake again, and use the rest of the cream on the top. Use a fork to print lines on it.

Decorate with little meringues. To make “mushrooms”, use a small meringue and a bigger one. Dig a little bit under the bigger one, add a touch of butter cream to glue it and place it on the small one. Sprinkle with cocoa powder.

Set aside in the fridge for at least two hours before serving.