Kahlua Christmas Yule Log Cake Recipe

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. To make the mushrooms;
4. In a mixing bowl, whip the egg white until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until medium-stiff peaks form. With the motor running, slowly add in sugar and beat until stiff peaks form ( If you dip a spoon in and lift out, meringue will stand straight up ).
5. Using a pastry bag fitted with a round tip, pipe mushroom caps and stems onto the parchment. Make your stems and caps a variety of sizes. For the caps, pipe mounded disks. Using your finger dipped in water, you can smooth out any piping lines across the caps. For stems pipe columns straight up. Lengths of 1/4 to 1 -inch provide a nice variety. Remember, they're mushrooms-they look more realistic being imperfect! If you hate your work, you can always scoop it off the parchment back into the pastry bag and pipe again. This makes a fairly generous amount of meringue to work with, so don't fret too much.
6. Bake the meringues for 2 hours. Turn off the oven let them sit inside until the oven is completely cool. Gently lift the pieces from the parchment and store in an airtight container until you're ready to decorate the cake. The meringues can be prepared up to three days ahead.
7. When assembling the mushrooms, use white chocolate brushed under the mushroom caps, then with a tooth pick scratch gills. With a paring knife carve a small circle in the bottom of the cap dip stem in melted white chocolate and insert into the carved circle continue with the rest of the mushrooms.
8. Cake:
9. Combine the water, margarine, 1Tbs. Sugar and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Whisk in Kahlua and cocoa powder until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
10. Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 12 x 17-inch jelly roll pan. Line with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper and dust with flour.
11. In a large bowl beat the egg yolks on medium speed for 1 minute. With the motor running add 1/4 cup sugar and continue to beat until mixture is double in volume, thick, and light yellow. Beat in the cooled cocoa mixture and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and continue to beat for another minute. Transfer the batter to a large bowl. Sift the flour over the batter fold in gently. Set aside.
12. In a clean mixing bowl, beat the egg white until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. With the mixer motor running, gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Using a large spatula, gently fold into the chocolate batter by thirds. Spread the batter onto the prepared pan. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, until the cake springs back gently when pressed. Remove the pan from the oven, cover with a clean damp kitchen towel, and cool on a wire rack.
13. Chocolate Cream Cheese Filling:
14. In a mixing bowl mix with an electric mixer, together the softened cream cheese and sugar at medium speed until creamy. With the cooled melted chocolate and the Kahlua add to the cream cheese mixture at medium speed, stir in milk and vanilla extract. Add additional milk as necessary to keep the filling from getting stiff.
15. The ganache frosting:
16. Coarsely chop the chocolate ( no piece should be larger than 1/4-inch ). Place in a large mixing bowl.
17. Heat the cream until it barely simmers. Whisk it into the chopped chocolate and continue to whisk unitl all the chocolate is melted and no lumps remain. Set aside to cook slightly for 5 minutes. Whisk in the margarine and Kahlua. Set the ganache aside to cool and reach a spreadable consistency, 1 to 4 hours, depending on your kitchen temperature. Stir every 20 to 30 minutes as it cools.
18. To assemble the cake:
19. Position the cake on the platter or board covered with parchment paper. I use a board covered with parchment paper to make a white surface for the log. Place the cake on the parchment covered surface, spread the chocolate cream cheese filling on the cake, staying about 1/2 -inch away from the edges. Carefully turn over the edge, rolling gently till you get to the other end. Do not worry fi the cake cracks the frosting will cover the cracks. Make sure the cake has the seam-side under the cake. Cut both ends to make the two stumps. Spread the Chocolate ganache over the cut end of each stump and attach to the log in whatever pattern suits you. Gently frost the seam where the stumps attach to the cake. Refrigerate the cake for 10 to 15 minutes to solidify the ganache.
20. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of ganache for the mushrooms. Generously frost the rest of the cake. Covering all the seams and exposed cake. If you desire, you may leave the ends of the log exposed Once the cake is completely frosted, you can use a knife or fork to make swirls on the end of each stump and down the length of the log to look like bark. Refrigerate until ready to serve but let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before eating for best taste. Can be made 1 day ahead.
21. Just before serving sift confectioner's sugar over the top of the cake to simulate snow. Use bits of ganache ( or melted chocolate ) to attach mushroom stems to the mushroom caps, and to stick them on the cake. Dust the mushrooms with cocoa powder, if desired. Position the mushrooms on top of and around the cake. You can also sugar cranberries and rosemary sprigs, using powdered egg whites that have been reconstituted, brush the rosemary and cranberries with the egg white then roll or sprinkle with sugar. Let stand a few minutes to harden. Position around the log. Do not position the rosemary to close the rosemary may infuse its flavor into the cake where it touches.