At Christmas time in France, francophone countries and former colonies, people prepare the Bûche de Noël. If you wonder what this is supposed to be, it is this popular chocolate roulade in the shape of a log that comes out in pastry shops at the same time with melomakarono and kourabies. In the recipe we propose to you, the usual sponge cake takes turns with a superb white chocolate mousse with a special flavour thanks to the lemon zest. For even bigger season’s effect, decorate your log with strawberries and white chocolate.
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Ingredients
For the sponge-
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- 70 g all-purpose flour ,
- 30 g cocoa powder (plus a little more for sprinkling) ,
- ½ of teaspoon baking powder ,
- 4 eggs ,
- 140 g sugar ,
- 30 ml olive oil
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,
- 250 g white couverture chocolate, chopped ,
- 300 ml whipping cream 35%-36% fat, beaten with a mixer until thick like yoghurt ,
- Zest of 1 lemon (unwaxed)
Instructions
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- Inside a bowl sift the flour, the cocoa powder and the baking powder and combine them together. ,
- Using a mixer, beat the sugar, the eggs and the olive oil until fluffy. Stop the beating and pour the flour mixture into the bowl, while folding the mix using a spatula. ,
- Lay a sheet of parchment paper on an oven sheet and transfer inside the mixture, spreading it so it has the same thickness everywhere. ,
- Bake in properly preheated oven at 170°C for 12 minutes, more or less. ,
- It has to be thin and squishy so it will not crack when you will roll it up. ,
- Lay a new sheet of parchment paper on the work surface and sprinkle on it cocoa powder. ,
- There you tip the sponge cake when it’s ready out of the oven. ,
- Peel off the parchment paper and leave to cool.
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- Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie, that is a bowl over a pan of simmering water. ,
- Let it cool and, when its temperature has fallen, incorporate the thick whipping cream and the zest of the lemon. Be careful when folding the mix, ideally with a rubber spatula, not to destroy the cream. ,
- Spread the cream over the cold sponge cake and roll up into a log. ,
- Place it in the fridge for at least 5 hours. ,
- Decorate it with white chocolate and strawberries.
