Buche de Noel Recipe

DIRECTIONS

Use either instant espresso powder or instant coffee for this recipe.  For the frosting you will need 2 packages of instant sugar free pudding (8 servings, 4 servings per package).

 

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 11 x17-inch jelly-roll pan.  Separate the eggs placing the whites into a large bowl and set them aside.  
2. For Cake: beat the 8 egg yolks and ½ cup sugar substitute (reserve 1 tbsp to beat with the egg whites in step 5) with an electric mixer on high speed, until thick ribbons form when beaters are lifted. (The ribbon pattern will sink into the batter after a few seconds.) Add 1 tsp of vanilla, espresso powder, salt and softened butter and continue to beat until smooth.
3. Melt chocolate and heavy cream in a microwave at 30 second intervals stirring in between until fully melted and smooth.  Stir into egg yolks.
4. Sift cocoa powder and baking powder in a bowl. Add to the egg mixture in three additions, beating after each. The mixture will be thick and sticky. Set aside.
5. With clean beaters, beat the egg whites and reserved 1 tbsp sugar substitute with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Stir one-third of egg whites into chocolate batter. Fold remaining egg whites into batter until fully incorporated. Spread batter in the prepared pan. Bake until set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 10 minutes. Loosen edges with a butter knife and let cool 5 minutes.
6. Invert cake on a large board covered with plastic wrap. (Don't worry if the cake cracks of tears a bit-the filling and frosting will cover it.) Lay another piece of plastic wrap over cake. Starting with a long edge, roll cake to form a log. Let cool, seam-side down, on the board.
7. For Filling/Frosting, empty the packets of pudding mix into a large bowl. Add water and whisk until smooth. In a separate bowl whip the heavy cream into thick peaks.  Chill both the pudding mix and the whipped cream.  In another bowl beat the softened butter, softened cream cheese and 1 tbsp sugar substitute with an electric mixer on high until smooth. Pour chilled pudding into butter mixture and beat on low speed until smooth.  Fold in the whippped cream until smooth.
8. To assemble, unroll cake, remove plastic wrap and spread about 3/4 of the filling over surface, leaving a 1-inch border all the way around. Roll up cake. (Wipe off any excess that squeezes out from the edges and ends.) 
9. Make a diagonal cut across the cake about 3 inches from one end. Place the cut side of the short piece on the top surface of the log to form the stump. Use the remaining frosting to frost the outside of the cake and to smooth the edges where the log and the stump meet and to frost the sides of the stump and the ends of the log.
10. Drag the tines of a fork lengthwise on the log to suggest the grain of the wood. Form concentric circles on the round end of the stump and the ends of the log. Chill until ready to serve. Makes 18 servings.