Buche de Noel

Ingredients:

CAKE:

• 3/4 cup cake flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup skim milk, at room temperature
• 3-4 tbsp confectioners' sugar
• 2 cups fat-free nondairy whipped topping

FROSTING:

• 8 oz. light tub cream cheese (Neufchatel)
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

 Makes 18 Servings

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Spray a 15x10x1 jelly-roll pan with nonstick spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper; spray again with nonstick spray, them lightly flour.
2. To prepare the cake, in a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; mix well. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine th eggs, sugar and vanilla and beat on high speed until light and fluffy, 4-5 minutes. With the mixer on low, gradually beat in the flour mixture and milk in 2 alternating additions each until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 8-10 minutes. Spread a kitchen towel on a work surface and cover with a piece of wax paper. Sprinkle the wax paper with the confectioners' sugar. runa knife around the edge of the pan to loosen  the cake and invert the pan and warm cake onto the wax paper. Remove the parchment paper. Starting at the long side closest to you, using  the towel to help, carefully roll up the cake jelly-roll style. Allow to cool completely, about 45 minutes.
4. Meanwhile to prepare the frosting, in the bowl of the electric mixer, place the cream cheese, sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla. Beat on low speed until just combined, then increase speed to high and beat until smooth. With the mixer on low, add the melted chocolate; increase the speed to high and beat until smooth, 2-3 minutes.
5. Unroll the cooled cake and remove the wax paper. Spread the whipped topping over the cake and again roll up jelly-roll style. Place the cake seam side down on a derving platter. From one end of the cake, with a knife on a sharp angle, cut a wedge. Spread the cut side of the wedge with 3 tbsp of frosting and attach it, frosted side, near one end of the top of the cake and on top of the attached wedge. Run the tines along the length of the cake to make bark lines. Cover and chill 3 hours or overnight, then cut into 18 slices.

 

WW POINTS VALUE: 3 Pts. per slice

 

Note: This recipe appears in the WW New Complete Cookbook. If you ever saw the picture of this dessert in the cookbook, you would want to make it too. It's the Christmas season and I wanted to make somehting sweet and festive and I've always wanted to make a Buche de Noel. A buche de noel is a traditional French holiday cake when translated means Yule log. This recipe looks complicated but it's not as bad as it looks; it just takes patience and practice. My first attempt at a buche de noel  was kind of messy because I added a little too much cool whip for the filling and I didn't roll the log up as tight as I should have. However, the cake and frosting were delicious. I also learned another thing: I have a newfound respect for pastry chefs. Whether it's making a jelly-roll cake, brownies or cookies, baking is an acquired skill that takes time and PATIENCE! If you want proof, here's a clip from Season 3 of The Next Iron Chef:

http://www.youtube.com/user/Somebody7100#p/c/3C812877999AFCC7/17/_JuOwFsvE0U

Chef Forgione, I hope you gave your pastry chef a raise like you promised!