Chocolate orange yule log

Servings 10-12 | Preheat 350

Ingredients

Cake

5 eggs – room temp

2/3 cup white sugar

½ tsp vanilla

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ tsp salt

2 tbsp flour

1 orange – zest only

Filling

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 orange – zest and juice

Icing

1 pound butter – room temp

8 cups powdered sugar

½ cup cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp milk or cream

Directions

Cake: In a stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Take your time here, the lighter the eggs the easier your cake will roll, give it at least 5 minutes on high speed then whip in the vanilla. In a small bowl sift together the cocoa powder, flour, salt, and zest. Slowly add it in to the egg mixture 1/3 at a time. Whip on high between each addition. Gently pour the mixture onto a greased and parchment lined baking tray/jelly roll pan (15.5 x 10.5). Smooth with a spatula being careful not to knock out the air. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Once out of the oven remove the cake from the tray, leaving the parchment paper on the cake. Gently roll the cake and allow it to cool rolled into a log shape.

Filling: While the cake cools, whip together all the ingredients for the filling with a mixer until it has stiff peaks. Set aside.

When the cake is cool very gently unroll it and evenly spread the whip cream filling. Re-roll the cake removing the parchment as you go. Don’t worry if the cake tears, you can cover it with the frosting and no one will know the difference.

Frosting – in a stand mixer, whip the butter until pale and fluffy, scrape the sides of the bowl and add in the sugar, cream, vanilla, and cocoa powder and mix until incorporated, then switch to high speed and whip for 3-4 minutes.

Spread the frosting on the outside of the cake to make a bark, log or house affect. Chill for an hour before serving. Decorate with raspberries, mint leaves, or chocolate shards and powdered sugar to make it look like snow.