ITS LOG LOG LOG! I’m going to assume that 99% of you have no idea what I’m referring to. It’s Ren & Stimpy, people! :)

Anyway, now that I’ve had my silly little trip down memory lane, lets discuss my Buche de Noel or Yule Log… This is my very first challenge with the DARING BAKERS, which I’m so excited to be a part of! What a fabulous challenge to start with too. This challenge was hosted by Ivonne, Cream Puffs in Venice and Lis, La Mia Cucina, who are the founders of The Daring Bakers.

I made the genoise as per the recipe, but folded in a little (2 tbsp) melted butter at the end. I find that makes for a more tender cake. I also added just a splash of vanilla extract with the melted butter. The buttercream didn’t look dark enough for me, so I added a little cocoa powder (about 1/8 c) that I made into a paste with a teaspoon or so of water. I used rum and almond extract to flavor it. Due to time restraints, I filled the cake with the same buttercream, but added a little more rum… mmmm. :) Before I filled and rolled the cake, I brushed it with some vanilla flavored simple syrup to add another layer of flavor and moisture.

I unfortunately had issues with the buttercream, as my kitchen was way too hot. Gotta love that South Florida heat in December. So I put it in the fridge and stirred every few minutes. Of course, it then got too cold. Oh Poo! But really, its OK… I just pulled out my handy dandy flame thrower (aka propane torch) and warmed the side of the bowl as it whipped. This action simultaneously turned on and terrified my husband. The ‘torching the bowl’ method is by far the quickest and easiest way to mend a broken buttercream. It was perfectly whippy and smooth in a matter of minutes. Fantastic!

I decided not to do the meringue as I didn’t want to fight with the heat and humidity. Plus I love marzipan. Really love it. Could eat gobs of it. I’ve never actually made it before, as I always bought ready made marzipan. It was really great. The flavor was awesome, and the texture was just like what I’m used to. Again, due to time restraints, I only made the mushrooms. If I had a little more time, I would have made marzipan holly berries and leaves. I hope to have more time to devote to the next challenge!