Thursday 22 November 2012

巧克力樹幹蛋糕卷 《聖誕糕點》 Chocolate Yule Log 《Christmas Cooking》



每年聖誕節前, 我都會預做很多聖誕美食。
Every year before Christmas, I make a lot of different Christmas food.




對我來說, 就像是過農曆新年一樣 : 那準備期間情緒的興奮, 絕不遜於大日子來臨的那天。
For me it's like Chinese New Year: the preparation beforehand is almost as exciting as the big day itself.



做巧克力樹幹蛋糕卷在我心中正好比做中國新年的蘿蔔糕一樣。
Chocolate Yule log is my equivalent of a Chinese New Year turnip cake.


多年來我都用著同一個食譜。已嘗試多次, 不會失敗的, 最重要的是, 非常可靠。
I have a recipe which I use every year. It's tried and tested, fault proof and most importantly really reliable.




今年, 我從很多雜誌和食譜書上看到些很精彩的介紹; 令我躍躍欲試。
This year however I came across quite a few interesting recipes in books and magazines, which led me to try them out.


心想如果我可以在佳節期間一個晚餐後, 端出款全新製作的樹幹卷來給家人來個驚喜, 那會有多好。
I thought to myself that it would be great to surprise my family with a new creation after one of our festive dinners.


第一個試做的食譜要用 250 克打碎了的核桃作為蛋卷主要材料。沒做成功, 因為一捲便碎開來了!
The first one I tried used 250grams of finely chopped roasted pecan as the main ingredients in the sponge mix. The result was not a success as the sponge crumbled in my hand!


再試另一個, 也失敗了, 蛋卷也是破裂得捲不起來。
結果, 我把做不成的蛋卷塊切成小方塊, 當作零食小口算了。
Then I tried another recipe; again, the log fell apart when I tried to roll it up.
I ended up cutting the both sponges as squares, turning them into bite-sized snacks.


不用說, 我當時感到又倦又洩氣 ... 只是懷念著往年的樹幹蛋卷!
Needless to say I felt tired and deflated after these failed attempts ... and couldn't help but thinking about the Yule logs that I made in the past! 

我老公對我說: 「如果它沒壞, 就不要修理它。」
My husband said," If it ain't broke, don't fix it." 

不明所義, 我問他: 「你的意思是甚麼?」
Puzzled, I asked,"  what do you mean?"

他說: 「每年做的炸煎堆, 你不是都用同一食譜嗎? 也沒有人投訴呀! 是甚麼令你認為樹幹卷要換的呢?」
He said, " You've never changed the recipe you use for deep fried sesame balls every Chinese New Year and nobody complains, so why did you think you should change the Yule log?"

他說的似乎也蠻有道理。
I thought he had a point.


在這裏, 再寫上我已用了多年的食譜。今年我為網誌再做一次, 把步驟圖更詳細地重新拍攝, 還補充了怎樣把巧克力糖霜外層乾淨俐落的塗上, 而不會弄到髒亂。 
So here it is: the same recipe that I use year after year. I made another one his year for the blog, took new photos for the steps so that you can see how it was made clearly; and added more detail to show you how to apply the chocolate icing neatly, avoiding any mess.

巧克力樹幹蛋糕卷 《聖誕糕點》

材料:

蛋糕卷:

  • 中號雞蛋 3 隻
  • 黃砂糖 Golden caster sugar 85g / 3oz
  • 麵粉 plain flour 85g/ 3oz 篩進碗中 ( 然後取起 2 平湯匙, 因為會加 2 平湯匙可可粉 )
  • 可可粉 cocoa powder 2 平湯匙篩進麵粉碗中
  • 泡打粉 baking powder 1/2 茶匙
奶油餡:
  • 雙忌廉 double cream ( heavy cream ) 150ml / 5 floz
  • 糖霜粉 icing sugar 1 湯匙
巧克力外層:
  • 無鹽牛油 50g / 2 oz
  • 黑巧克力逐格折斷 140g/ 5 oz
  • 黃糖膠 1 湯匙
  • 雙忌廉 double cream ( heavy cream ) 125ml / 4oz
  • 糖霜粉 100g / 4 oz 過篩
  • 合桃碎裝飾
瑞士蛋卷 23 cm x 32 cm 烤盤 1 個, 少許牛油作塗沒烤盤和烘焙紙備用

Chocolate Yule Log 《Christmas Cooking》 

Ingredients:

For the sponge roulade
  • 3 medium size eggs
  • 85g / 3 oz golden caster sugar
  • 85g / 3 oz plain flour sieved into a bowl ( take 2 level tablespoon out, will be replaced by 2 tablespoon cocoa powder later )
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
For the filling:
  • 150ml / 5 floz double cream
  • 1 tablespoon icing sugar
For the chocolate icing:
  • 50g/ 2oz unsalted butter
  • 140g / 5oz plain chocolate broken into small pieces
  • 1 tablespoon golden syrup
  • 125ml / 4 oz double cream
  • 100g / 4oz icing sugar sieved
  • Chopped walnuts to decorate 
1  23cm x 32cm swiss roll baking tin
Butter or oil to grease the baking tin, and some baking parchment


做法:

1.  在瑞士卷烤盤上先塗少許牛油才把烘焙紙鋪上, 可助紙黏緊盤上。然
     後掃上牛油。
2.  預熱烤爐至 180C / 350F / Gas4 , 大碗內倒入蛋和糖, 用手提打蛋器打 8 分鐘至厚滑。
3.  麵粉, 可可粉和泡打粉過篩。

Method:

1.  Grease the Swiss roll tin and line with non-stick baking parchment, grease the parchment as well.
2.  Preheat oven to 180C / 350F / Gas 4. Beat the egg and sugar into a bowl for 8 minutes till thick and
     smooth.
3.  Sieve plain flour, cocoa powder and baking powder in a bowl.


4.  把過篩的粉加進蛋糖漿去, 用膠括小力翻攪拌勻。
5.  倒進烤盤撥勻至邊角緊貼, 撥平。置預熱烤爐內,烘 12 分鐘左右, 因糕身薄, 要小心留意, 不
     要烘焦, 否則捲時會容易爆裂。至表面微黃, 用竹籤剌進, 抽出來時沒有黏物便成。
6.  取出用乾淨微濕廚巾蓋著備用。

4.  Put the sieved powder into the egg and sugar mix, fold everything together carefully with a spatula.
5.  Pour into the tin, spreading evenly and close to the corners and edges. Bake in the preheated oven for 
     about 12 minutes.  Because the sponge is so thin, take care not to over cook it, or it will crack badly
     when trying to roll it up. Insert a bamboo stick to test, if it's clean when the stick pulled out then it's ready. 
6. cover the cake with a clean damp kitchen towel and leave to one side.


7.  做巧克力外層: 把牛油和巧克力塊放小碗中, 蓋保鮮膜置微波爐內熔化。取出倒入大碗, 加糖
     膠和雙忌廉, 混進糖霜粉, 拌至十分光滑。
8.  檯上鋪一塊烘焙紙, 紙上灑一層幼砂糖以防糕面黏底。蛋糕小心反倒在紙上, 糕底向上, 輕撕
     去糕底的紙, 用利刀將四邊修切整齊。小心輕力連紙一起把蛋糕捲起。

7.  Make the chocolate icing:  put butter and chocolate in a small bowl, cover with cling film, and place it in  
     microwave to melt; pour into a big bowl with sugar and cream, stir in the icing sugar, mix all well and
     smooth together.
8.  Sprinkle a sheet of baking parchment with caster sugar, turnout the cake onto the paper, and peel off the 
     lining paper on top. Use sharp knife to trim the edges.  Carefully roll the cake up with the paper inside.


9.   做奶油餡料: 雙忌廉加糖霜粉, 用手提打蛋器打至起軟角。 輕輕放平蛋糕,  把奶油餡均勻塗
      上。
10. 小心把蛋糕捲起。因為這蛋糕沒有加牛油, 有小裂痕在所難免, 但沒有問題, 等會用巧克
      力糖霜可以蓋過的。

9.   To make the cream filling: beat the cream and icing sugar till it forms soft peak. Gently unroll the cake, 
      spread the cream over.
10. roll the cake up carefully, because we didn't use butter to make the sponge mix, inevitably it will have
      some small cracks, but it doesn't matter, they will be covered by the chocolate icing later.


11.  將一邊的蛋糕卷塗上巧克力糖霜, 用叉子劃下樹皮紋, 按上合桃碎;灑下糖粉。稍待外層硬
       化一點後才小心用兩隻鐵鏟子反轉塗另一面; 重覆上述步驟至整個蛋糕卷塗滿巧克力糖
       霜。 然後才小心放在乾淨的盛碟上桌。

11.  Spread chocolate icing on one side of the Yule log, use a fork to draw lines to look like bark. Press 
       walnut pieces on the chocolate icing, sprinkle with icing sugar to resemble snow. Wait until the chocolate
       icing become harden, use two metal spatula to turn it to one side, repeat the above steps, until the whole 
       Yule log is completed. Then carefully lift it onto a clean plate and serve.


現在我相信你也可以跟著做而能獲得滿意的成績。
Now I can be sure that you will be able to follow it and produce good result too.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
今次我加了些粗粒的合桃碎在蛋糕卷表面, 讓其外貌更具鄉村風味。也更添口感和味層。
I've also added some roughly chopped walnuts on the outside to make the log look a bit more rustic. They helped to increase the texture and flavour of the Yule log too.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

27 comments:

  1. This Christmas log looks lovely Jane :) I definitely agree with you that Christmas log is like our Chinese turnip cake which I also love ~

    I've never made a log before...I'm too scared of the rolling step of the recipe hehe but you make this look so pretty that I really want to try! I mighttttttttt give it a go but need to do a test run first :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Daisy,

      Thank you!! This log is not difficult at all, plus the preparation is not long and the baking time is only about 12 minutes. If you failed at the rolling stage, just start again, but even a little cracks here and there and you can still get away with it, the chocolate icing is very easy to apply and so good for papering the cracks( literally haha)!!

      And if you manage to make the Yule log, I'll show you how to make a really delicious caramel sauce to go with it too, how about that ;p

      Delete
  2. Dear Jane,

    Yule Log is a MUST for Christmas!!!

    Jane真是心細手巧 :) Happy Holidays!

    ps. I moved back to San Francisco, not NYC :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Miss Lk,

      Thank you for agreeing with me :)

      人真是奇怪, 小時我最愛吃但不愛進廚房的; 做了人妻人母後則變得愈來愈像我母親了 :) Happy Holidays to you too !!

      I don't know what made me think that you've moved to NYC because of your job :p

      Delete
  3. Such a pretty Yule log! If it ain't broken, don't fix it! Great words of wisdom there from your hubby.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Kelly,

      Thank you !! Yule logs have always been one of my Christmas favourites ~
      Unfortunately, that famous saying has became one of my husband's excuses for not doing things ;)

      Delete
  4. Jane, I love you!!! One thing my hubby and I have planned to do this Christmas is to make our own Buche de noel (Yule log). Your recipe came so timely!

    Thank you thank you thank you.

    Calla

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Calla,

      It's a pleasure!! So lovely to see others being as excited about Yule log as myself haha!!

      Love you too for sharing my love for this Christmas favourite and for letting me know.

      Hope you have a great time making it and have lots of fun eating it too :)

      Delete
  5. I have never done a Yule log before, yours look so good and festive!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Sonia,

      Thank you very much! I don't think there's anything you can't make if you want to do it ~ I love the snow effects on the log, makes me feel all Christmassy :)

      Delete
  6. 像是繪本森林裡的一角
    又有如放進壁爐焚燒的耶誕木
    為寒冬帶來暖意與希望!!~

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear 小咪,

      謝謝你優美如畫般的形容!!
      就是了, 所以每年我多數會先做樹幹蛋糕,
      看著吃著來迎接聖誕 :) ~

      Delete
  7. Jane大姐!!
    原来你不止做菜一级棒,连西点蛋糕也做得非常棒哦!!!
    当然,摄影也很出色滴。。。=)
    很喜欢那梅。。。(是吗)
    相信到下雪的时候,你一定会分享那时的雪地白天的景色~~~~
    可呆在家里,却是非常温暖无比。。。。

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear 莎莎,

      那裏呢! 做了媽媽這麽多年,
      像你一樣, 每天要弄東西給孩子們作飯作點心,
      便自然甚麽都學會做些,
      讓家人随時有好東西吃 ~
      蛋糕上的是 holly, 從冬青樹上折下的,是聖誕節的代表裝飾品之一 :)

      Delete
  8. Beautiful cake, I think I am going to have a go at this this weekend. Hope you are not affected by the rain too much.

    mag x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Mad,

      Thank you so much for your kind thought. We are very lucky, apart from being inconvenience, not been affected too much. Hope you're well too.
      Yes pleases, do let me know how you get on :)

      Jane xx

      Delete
  9. 看见这蛋糕,就感觉圣诞快来了,呵呵!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Cass,

      謝謝你! 不錯呀, 每年聖誕之前,我一定會先做這樹幹蛋糕 ~

      Delete
  10. Jane, 日子過得真快,又見到這樹幹了,感覺好像才去年的事。想妳此時大概又忙又期盼年底與子女團聚吧,先祝全家Happy Holidays!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear V,

      你真的沒說錯,去年的聖誕還瀝瀝在目, 三百多天日子卻已走了!!
      今年滋味卻大大不同。畢意兒女們都已開始工作,回家和留下的時間短暫 ... 女兒倒是貼心,將和男友一起回來,過了年才走 :D
      也預祝你們有個 Happy Christmas!!

      Delete
  11. Hello Jane,

    你整嘅樹幹蛋糕真係好靚吖!我今年Christmas會嘗試整!^_^
    但由於今年25th is on a wednesday..我想請問—下我可否兩,三天前把swiss roll 部份先完成?25th 當日才上chocolate coating? 如果可以的話swiss roll 應該怎保存?

    期待妳的回覆..Thanks a lot!

    Venice

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Venice,

      Thanks! 我沒試過把 swiss roll 和 chocolate icing 兩個步驟分開做過呢。我想因為蛋卷本身沒放牛油,又加了可可粉,捲起來時已有裂痕,如不即時用巧克力糖霜包裹著,恐怕更易乾裂。
      或許在三天前就一次把整個樹幹蛋糕做起,放進密封的盒 / 罐裏,可保存 3 - 5天,聖誕那天不是更興鬆嗎?

      Delete
  12. Hi Jane,

    Thanks for your reply.
    請問放進密封盒內再放雪櫃就可以? 不怕形成一層水氣在盒内?

    Thanks,

    Venice

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Venice,

      在冰箱內可以把蓋子先移開一點,讓從室温進去的蛋糕與冰箱温度相同後才蓋密,應該不會起水氣。也不妨隔半天檢查一下,一發覺有些少水氣可換另一盒子。

      Delete
  13. Thanks again Jane!!

    Wishing you & your Family a Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year~!!

    Venice xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  14. Dear Jane;

    Your Chocolate Log is beautiful! However, May i ask you a few questions that I am confused about? I baked the cake already, and it is very soft (close to breaking apart), but i follow the recipe. Then when i roll the cake with the paper inside ( as in one of your picture). I had to put the cream filling inside, so i unrolled the cake to take the paper out, and put the cream filling in. The problem that i encountered is that the cake completely fell apart. Since you also left the paper inside the log, when do you take it out? Before the filling, do you put the cake into fridge for a bit to make the cake harder so won't break ?

    My next question is that do you have any pic of how you put the chocolate icing on? I am a bit unsure about when to put the icing, how wet the icing should be? Also, how do you use the fork to make the lines? Also, do you put inside the fridge for a while then turn it over to do the other side?

    sorry to ask so many questions, thank you so much!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Bear Brown,

      Thank you for your questions.

      Here are my answers.

      1.) When the cake is baked, did you follow this step?
      * Cover the cake with a clean damp kitchen towel and leave to one side before you make the
      chocolate icing. This will help to soften the cake before you roll it later.
      2.) If you read the instructions and look at the step photos carefully, after you unroll the cake, you
      DON"T take the paper out, you leave the paper underneath the cake and proceed to put the
      chocolate icing on the log on top of the paper, and if you've followed the steps by steps carefully,
      your cake shouldn't fall apart.
      3.) I completed all the steps without putting the log in the fridge at any point.
      4.) I didn't take any photos whilst I was icing the log or when I drew the lines on it, it's very easy and
      you can be creative about it, don't worry it too much, it will look okay when it's finished.

      Delete