Winter Wedding Cake – Gorgeous!

Winter Wedding Cake – Gorgeous and Delicious! – Photo credit: Rhoda Micocci

BY BRETT JACKSON

My son Jackson has lived in Cambodia for a number of years, working for a wildlife conservation organization. Last year he married his lovely Cambodian sweetheart, Waneth, and brought her home to Massachusetts over the holidays to meet her new American family.

We had a small party at our house and instead of a traditional wedding cake, we had a variety of desserts contributed by guests, and to go with the Prosecco toast, I made an all chocolate (Waneth loves chocolate) variation of the French Yule log or Buche de Noel. It’s a bit tricky, but I hope you find it worth the effort.

Winter Wedding Cake (aka – Cocoa Genoise Cake)

Preheat an oven to 375 F. place rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven.
Butter an 11” x 17” jelly roll pan and line it with a piece of wax paper, leaving an extra couple of inches at each end. Butter the wax paper and coat the bottom with flour, shaking out the excess.

Note: You can also bake the cake in a 9 inch round pan or a heart shaped pan, cut it into two layers when cooled, fill and frost it with the ganache, pipe the whipped cream on the sides, and garnish with raspberries.

Ingredients

5 eggs, warmed in their shells in a bowl of warm water

¼ tsp salt

¼ c sifted flour

1/3 cup sifted cocoa

1 Tbsp sifted cornstarch

¾ cup sugar

2 Tbsp Framboise or other liqueur

6 Tbsp melted unsalted butter, cooled but still liquid

Sift together the flour, cocoa, and cornstarch into a bowl.
Beat the eggs in a mixer until foamy, add the salt and sugar and continue to beat for about 10 minutes, medium speed until they form a heavy ribbon. Add the liqueur and beat again briefly. Fold in the cocoa/flour mixture in two additions. Fold in the butter also in two additions. Do not overdo it or the cake will deflate.
Carefully transfer the batter to the prepared pan, spreading it gently and evenly.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the top is set and feels springy.
Place the pan on a rack to cool slightly. Slice off a thin strip from the long edges of the cake (makes it less likely to crack when rolled).
Sprinkle the top of the cake with a layer of sifted confectioner’s sugar, Then cover with another sheet of wax paper and a slightly dampened tea towel.
Place a cookie sheet on top of the towel and flip the whole thing over. Carefully lift off the jelly roll pan and then the wax paper from the cake.
Sprinkle the cake with another layer of confectioner’s sugar and roll the cake in the towel.
Wrap the rolled cake in plastic wrap until your ganache filling is ready.

Ganache Filling and Frosting

Ingredients

1 lb bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces

2 cups heavy cream

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp framboise or other liqueur

Heat the butter, cream, and sugar together to the boiling point, stirring constantly and pour over the chocolate pieces.
Stir until the chocolate is melted, and then occasionally until the mixture begins to cool and thicken.
Stir in the liqueur. When the mixture reaches the texture of a soft mousse it is ready to use.
When the cake has completely cooled, unroll it, take off the layer of wax paper, and spread about 1/3 or so of the ganache evenly onto the cake. Roll it up the long way using the towel to help you.
At this point, you can transfer the cake to your serving platter.
Cover the cake with the remaining ganache, reserving a few tablespoons.
Cut off a 2-3 inch slice from either end and secure the slices with remaining ganache to opposite sides of the cake, cut side out, to resemble cut branches.
Refrigerate until serving time

Whipped Cream Garnish:

Ingredients

1 ½ cups heavy cream

2 tbsp confectioner’s sugar

1 Tbsp Framboise or other liqueur

Berries or pomegranate seeds

Beat the cream until it starts to thicken
Add the confectioner’s sugar and liqueur and continue to beat until stiff
Finish by placing whipped cream on the cake in places to look like drifted snow.
Serve the rest on the side.
You can add raspberries, pomegranate seeds, or other red berries, and pine boughs to complete the effect.
Serve it in thin slices—it’s very rich!
Photo: Rhoda Micocci

ABOUT OUR CHEF – BRETT JACKSON

CAKE

Brett Jackson served for 31 years as Chef at the President’s House at Wellesley College. She has been a cooking teacher, food writer, food and nutrition consultant for kids’ TV, and is the proud new grandmother of Leon Sky.

For another yummy chocolate, recipe check out these brownies that you can make for or with your grandkids Click Here

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Winter Wedding Cake (aka – Cocoa Genoise Cake)

Preheat an oven to 375 F. place rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven.

Butter an 11” x 17” jelly roll pan and line it with a piece of wax paper, leaving an extra couple of inches at each end. Butter the wax paper and coat the bottom with flour, shaking out the excess.

Ingredients

5 eggs, warmed in their shells in a bowl of warm water

¼ tsp salt

¼ c sifted flour

1/3 cup sifted cocoa

1 Tbsp sifted cornstarch

¾ cup sugar

2 Tbsp Framboise or other liqueur

6 Tbsp melted unsalted butter, cooled but still liquid

Sift together the flour, cocoa, and cornstarch into a bowl.

Carefully transfer the batter to the prepared pan, spreading it gently and evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the top is set and feels springy.

Place the pan on a rack to cool slightly. Slice off a thin strip from the long edges of the cake (makes it less likely to crack when rolled).

Sprinkle the top of the cake with a layer of sifted confectioner’s sugar, Then cover with another sheet of wax paper and a slightly dampened tea towel.

Place a cookie sheet on top of the towel and flip the whole thing over. Carefully lift off the jelly roll pan and then the wax paper from the cake.

Sprinkle the cake with another layer of confectioner’s sugar and roll the cake in the towel.

Wrap the rolled cake in plastic wrap until your ganache filling is ready.

Ganache Filling and Frosting

Ingredients

1 lb bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces

2 cups heavy cream

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp framboise or other liqueur

Heat the butter, cream, and sugar together to the boiling point, stirring constantly and pour over the chocolate pieces.

Stir until the chocolate is melted, and then occasionally until the mixture begins to cool and thicken.

Stir in the liqueur. When the mixture reaches the texture of a soft mousse it is ready to use.

When the cake has completely cooled, unroll it, take off the layer of wax paper, and spread about 1/3 or so of the ganache evenly onto the cake. Roll it up the long way using the towel to help you.

At this point, you can transfer the cake to your serving platter.

Cover the cake with the remaining ganache, reserving a few tablespoons.

Cut off a 2-3 inch slice from either end and secure the slices with remaining ganache to opposite sides of the cake, cut side out, to resemble cut branches.

Refrigerate until serving time

Whipped Cream Garnish:

Ingredients

1 ½ cups heavy cream

2 tbsp confectioner’s sugar

1 Tbsp Framboise or other liqueur

Berries or pomegranate seeds

Beat the cream until it starts to thicken

Add the confectioner’s sugar and liqueur and continue to beat until stiff

Finish by placing whipped cream on the cake in places to look like drifted snow.

Serve the rest on the side.

You can add raspberries, pomegranate seeds, or other red berries, and pine boughs to complete the effect.

ABOUT OUR CHEF – BRETT JACKSON