Photo of Snow-capped chocolate yule log by WW

Snow-capped chocolate yule log

8
Points®
Total Time
1 hr 55 min
Prep
1 hr 15 min
Cook
10 min
Serves
12
Difficulty
Moderate
Make this beautiful desert a centerpiece for everyone to admire this Christmas. The traditional yule log is a European-inspired desert of chocolate cake rolled and iced to resemble a snow topped log and meant to resemble a specially chosen log traditionally added to the holiday fire. This rich cake roll is topped with a creamy mixture of meringue-like whipped eggs and smoothed ricotta. A final drizzle of chocolate helps the peppermint candies and meringue cookies adhere to the cake top. Make sure to use Dutch process cocoa powder and not regular cocoa powder in this recipe. The towel technique used to form the cake roll allows the use of hands to make the roll but keeps the roll even without getting damaged by fingertips.

Ingredients

Cooking spray

5 spray(s)

Non-dairy aerosol whipped topping

24 Tbsp, (1 1/2 cups)

Semisweet chocolate

5 oz, divided

Black coffee

2 Tbsp, brewed

All-purpose flour

¼ cup(s)

Unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ cup(s), Dutch process variety

Table salt

¼ tsp

Egg

5 large egg(s), separated, at room temperature

Cream of tartar

tsp

Sugar

4 Tbsp, divided

Vanilla extract

1 tsp

Powdered sugar (confectioner's)

2 Tbsp

Part skim ricotta cheese

½ cup(s)

Vanlla meringue cookies

5 item(s), roughly crushed (about 7.5 g each)

Peppermint hard candy

2 item(s), roughly smashed

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Coat a 15 ½- X 10 ½- x 1-inch jelly-roll pan with cooking spray. Line pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on 2 sides; coat paper with cooking spray.
  3. Roughly chop 4 oz chocolate. In a small microwavable bowl, combine chopped chocolate and coffee. Microwave on High 20 seconds; stir until smooth. Set aside; let cool.
  4. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder and salt; set aside.
  5. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add 2 Tbsp granulated sugar; beat until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
  6. In another large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat egg yolks, remaining 2 Tbsp granulated sugar and vanilla until pale yellow and mixture forms a ribbon when beaters are lifted, about 3 minutes.
  7. With a spatula, gently fold chocolate-coffee mixture into egg yolk mixture just until blended. Then gently fold 1/3 of beaten egg white mixture into bowl just until no streaks of whites remain; fold in remaining egg whites in two additions.
  8. Sift half of flour mixture over chocolate mixture; gently fold just until blended. Repeat with remaining flour mixture.
  9. Spoon batter into prepared pan; spread evenly. Bake until top springs back when lightly touched in center, about 10 minutes.
  10. Meanwhile, sift powdered sugar over a large clean kitchen towel on a flat surface: immediately invert hot cake over towel. Carefully peel off and discard parchment paper. Starting from a long side, gently roll up cake, jelly-roll style, using towel. Cool rolled cake on wire rack.
  11. While cake cools, puree ricotta in food processor; transfer to a large bowl and fold in whipped topping.
  12. Carefully unroll cake, leaving it on towel (cracking is okay). Spread with filling, leaving a 1-inch border on long side opposite you. Reroll cake and transfer to serving plate. (You can leave as one long log or cut off a “branch” as we did here.)
  13. In a small microwavable bowl, microwave remaining 1 oz chocolate on High for 20 seconds; stir until smooth. Drizzle melted chocolate evenly over cake; sprinkle with crushed cookies and candies. Slice into 12 pieces; serve.
  14. Serving size: 1 slice