經典的傳統—聖誕木柴蛋糕 Christmas Chocolate Yule Log！( English version scroll down, please ! )
2017年的聖誕節，A很高興能夠再回到英國和B還有他的家人一起過節！
每年聖誕，是闔家團圓的時候，於我們亞洲人來說，就像是新年。去年由我們掌廚，今年我們則是為大家做甜點！苦惱許久，我們決定採用法國好友Yves的建議，做聖誕節的傳統蛋糕—巧克力木柴！
材料
巧克力海綿蛋糕食譜：
1、濕性材料：310ml全蛋 、1T香草精、192g (6.8oz) 砂糖
2、乾性材料：130g (4.6oz) 中筋麵粉、39.6g (1.4oz) 可可粉、2.8g (0.1oz) 肉桂粉，可加可不加
★32*28 cm烤盤，兩份海綿蛋糕，180度C (瓦斯刻度6) 12分鐘
柳橙糖漿食譜：
50g 奶油
70g 砂糖
100ml 新鮮柳橙汁
巧克力抹醬食譜：
Cadbury 牛奶巧克力抹醬
★可以換成任何一種自己喜歡的口味
打發鮮奶油食譜：
480ml 鮮奶油
適量糖粉
★100ml鮮奶油+15g糖粉
巧克力甘納許食譜：
360ml 鮮奶油
360g 72%苦甜巧克力
作法
這次和B一起拍影片，做法也都在影片中有詳細的解釋！希望各位喜歡！
1、將全蛋混和砂糖、香草精打發。大約需要五分鐘的時間讓全蛋完全打發，一直到可以用蛋液畫出＂8＂的狀態。***因為氣候潮濕，我們的砂糖有點結塊了...不過不影響成果，別擔心！
2、打發後，將混和均勻的乾性材料（麵粉、可可粉及肉桂粉）分次篩入打發的蛋中。B的第一大絕招：用指尖將麵粉及上層的麵糊拌勻！！！***用指尖拌麵糊的好處是可以避免用刮刀切拌時消泡的情況，接著再混和下方的麵糊，如此一來可以保留麵糊中絕大多數的空氣！而且份量越多這個方法越適用！記得B在飯店時，由於份量很多，有時候也要用上一整隻手臂下來拌麵糊！
3、將麵糊平均分配倒入32*28cm、鋪有烤盤紙的烤盤中，均勻抹平，最後敲一下烤盤，敲除麵糊中的大氣泡。再用180度C快速地烘烤12分鐘即可！同時，準備好另一張烤盤紙，上面撒上糖粉。***灑糖粉的作用是防止蛋糕沾黏在烤盤紙上，造成桿捲的時候破皮。
4、將烤好的蛋糕迅速移出烤箱，將蛋糕翻面（表面向下）放在撒有糖粉的烤盤紙上，小心快速地移除底部的烤盤紙，讓蛋糕能夠快速冷卻！***判斷海綿蛋糕烤熟的關鍵：用手掌輕輕的壓蛋糕表面，如果感覺質地會回彈有阻力、不軟爛即可！
***烤大蛋糕的話，欲翻面要先準備一個烤盤架或是同樣尺寸的大烤盤，將烤盤紙直接鋪在蛋糕表面，蓋上烤盤或烤盤架，將整個蛋糕連同原烤盤翻面，再將原烤盤拿掉，撕開蛋糕底部的烘焙紙來冷卻蛋糕。
5、待蛋糕冷卻後，B的第二大絕招：用擀麵棍輕～輕～地將蛋糕壓過一次。平均的施力可以讓蛋糕較硬的表面碎裂成較平均的組織，也會讓蛋糕內部的組織更加密合、更有延展性。也就是說在捲內餡的時候，蛋糕不會裂的太誇張。
6、將四邊修整下來成漂亮的四方形。接下來則是B的第三大絕招：用刀子輕輕地劃過海綿蛋糕（劃刀方向和捲蛋糕的方向應要垂直，將蛋糕捲想成壽司竹簾的樣子），如此一來比較好操作蛋糕捲。
***內餡依個人口味決定，做自己喜歡的蛋糕！
6、製作柳橙糖漿。這個糖漿和法式柳橙可麗餅是同一個食譜！簡單又好用。但是煮焦糖的時候小心別燙手！將奶油和白砂糖放入小鍋中，中火加熱成焦糖。 在焦糖中倒入柳橙汁，這時候的糖溫度非常的高，要小心地操作。一開始鍋底會有糖結塊是正常的，慢慢地加熱、攪拌直到糖塊溶解。柳橙醬汁完成！***在糖完全融化之前記得不要攪拌喔避免糖變成結晶（反砂）。
7、抹上喜歡的巧克力醬。
8、填入打發好的鮮奶油！
9、將蛋糕慢慢地捲起來。輕輕地將蛋糕（靠近自己方向的這邊）往前折，藉由不沾墊的輔助，將蛋糕輕輕提起再桿捲，重複提起、壓捲、提起、壓捲的動作讓蛋糕緊密的捲好、定型。
10、切下幾塊小蛋糕，組合成自己喜歡的木幹形狀。
11、用等量的鮮奶油和巧克力來做甘納許。將鮮奶油煮滾後沖入巧克力中，讓巧克力靜置幾分鐘，讓鮮奶油的熱能夠慢慢地將巧克力融化掉，拌勻後靜置放涼再填入擠花袋中。***這個時候過度的攪拌會讓巧克力分離喔！也不要讓巧克力放在爐火上，太熱也會大分離！
***B的第四大絕招：如果你的巧克力甘納許不小心分離了。不要緊張，先將巧克力換到另一個乾淨的容器，因為原本的容器裡會有許多分離出來的油脂，接著倒入滾水，用湯匙或刮刀將巧克力疾速地拌勻，巧克力會神奇地回復原有的質地。
12、用扁平、鋸齒狀的花嘴，如此可以擠出類似木紋狀的巧克力甘納許。
13、裝飾蛋糕沒有特別的規定，只要開心地做出自己喜歡的樣式就可以了！最後我們用糖花、新鮮水果及蛋白霜做出聖誕大餐的甜點！！！Merry Christmas！！！
Ingredients
***This recipe is for 2 logs
Chocolate sponge cake recipe：
1、Wet ingredients：310ml whole eggs、1T vanilla extract、192g (6.8oz) Caster sugar
2、Dry ingredients：130g (4.6oz) Plain flour、39.6g (1.4oz) Cocoa powder、2.8g (0.1oz) Cinnamon (optional)
★ 2 x 32*28 cm baking tray, 180 degree Celsius (gas mark 6) for 12 mins.
Orange Syrup recipe：
1、 50g butter、70g caster sugar
2、 100ml fresh orange juice
Chocolate Spread recipe：
1、Cadbury milk chocolate spread
★ Any type of spread desired
Chantilly Cream (Whipped cream) recipe：
1、480ml double cream、as needed icing sugar (optional)
★ 100ml double cream：15g icing sugar
Chocolate ganache recipe：
1、360ml double cream
2、360ml 72% dark chocolate
Method
Watch our step-by-step cake-making procedure in this video !
1、
To make the chocolate sponge cake. First of all, we need to whip up 310ml of whole eggs、1T vanilla extract and 192g (6.8 oz) of caster sugar. In the video our sugar is a bit moist but it will not affect the final result, don't worry ! Relax !
2、
Whip the mixture till it is fluffy and its colour turns pale, the entire process takes about 5 mins. When you're able to use the whipped eggs to create a shape of an "8" without breaking the link of the batter in one motion, mission completed！
3、
Now, we need our dry ingredients, which are 130g（4.6oz）plain flour, 39.6g（1.4oz）cocoa powder and 2.8g（0.1oz）cinnamon powder. Sift the dry ingredients into the batter and mix them by batches. BIG TIP N.1 from B：With a latex glove, gently mix the batter with the sifted dry ingredients with your fingertips and fold to incorporate the batter from the bottom.
***As you're using your fingertips, you're able to feel the dry ingredients in the mixture that hasn't been incorporated properly
***The key for this tip is that this could prevent the air from being knocked out too much while mixing and folding the batter with a spatula.
***This method works really well with big batches of batter. In hotels, as we are making so many cakes that B has to use his whole arm to mix the batter!!!
4、
After the batter is made, you will then need a non-stick baking tray (32*28 cm), lined with a sheet of silicone (parchment) paper.
***This recipe can make 2 sheets of sponge cakes.
5、
Pour the batter into the tray and spread it out evenly. Then, last step, knock the tray for a few times to knock out some huge air bubbles in the cake mixture to get a beautiful even sponge. Baked at 180 degree Celsius or gas mark 6 for 12 mins.
6、
While the cake is baking, prepare a 2nd silicone (parchment) paper and dust it with icing sugar.
***The sugar keeps the cake from sticking to the silicone (parchment) paper.
7、
Once the cake finished baking, leave it to naturally cool after you remove the baking paper.
***The key to tell if the cake is baked perfectly is to press the cake gently with your palm, the cake is firm and you can feel it bouncing back up.
8、
In order to cool down the cake, you will need to flip the cake over, which means the surface is going directly onto the sugared silicone (parchment) paper. Then, quickly remove the 1st silicone (parchment) paper which was baked in the tray with the cake.
***As we are baking a smaller cake this time, you can easily flip the cake over like our video with no problem at all. Yet, the better way is to sprinkle the icing sugar onto the cake surface directly, then cover it with silicone (parchment) paper then a tray / cooking rack which is about the same size of the cake. Then, flip the entire cake over, remove the hot tray and the paper baked with the cake. So that you won't break your cake accidentally.
9、
BIG TIP N.2：gently roll the cake with an even weight when it is slightly warm. This is to allow the sponge to become more malleable and easy to roll and to stop it from cracking too much later.
10、
Then, trim off the four rough edges. BIG TIP N.3：gently score the sponge again to allow for flexibility during the roll.
→ At this step our sponge is ready. Now, move on to the filling. Choose any type of fillings you like such as different jams, whipped cream or custard.
11、
For the filling, we apply some orange syrup as our first layer, which also helps to moisturise the sponge cake. For the syrup, make a caramel with 50g of butter and 70g of sugar first ,then, pour in 100ml of fresh orange juice. cook until the sugars dissolve and use it after it cools down.
***Be extra careful when handling the caramel as it is extremely hot. When combining the juice with the caramel, the caramel gets hard because of the change of temperature which is perfectly normal, just carry on cooking until the sugar dissolves.
***You may replace this with any desired syrup.
12、
Followed by a layer of Cadbury milk chocolate spread. Microwave the spread for about 10 to 15 sec so that it's easier to manage.
***You may replace this with any desired spread or jam.
13、
Last but not the least, chantilly cream. Spread the cream evenly on the sponge.
***We didn't put any icing sugar into the cream as the milk chocolate spread is sweet already, and it turns out nice and lovely. It has a great balance with the sweet milk chocolate and bitter sweet dark chocolate ganache.
***In the video you can tell we whip the cream too much...In this case, pour some more fresh cream into the whipped cream, give it a stir gently to save the texture. However, if your cream is over-whipped so much that it separates and you see butter and water coming out of it then you need to prepare a new batch of whipped cream...
14、
Now here comes the exciting part, rolling up the cake. As you can see in the video, take the side that's closer to your body, with the help of the silicone (parchment) paper, gently lift up the cake and fold it forwards, press it down gently and make sure the cake is folded firmly with no empty space (you don't want a hollow cake roll...). Repeat the process, LIFT、FOLD and PRESS, LIFT、FOLD and PRESS..., slowly roll up the cake.
15、
Remove the excess icing sugar on the cake roll. Cut the cake according to your own liking for instance different angles and sizes, then place the slices anywhere you like, as long as it looks naturally like a log.
16、
Now we need one more thing to make it look more natural! Chocolate ganache! To make a ganache, simply boil the cream and pour it into your chopped dark chocolate (the smaller the pieces, the easier it is to melt). Wait for at least 45 sec before stirring it. Leave the mixture to cool down naturally, until it reaches a consistency which holds its shape when piping, transfer the ganache into the piping bag with a flat-zigzag piping nozzle. (This nozzle helps to create an effect similar to tree bark, as shown in the photo below)
***When working with chocolate, you will have to be extra careful as well because the chocolate split when the temperature gets too hot or when you work it too much (like too much stirring), and it gets to "bloom" when the temperature gets too cold (the cocoa fat flows to the surface).
***BIG TIP N.4：WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR CHOCOLATE GANACHE SPLITS? Answer：simply transfer the chocolate ganache into other clean container, as you can see all the fat rendered out from the chocolate everywhere in the container which is not a good thing, then, boldly pour some hot water into the chocolate and stir it with a spoon or spatula, the ganache will become how it should be miraculously, smooth and glossy.
(photo from cookiecuttershop)
17、
Pipe the ganache onto the cake roll. There's no rules when it comes to decorating. Just garnish the log with any candies, fresh fruits or meringue as you wish !!! Merry Christmas !! Have fun !!
***所有內容都是筆者本身經驗、筆記，引用自書章之資料或影片也皆有註明出處。若對於內容有任何問題，也歡迎業界各位前輩，同好不吝指教！感謝
