Bûche de Noël

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a simmer. In a glass bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, salt, and sugar. Place the bowl over the pan of simmering water and whisk until the mixture is lukewarm. Remove the bowl from the pan of water and beat with an electric mixer on medium high speed until the mixture is cool. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, cornstarch, and cocoa. Gently fold ⅓ of the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Repeat two more times until all of the flour mixture is folded into the egg mixture. Pour the batter into a greased 10×15″ sheet pan and bake for 10-12 minutes. Do not over bake, as it will be difficult to roll. Dust a clean kitchen towel with powdered sugar. While the cake is still hot, turn it out onto the towel and gently roll it. Allow the cake to cool. In the meantime, beat the filling ingredients until stiff peaks form. Once the cake is cool, unroll it from the towel, spread the filling evenly, and roll it again. For the icing, beat the butter, cocoa, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. On low speed, add the powdered sugar and milk until it reaches a spreadable consistency. Add more milk if it is too thick. Spread the icing over the cake, using a knife to create a log texture. Decorate with chocolate or powdered sugar “snow.”.