Buche de Noel, Part II

Happy 2012.  I am so happy it's 2012.  I mean, not that I have anything big going on this year . . . not me.  It's very exciting.  This is one year I think I'll do ok with remembering to write down.

But anyway, there is more of a story to the meringue mushrooms.  They were to decorate a log.  Well, a cake. A log cake.

So, there was the cake to make too.  I have always considered our jellyroll pan just a smaller version of a cookie sheet.  The jellyroll pan has been christened into making jellyroll style cakes.  It's about time, I guess.

It came out as this very spongy cake.  And it was a lot thinner than I expected.

The key to making a jellyroll (and something I had not known before) is a towel.  You roll the warm cake up in a towel to let it cool.  It was pretty cool.  It was just interesting trying to use a knife to scrape off the cake from the inside of the towel.

Buche de Noel Cake
from Betty Crocker's Christmas Cookbook


3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line jellyroll pan with aluminum foil and grease.

Beat eggs until very thick and lemon-colored, or about 5 minutes on high speed.  Gradually add sugar.

Beat in water and vanilla on low speed, then add flour, baking powder and salt.  Beat just until smooth.

Pour into pan and spread evenly.

Bake 12-15 minutes.

Immediately flip the cake onto a towel dusted (generously) with powdered sugar.  Carefully peel off foil.

Roll cake and towel from short end and let cool.