Yule Log Icebox Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Make the cakes: Line two 9-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, and lightly coat with spray. Beat egg yolks with a mixer on high speed until pale yellow and thick, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.
• Beat egg whites in a clean mixer bowl on medium speed until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Raise speed to medium-high; slowly add sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Transfer mixture to a large bowl.
• Fold yolks into egg-white mixture using a rubber spatula, being careful not to deflate whites. Sift cocoa and flour over top; gently fold to combine. Pour into prepared sheets, and gently smooth tops using an offset spatula.
• Bake until cakes spring back when touched, 9 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, line 2 wire racks with parchment paper, and lightly coat with spray. Remove cakes from oven, and immediately turn out each onto a prepared rack. Peel parchment from cakes. Let stand until cooled completely.
• Assemble the cakes: Place 2 clean kitchen towels on work surface, and transfer each cake (with parchment) to a towel. Divide caramel cream evenly between cakes. Spread, using an offset spatula, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges.
• Tightly roll 1 cake into a log, starting with a short end, removing parchment as you work. Tightly wrap log in kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining cake. Transfer wrapped logs, seam side down, to a baking sheet, and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
• Unwrap each log. Lightly dust work surface with cornstarch or confectioners' sugar. Roll out half the fondant to 1/4-inch thickness. Place an 8-by-12-inch food-safe wood-grain texture mat on fondant, and press hard, using a rolling pin, to make an indentation. Gently remove mat, and generously rub fondant with cocoa. Brush off excess cocoa.
• Drape 1 cake log with fondant sheet. Shape fondant to fit log using your hands, and trim ends and cut away excess with a paring knife or a pizza cutter. Transfer to a serving platter. Repeat with remaining fondant, cocoa, and cake log. Serve with sugared white pine needles and milk-chocolate pinecones if desired.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil or waxed paper; grease foil with shortening. In small bowl, beat eggs with electric mixer on high speed about 5 minutes or until very thick and lemon colored. Pour eggs into large bowl; gradually beat in 1 cup granulated sugar. On low speed, beat in 1/3 cup water and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually add flour, baking powder and salt, beating just until batter is smooth. Pour into pan, spreading batter to corners.
• Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Meanwhile, generously sprinkle clean towel with powdered sugar. Immediately loosen cake from edges of pan; turn upside down onto sugared towel. Carefully remove foil; trim off stiff edges of cake if necessary. While hot, carefully roll cake and towel from narrow end; place on cooling rack. Cool at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix butter and baking cocoa until well blended. Stir in 2 cups powdered sugar. Beat in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and 1 to 2 tablespoons hot water until frosting is smooth and spreadable. Cover; set aside.
• In chilled medium bowl, beat whipping cream, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and the coffee granules with electric mixer on high speed until stiff. Unroll cake; remove towel. Spread whipped cream mixture over cake. Roll up cake. For stump, cut off 2-inch diagonal slice from one end. Attach stump to one side of cake using 1 tablespoon frosting. Frost cake with frosting. Make strokes in frosting with tines of fork to resemble bark. Loosely cover cake; refrigerate while making Chocolate Leaves and Chocolate Decorations.
• To make Chocolate Leaves, wash and dry leaves. In 1-quart saucepan, melt 1/2 cup chips and 1 teaspoon shortening over low heat, stirring until smooth. With small brush, brush melted chocolate about 1/8 inch thick over backside of leaves (leave small amount of stem uncovered so it is easier to peel off leaf). Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm. Peel off leaves, handling as little as possible so chocolate leaves do not become dull or melt. Refrigerate chocolate leaves until ready to use.
• To make Chocolate Decorations, in 1-quart saucepan, melt 1/2 cup chips and 1 teaspoon shortening over low heat, stirring until smooth. Pour chocolate mixture into small plastic bag, large envelope, squeeze bottle or pastry bag fitted with small pastry tip; cut off small corner of bag or envelope to pipe out chocolate. Draw desired designs, such as twigs, on plain paper using dark pen or pencil. Place paper with designs on cookie sheet; cover paper with waxed paper. Pipe chocolate over outline of designs. If desired, sprinkle with granulated sugar. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm. Carefully remove designs from waxed paper, handling as little as possible.
• Decorate cake with Chocolate Leaves, Chocolate Decorations and cranberries. Store cake covered in refrigerator.

Steps:

• Chop candies in food processor until crushed but not ground. With electric mixer, beat 1 1/2 cups cream, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla, and peppermint extract in large bowl until soft peaks form. Fold crushed candy into peppermint cream.
• Spread 1 tablespoon peppermint cream on chocolate wafer. Top with another wafer and repeat 4 more times to produce stack of 6 wafers with cream in between each cookie. Make 6 stacks, each with 6 wafers. Spread 1 tablespoon peppermint cream on top of 5 stacks, leaving 1 stack plain.
• Place cookie stacks on sides and put them together end to end, making one 16-inch log. A plain stack without cream on top wafer should be placed at end. Wrap log in plastic and freeze until firm, at least 5 hours.
• With electric mixer, beat remaining cream, remaining sugar, and cocoa in large bowl until stiff peaks form.
• Cut thin piece diagonally from one end of frozen log and discard. Cut 2-inch piece diagonally from other end of frozen log and set aside.
• Transfer frozen cake to serving platter and spread all but 1/2 cup cocoa cream evenly over the log. Press reserved 2-inch piece on top of log to make bump, placing it several inches from one end of log. Cover bump with remaining cocoa cream.
• Drag tines of fork down length of log to simulate bark.
• Freeze until firm, at least 3 hours.
• Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.