Daring Bakers Challenge: Yule Log

The second Daring Bakers Challenge completed!

Challenge: Yule Log
This recipe came from Ivonne from Cream Puffs in Venice and Lis from La Mia Cucina, the founders of Daring Bakers.

Brandy Alexander Yule Log

It's log, it's log, it's sweet, it's creamy, not wood.
It's log, it's log, it's better than bad, it's good.
Everyone wants a log.
Come on and get your log.
You're going to love your log.
Yule Log, a holiday treat.
Gnome sold separately.

The original Log from Ren and Stimpy.

I was really scared going into this challenge after reading some of the horror stories surrounding breaking buttercream that looked like nasty oatmeal. But everything came out with no surprises. Thank goodness as I don't think I have it in me to try this one a second time in one holiday season.

The wonderful old-timey drink, the Brandy Alexander, was my inspiration for the flavor combination. I left the genoise plain, filled it with sweetened (sugar ) whipped cream, spiked with Godiva liqueur and nutmeg, the coffee buttercream used brandy so I added about a cup or more of melted chocolate. For the garnish I candied some rosemary and made the meringue mushrooms (I dipped the bottoms in chocolate and used the chocolate to hold the stems on) and there you have it, the Brandy Alexander Yule Log. And it was delicious.

Please forgive the bad flashy picture. It was late and dark.

The idea of putting the gnome in the photo came from one of my favorite artists ever, minimiam, the team made up of Akiko Ida and Pierre Javelle.

Tarte Imposeé

You don't really get the feel of these photos so small but you get the basic idea. They make these tiny people and place them in stories on food or food related objects. Please check out their work. It's so whimsical and foodie and fantastic.

This was the second hardest cake I've ever made. I was an amazing experience and I surprised myself which is what Daring Bakers is all about. Viva la Daring Bakers!

Check out all the other Daring Bakers.