I went super simple on this, but you can get as carried away with decorations as you want. This cake is great, FULL of flavor even without the ganache! I also made half of the recipe for just the 2 of us so it was more of a twig or branch than a log, but didn’t impact the flavor 🙂
CHOCOLATE CARAMEL BANANA BUCHE DE NOEL
CAKE
1 cup cake flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana (about 1 medium)
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract
3 egg whites
1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
- Preheat oven to 375°.
- Spray a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with non stick cooking spray; line with parchment paper and spray the top of the parchment paper with non stick cooking spray; set aside.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs for 5 minutes; add 1/2 cup sugar, banana and vanilla.
- In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form.
- To the egg whites gradually beat in remaining sugar, a tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form.
- Add flour mixture to banana mixture; mix gently until combined.
- Fold in egg white mixture.
- Spread into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched.
- Cool 5 minutes; run a knife around the edges to loosen.
- Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners sugar.
- Gently peel off parchment paper.
- Roll up cake in towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side.
- Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Once the roll is cooled, unroll the cake.
- Because the cake has cooled in a rolled position it will easily re-roll.
VANILLA BEAN FILLING
2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled
⅔ cup (80 grams) confectioners’ sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla bean seeds at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Unroll cake and evenly spread the filling.
- Roll back up.
TOPPING ~ WHIPPED GANACHE FROSTING Makes about 2 cups
4 (4-ounce) bars (460 grams) high-quality dark (60% to 65%) chocolate, chopped
2 cups heavy whipping cream
- Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.
- In a small saucepan, bring cream JUST to a simmer below a boil over medium-high heat.
- Pour cream over chocolate; cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
- Whisk together chocolate and cream until smooth.
- Let stand until ganache reaches room temperature, 45 minutes to 2 hours. (If necessary, refrigerate for 15 minutes.)
- Transfer ganache to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Beat at medium-high speed until a spreadable consistency is reached, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Spread or drizzle on the cake.