Yule Log But Make It Cake

I wanted to craft a yule log for Christmas this year, but I didn't want to use a traditional roll - I wanted cake.

I decided to make a gingerbread spice cake and filled and coated it with a warm hazelnut bourbon buttercream.

That frosting was AMAZING. I am absolutely making this again.

I think next year I'll switch back to the classic, but let me tell you, log or no log, this case is excellent for any of your fall or winter celebrations.

Cake Ingredients:

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) room temperature salted butter

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 3 large eggs, at room temperature

• 3/4 cup molasses

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 teaspoons ground ginger

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom

• 1/4 teaspoon ground all-spice

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/2 cup milk

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) room temperature salted butter

• 4 cups confectioners sugar

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream

• 1 cup finely ground hazelnuts

• 1 packet swiss miss hot cocoa

• 2 tablespoons Whistle Pig Bourbon (or bourbon of your choosing)

Baking Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a traditional loaf pan with butter.

2. To make the cake, in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Add the molasses, beating until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Mix on low speed until just combined, making sure the batter is completely mixed.

3. Slowly add in the milk. Beat until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Be careful not to over beat the batter.

4. Fill the pan until 3/4 of the way full and bake about 45 minutes.

5. In the mean time make the frosting.

6. Cream butter in a stand mixer until smooth. Add confectioners sugar, 1 cup at a time.

7. Add vanilla, salt, and cream and whip on high speed until fluffy and fully mixed.

8. Add hazelnuts slowly until fully combined then add the cocoa packet and your bourbon.

Assembly:

Once your cake has cooled, cut your general shaping for you log, i.e. create a small stump out of their the end piece or by cutting into the loaf itself. Once you've got your general shape, slice your cake in half and fill with a generous layer of frosting before re-situating the top piece of cake.

Continue to shape the cake by rounding out edges and really getting a log like shape, then apply your crumb coat of frosting.

Set cake in the refrigerator for about a half hour then retrieve it and continue to frost your yule log! Once you have the coating you like you an use textured cake scrapers to give your log it's wooden grooves.

Then decorate and plate as you like!