Cardamom, Orange, and Ricotta Buche De Noel

Merry Christmas Eve, friends! I hope you are still in your pajamas, sipping coffee, baking cookies and watching Christmas movies. I took on one last freelance recipe development project for the year, which I finished up late last night so as soon as I click “publish” on this blog post, I’m on vacation! Since I’ve been working all week, I haven’t baked one single Christmas-y treat so today, I’ll be deep in cinnamon roll dough and banana bread. I cannot wait.

But first, no Christmas dessert collection is complete without a Buche De Noel (or a Yule log cake). These are far simpler than they look. A Buche de Noel aka roulade aka jelly roll is simply a sponge cake, filled with some sort of cream or jelly, rolled and frosted to look like a Yule log. My rendition features a cardamom and orange flavored sponge, an orange ricotta cream reminiscent of cannoli filling, and a chocolate cardamom buttercream. There are so many different ways to decorate your cakes, do a simple google search for ideas and make it your own!

After 12 days of brand new recipes here on the blog, I’ll be taking a few weeks off. I have a new baby niece that I’m dying to snuggle and we are right in the middle of buying our first home so I’ll be packing and unpacking like a mad woman. It’s been a wild year, but I’ve been so blessed to be able to share it with you all in my little baby internet food community. See you in 2021!

buche de noel, yule log cake, cake, christmas, holiday baking, christmas recipes, sponge cake

Yield: makes one yule log cake

Author: Anna Ramiz

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Cardamom, Orange, and Ricotta Buche de Noel

Prep time: 1 H & 30 MCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 1 H & 45 M

A traditional Christmas cake featuring an orange cardamom sponge, filled with orange ricotta cream and frosted with a fudge-y cardamom frosting. Sponge recipe adapted from Helen Goh and Yotam Ottolenghi.

Ingredients

for the cardamom sponge cake

• 8 eggs, separated
• 2/3 cup + 2 tbsp (140 g) granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp orange juice
• 1/2 tsp orange zest
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp (80 g) all purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp kosher salt
• powdered sugar, for dusting

for the orange ricotta cream

• 1/2 cup (115 g) heavy cream
• 1/4 cup (30 g) powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup (110 g) whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• a pinch of salt

for the chocolate cardamom buttercream

• 1 stick (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 1/2 cup (70 g) powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 6 oz dark chocolate

Instructions

to make the sponge cake

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line a rimmed half-sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, begin whipping the egg whites on medium speed. Once the whites become frothy, add the 1 1/2 tsp sugar and increase speed to medium-high. Whip until medium peaks form, then transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
3. In that same mixing bowl, combine egg yolks, remaining 140 g of sugar, orange juice, and orange zest. Whip on medium-high speed for about 4 minutes, until the mixture is thick and pale.
4. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, cardamom, and salt in a small bowl.
5. When the egg yolks are voluminous, remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Sprinkle half of the flour over the top of the yolks and gently fold in using a rubber spatula. Repeat with the remaining flour and mix carefully, just until no flour streaks remain.
6. Add 1/3 of the whipped egg whites to the mixture and gently fold them in. Repeat in two more additions with the remaining whites. When everything is folded in, the batter should be smooth and no streaks of egg whites should remain.
7. Pour into your prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan.
8. After the cake has been cooling for about 10 minutes, dust the top of the cake with a thin layer of powdered sugar. Turn the cake out onto a large clean dish towel and use a sharp knife to trim the edges.
9. Then working on a longer end and using the towel, gently roll the cake into a log. Let cool for at least 20 minutes before unrolling.

to make the orange ricotta cream

1. In a medium bowl, stir together ricotta, orange zest, vanilla, and salt.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip heavy cream on medium speed until soft peaks begin to form. Add the powdered sugar, and continue whipping until combined and thickened.
3. Gently fold whipped cream into the ricotta mixture and smooth in an even layer over the surface of your unrolled cake.
4. Chill the cake for about 30 minutes, or until you are ready to frost.

to make the buttercream

1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a bowl over a double-boiler. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter, cardamom, salt, and vanilla. Beat for 1-2 minutes until butter is soft and smooth.
3. Add the powdered sugar and continue beating until frosting is thick and all of the powdered sugar has been combined.
4. With the mixer on low speed, gradually stream in chocolate, mixing until homogenized. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then mix for another minute or so, to ensure that everything is completely combined.

to assemble

1. Use a small offset spatula to coat the cake log in a layer of chocolate frosting.
2. Use a serrated knife to trim the edges, just so that they are straight and even. Cut a piece about 4” long from the end of the log and then cut that piece in half on a diagonal.
3. Place each diagonal piece on the edge of the log, to look like a yule log. Fill in the gaps with frosting and then use the spatula to create waves in the log to look like bark. Decorated with pomegranate arils, rosemary springs, cranberries, or any over desired foresty-decorations.

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Chocolate Truffles 3 Ways

Happy Day 11 of 12 Days of Christmas Desserts and Happy Christmas Eve Eve to you all! Let’s talk truffles.

Truffles are a very easy, last minute homemade gift idea that really give the ‘this took me barely any effort at all but they look fancy and cute so you will think I spent hours creating this for you’ vibe. Truffles are just ganache and ganache is just chocolate and heavy cream. It’s all about the technique, so let’s get down to it.

First thing to know about ganache: The consistency of your ganache depends on your chocolate to cream ratio. For a saucy, hot-fudge style ganache, start with 2 parts cream to 1 part chocolate. For traditional, spreadable ganache, it’s a 1:1 ratio, and for scoop-able, truffle ganache, we start with 2 parts chocolate to 1 part heavy cream.

A quick note: milk chocolate has a higher milk solid content than dark chocolate, which will add more fat and cream to your mixture. This means that you would have to slightly adjust these ratios if using a milk chocolate because there would extra fat added to the mixture. For all of these ganache ratios, stick with a chocolate that is at least 52% cocoa solids, preferably a bit higher. 60%-70% is my sweet spot.

making ganache

1. Roughly chop your chocolate. You want small pieces or else your ganache will be chunky.

2. Heat your cream until little bubbles form around the edges. (This is called scalding and if you’re measuring, the cream will between 180°-190°F.)

3. Immediately pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and jiggle the bowl just a bit to get it all settled down. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes.

4. After the mixture has rested a bit, start whisking. Whisk (fairly vigorously) starting in the very center of the bowl and working your way out. As you whisk the mixture will begin to look like chocolate milk and then will rapidly change to a smooth, glossy consistency. When the entire bowl has reached that glossy consistency, continue whisking for one minute more.

5. Cool. For truffles, let the mixture cool for about an hour or until it’s is a scoopable consistency.

Yield: each recipe makes 10-12 truffles

Author: Anna Ramiz

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Chocolate Truffles Three Ways

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinInactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 30 M

Chocolate truffles are easy and don't require many ingredients but they make you feel like a fancy confectioner. Here is a base truffle recipe along with three different flavor renditions.

Ingredients

for the chocolate pomegranate truffles

• 8 oz chocolate
• 4 oz heavy cream
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
• cocoa powder, for rolling

for the chocolate tahini truffles

• 8 oz chocolate
• 4 oz heavy cream
• 2 tbsp tahini, stirred
• sesame seeds, for rolling

for the sea salt and sage caramel truffles

• 12 oz chocolate, divided
• 4 oz heavy cream
• 2 tbsp sage caramel, recipe below
• Sea salt

for the sage caramel

• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (113 g) heavy cream
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 sprigs fresh sage (10-12 leaves)
• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

to make the truffles

1. Place 8 oz chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan set over medium heat, bring 4 oz heavy cream to a simmer. When the cream is hot, pour over the chocolate and shake to settle. Let sit for 3-4 minutes.
2. Starting in the center of the bowl, begin whisking vigorously until chocolate mixture becomes smooth and glossy. Whisk one minute more. Add the add-in of your choice (tahini, pomegranate molasses, sage caramel) and whisk to combine.
3. Let mixture set at room temperature for about an hour, until it becomes scoop-able. Use a cookie scoop to portion dollops of ganache onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and then transfer to the refrigerator to cool for 15 minutes.
4. For the chocolate pomegranate truffles: Remove them from the refrigerator and roll each one in sifted cocoa powder.
5. For the chocolate tahini truffles: Remove them from the refrigerator and roll each one in sesame seeds.
6. For the sea salt and sage caramel truffles: Melt the remaining 4 oz of chocolate over a double-boiler or in the microwave. Dip each truffle in the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment paper. Sprinkle the tops with sea salt and let set until chocolate has hardened.

to make the sage caramel

1. Place butter in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Add about 6 sage leaves to the butter and cook until butter is melted. When the mixture is beginning to sizzle, transfer it to a bowl and let cool completely. Remove sage leaves and discard, set butter aside.
2. Place heavy cream your small saucepan along with the remaining sage leaves and bring to a simmer over medium heat. When the milk begins to bubble, remove it from the heat and cover it. Let set for 20 minutes before straining out sage leaves and discarding them.
3. Pour sugar in an even layer on the bottom of a large skillet. Set over medium heat and cook without stirring until the sugar has become liquid is beginning to turn golden. At this point, you can swirl the pan gently a time or two. Continue to cook until caramel reaches a deep amber color.
4. Carefully remove the skillet from the heat and stream in heavy cream, whisking continually. Return the caramel to the heat and add butter. Whisk well and cook for 1 more minute. Immediately pour caramel into a medium bowl, whisk in salt, and let cool.

Notes:

Milk chocolate has a higher milk solid content than dark chocolate, which will add more fat and cream to your mixture. This means that you would have to slightly adjust these ratios if using a milk chocolate because there would extra fat added to the mixture. For all of these ganache ratios, stick with a chocolate that is at least 52% cocoa solids, preferably a bit higher. 60%-70% is my sweet spot.

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Grapefruit and Thyme Olive Oil Cake

This easy olive oil cake recipe features bright, citrusy grapefruit and fragrant thyme to give an elevated twist on a classic recipe.

I know that everyone and their mothers have said it, but 2020 has been quite a year. Between an election and a pandemic, things have felt wild and out of control most of the time this year and normal life just isn’t so normal anymore. Martin and I were chatting and reflecting the other night and it feels weird because this year has been so unexpectedly challenging for so many people, but for us, in our little bubble, it’s actually been a pretty good year. We’ve both been in fairly challenging work situations, but ones that have pushed us to really grow. We adopted sweet little Tahini this year, who has become the little furry joy of our lives. And somehow, we were able to continue saving money, scraping together enough to buy our first home. All of this sweetness doesn’t negate the exhaustion, though, so we took a little getaway. I’m writing today’s blog post from the very, very cozy bed of a little AirBnB on the beach and it’s just a dream. We’re sleeping in, and lounging by the pool, and drinking wine and it’s the most relaxed I’ve felt in a good, long, while.

So in the spirit of relaxation, let’s continue to chat about one of my very favorite topics: cake. I think that a good olive oil cake is a non-negotiable for any self-respecting home baker. They are quick and easy to throw together, endlessly adaptable, and just so moist and delicious that they rarely need extras like frosting or glaze. This one is thick, flavored with grapefruit and thyme and holds well for a couple of a days. A little note to remember about olive oil cakes—because they have a pretty high liquid content, they take a good long time to bake. If your cake is starting to brown too much while the middle is still jiggly, just tent it with a piece of aluminum foil. Also, I baked this in a deep 9” springform pan and any smaller cake pan will probably result in a very messy cake/oven situation. If you are baking this in a smaller cake pan, I’d half the recipe, or bake it in a rectangular 9x13” pan.

And just so I don’t forget, happy day 3 of 12 Days of Christmas Desserts!

Yield: makes one 9" springform pan

Author: Anna Ramiz

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Grapefruit and Thyme Olive Oil Cake

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 50 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

Ingredients

• 2 cups (260 g) all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cup (270 g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• zest from two medium grapefruits
• 1/2 cup (115 g) grapefruit juice
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 cup (225 g) olive oil
• 1 cup (243 g) buttermilk, at room temperature
• 3 eggs, at room temperature

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 9” springform pan with olive oil and line with parchment paper, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine granulated sugar, fresh thyme, and grapefruit zest. Use your fingers to rub the zest and the thyme into the sugar until well-mixed. Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the sugar mixture and whisk everything to combine.
3. In another medium-sized bowl or large glass measuring cup, whisk together olive oil, buttermilk, grapefruit juice, and eggs until smooth and homogenous.
4. Slowly pour wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients, and whisk until the batter is smooth and no clumps of flour remain.
5. Pour batter into your prepared springform pan and smooth into an even layer using a knife or offset spatula. Bake for 45-55 minutes, until the cake is dark golden brown in color, the sides are beginning to pull away from the pan, and the center is set and no longer wiggly. (If the top is getting too brown, but the center is not yet set, you can loosely place a piece of foil over the top to slow down the browning.)
6. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before inverting onto a plate and serving.

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