Serve this nutty sweet sponge cake roll while celebrating the French custom of burning a Yule log, which prevents bad spirits from flowing down the chimney into the new year.
Ingredients
- 5 egg whites
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup ground toasted almonds
- 3/4 cup sifted cake flour
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Powdered sugar
- 1 3/4 cups whipping cream
- 1 8 ounce can almond paste
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons amaretto or 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/4 cup toasted almond slices
- Purchased marzipan pigs or assorted fruits (optional)
Directions
- Grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Line with waxed paper. Grease and flour waxed paper; set aside. Beat egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight).
- Beat egg yolks in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes or until thick and pale. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating on high speed until sugar is almost dissolved. Stir in the 1 teaspoon vanilla and the ground almonds. Stir flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon together; gently stir into egg yolk mixture. Fold about one-fourth of the egg white mixture into the flour mixture to lighten. Fold remaining egg white mixture into flour mixture just until combined. Spread in the prepared pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until cake springs back. Do not allow to brown.
- Immediately loosen cake from pan. Invert cake onto a towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Remove waxed paper. Roll up warm cake and towel together, jelly-roll style, starting from a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.
- For almond filling, beat the 1-3/4 cups whipping cream in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form (tips curl over); set aside. Finely crumble almond paste into a medium bowl. Add the 1/4 cup whipping cream and the amaretto or 2 teaspoons vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until nearly smooth. Fold about one-fourth of whipped cream into almost paste mixture to lighten. Fold remaining whipped cream into almond paste mixture.
- Gently unroll cake. Spread half of the almond filling on cake to within 1 inch of the edges. Roll up cake, without towel, into a spiral, starting from a short side. Place on a serving plate. Lightly frost cake with remaining filling and sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds. Garnish with purchased marzipan pigs for luck or assorted fruits, if desired. Makes 12 servings.
Tip: Refrigerate prepared cake, covered, for up to 8 hours.
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