Chocolate-Cranberry Vertical Yule Log

Preparation

• White Chocolate and Vanilla Whipped Cream

  • Place the white chocolate in a bowl.
  • In a small pot, bring the cream and vanilla to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let sit for 2 minutes without stirring. Whisk until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours.

• Cranberry Filling

  • Meanwhile, in a bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Let bloom for 5 minutes.
  • In a food processor, finely chop the cranberries. Place in a pot with the sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the liquid has evaporated. Remove from the heat.
  • Add the gelatin and mix until dissolved. Transfer into a bowl and let cool. Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled.

• Dark Chocolate Bark (optional)

  • Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Using a small offset spatula, spread the melted dark chocolate over the baking sheet into a thin layer about 1/8 inch (2 to 3 mm) thick. Refrigerate until the chocolate has set.
  • Detach the chocolate from the parchment paper and break into pieces. Sprinkle with the cocoa powder. Refrigerate.

• Chocolate Genoise

  • With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line an 18 x 13-inch (46 x 33 cm) baking sheet with a strip of parchment paper, letting it hang over the two short sides. Butter the paper and sides of the baking sheet.
  • In a bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
  • In another bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture has tripled in volume and falls from the beaters in a ribbon, about 10 minutes. Sift the dry ingredients over the egg mixture, alternating with the oil, and fold in using a whisk. Spread the batter out evenly on the baking sheet.
  • Bake for 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour.

• Assembly

  • Use the parchment paper to lift the cake from the baking sheet. Cut all four sides of the cake slightly to straighten them out. Cut the cake lengthwise into 3 strips each about 16 x 4 inches (40 x 10 cm). Peel the parchment paper off each strip.
  • Working with one of the strips (this will be the last strip to add when assembling the cake), insert a bread knife at a 45-degree angle into one of the short ends and remove a 1-inch (2.5 cm) band of cake, making this end of the strip thinner. Set aside.
  • Whisk the white chocolate cream until semi-stiff peaks form using an electric mixer (do not over whisk or the cream will turn into butter).
  • Spread ¾ cup (180 ml) of the white chocolate cream over each strip of cake.
  • Spread the cranberry filling down the centre of each strip, leaving a ½-inch (1 cm) border all the way around.
  • Roll up one strip of cake. Gently roll a second strip around the first. Place the yule log vertically on a serving plate. Roll the last strip around the others, finishing with the thinned-out edge. Don’t worry if the cake cracks slightly or doesn’t fully close. Using an offset spatula, completely cover the cake with ¾ cup (180 ml) of the white chocolate cream. This will help cover any cake crumbs. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  • Using an offset spatula, completely cover the cake with the remaining white chocolate cream. Decorate with the chocolate bark, cranberries and rosemary sprigs. The cake will keep for about 3 days, covered, in the refrigerator. Let sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Slice and serve with the remaining chocolate bark, if desired.