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Thanksgiving: Bûche de Thanksgiving

Source of Recipe

From "Cold Weather Cooking" by Sarah Leah Chase


Recipe Introduction

"Bûche is the French word for log and a Bûche de Noël is a chocolate cake made to look like a tree log and served as a traditional French Christmas dessert. I decided to borrow the concept for an American log cake using the flavors of Thanksgiving. A pumpkin-and-spice genoise cake is rolled with a cream cheese and candied ginger filling, while a generous sprinkling of buttery nut brickle imparts a delightful praline crunch."

List of Ingredients

Pumpkin Spice Genoise:
â—¦ 1 cup cake flour
â—¦ 1 teaspoon baking powder
â—¦ 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
â—¦ 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon salt
â—¦ 3 large eggs
â—¦ 1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
â—¦ 1 cup pumpkin purée, canned or fresh
â—¦ 1 cup Heath Bar Bits 'O Brickle or other nut brickle (about 6 ounces)
â—¦ Confectioners' sugar

Ginger Cream-Cheese Filling:
â—¦ 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
â—¦ 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
â—¦ 1 cup confectioners' sugar
â—¦ â…“ cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
â—¦ 1 cup Heath Bar Bits O' Brickle or other nut brickle
â—¦ ½ cup confectioners' sugar for garnish


Recipe

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Butter a 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Line with a piece of waxed or parchment paper cut ½ inch smaller than the pan, then butter the paper.

Prepare the genoise: Sift the cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt together into a bowl; set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs in a medium-size bowl until thick and creamy, 4 to 5 minutes. Beat in the brown sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until the mixture is very thick. Beat in the pumpkin purée. Using a large rubber spatula, quickly fold in the sifted flour mixture just until thoroughly combined. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the top evenly with the butter brickle. Bake until the cake springs back when touched lightly in the center, about 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.

Using a sharp knife, trim ¼ inch cake from all sides. Invert the cake onto a clean kitchen towel that has been dusted generously with confectioners' sugar. Peel off the paper. Starting with one short side, roll up the cake in the towel jelly-roll fashion. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Prepare the ginger cream-cheese filling:
Beat together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add 1 cup confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth. Stir in the crystallized ginger and butter brickle.

Carefully unroll the cooled cake and spread evenly with the filling. Reroll the cake and transfer to a serving platter. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the cake to set and the flavors to blend. Just before serving, sift ¼ cup confectioners' sugar over the entire cake. Cut into 1-inch slices to serve.

Makes 8 servings