Perfect Chocolate Cake Mccalls Cooking School Recipes

YULE LOG (BUCHE DE NOEL) MCCALL'S COOKING SCHOOL

Steps:

• Grease the bottom of a 15x10x1" jelly roll pan; line w/ waxed paper; grease slightly.
• Preheat oven to 375.
• In a lg electric mixer bowl, at high speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks form when beaters are slowly lifted.
• Add 1/4 c sugar, 2 T at a time, beating until stiff peaks form when beaters are slowly lifted.
• With the same beaters, beat yolks at high speed, adding remaining 1/2 c sugar, 2 T at a time; beat until mixture is very thick, appx 4 minutes.
• At low speed, beat in cocoa, vanilla, salt, just until smooth.
• With wire whisk or rubber spatula, gently fold cocoa mixture into egg whites just until blended (no egg whites should show).
• Spread evenly in pan.
• Bake 15 minutes, just until surface springs back when gently pressed with fingertip.
• Sift confectioner's sugar in a 15x10" rectangle on a clean linen towel.
• Turn cake out on sugar; lift off pan; peel paper off cake.
• Roll up cake jelly-roll-fashion, starting with the short end towel and all.
• Cool completely on rack, seam side down.
• FILLING: Combine ingredients in medium bowl.
• Beat with electric mixer until thick; chill.
• TO ASSEMBLE: Unroll cake; spread with filling to 1" from edge; reroll.
• Place, seam side down, on plate.
• Cover loosely with foil.
• Chill at least 1 hour before serving.
• TO SERVE: Sprinkle yule log w/ confectioner's sugar and decorate with red candied cherries and green angelica "leaves". If you can't find angelica, use cut up green candied cherries.
• NOTE:You may make the Yule Log up to a week ahead and freeze, wrapped in foil. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.

"PERFECT CHOCOLATE CAKE" MCCALL'S COOKING SCHOOL

Steps:

• In medium bowl, combine cocoa with boiling water, mixing with wire whisk until smooth.
• Cool completely.
• Sift flour with soda, salt and baking powder.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease well and lightly flour three 9 by 1 1/2 inch layer-cake pans.
• In large bowl of electric mixer, at high speed, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla, scraping bowl occasionally until light-about 5 minutes.
• At low speed, beat in flour mixture (in fourths), alternately with cocoa mixture (in thirds), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Do not overbeat.
• Divide evenly into pans;smooth top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until surface springs back when gently pressed with fingertip.
• Cool in pans 10 minutes.
• Carefully loosen sides with spatula; 4. Remove from pans; cool on racks.
• Frosting: In medium saucepan, combine chocolate pieces,cream, butter;stir over medium heat until smooth.
• Remove from heat.
• With whisk, blend in 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar.
• In bowl set over ice(I use ice cubes) beat until it holds shape.
• 18. Filling: whip cream with sugar and vanilla;refrigerate.
• To assemble cake: On plate place a layer, top side down;spread with half of cream.
• Place second layer, top side down;spread with rest of cream.
• Place third layer, top side up. To frost: With spatula, frost sides first,covering whipped cream;use rest of frosting on top, swirling decoratively.
• Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
• To cut, use a thin-edged sharp knife;slice with a sawing motion.
• And forget the swirls.
• I think it looks gourmet just to spread the frosting.
• It dries really dark and looks cool.
• Somethimes I just drag a sharp knife across the top in lines and sometimes I leave it as it is. From McCall's Cooking School.