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It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Time to unveil this year’s Bûche de Noël!
Sound the trumpets, ya’ll, for my…
Butterscotch-Krimpet-Style Bûche de Noël
A Brown Sugar Swiss Roll with a St. Remy Signature Soak, Brown Sugar Whipped Cream, and Butterscotch Buttercream.
This time around the sun, I’m paying homage to a favourite childhood corner-store snack. I grew up eating prepackaged Tastykake Butterscotch Krimpets when we visited my Grandma’s in New Jersey. I love them. If you’ve ever had one, you’ll likely agree. The Butterscotch icing alone is to die for!
Having once made an out and out copy-cat Butterscotch Krimpets recipe for the kids back when we published The Lunchbox Season, I decided to ramp it up this holiday season by incorporating the flavours of this prepackaged treat into yule log form. I’ve kept the flavours warm with a Brown Sugar Swiss Roll. I’ve amplified the adult factor by including an optional St. Remy Signature soak, and I’ve added a Brown Sugar Whipped Cream. I’ve topped the whole gorgeous yule log with a Butterscotch Buttercream that you’ll want to spread on everything.
Oh, and as with last year’s Rehrucken Bûche, we’ve ditched the meringue mushrooms with the sweetest little mushroom biscuits from H Mart: Meiji Mushroom Cookies [Kinoko No Yama].
ENJOY THE RECIPE!
Butterscotch-Krimpet-Style Bûche de Noël [Brown Sugar Swiss Roll with St. Remy Signature Soak [optional], Brown Sugar Whipped Cream, and Butterscotch Buttercream]
Servings: 12
Equipment
- 1 15×10-inch or larger Tea Towel
- 1 15x10x1 Jelly Roll Pan
- 1 Parchment OR Waxed Paper
- 1 Stand Mixer OR Whisk, Spatula, & Mixing Bowl
- 1 Medium Saucepan & Spatula
- 1 Pastry Brush for applying optional Soak
- 1 Icing Spreader
Ingredients
BROWN SUGAR SWISS ROLL
- ¼ c icing sugar for dusting a tea towel
- ⅓ c white sugar
- 3 egg whites [yolks used below]
- ½ c butter room temperature
- 1 c brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 whole eggs
- 3 egg yolks [to be mixed with the two whole eggs]
- 1 ¼ c flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp
baking powder
ST REMY SIGNATURE SOAK [Optional]
- ⅓ c
St. Remy Signature
[Simple substittues: brandy, cognac, rum, or water] - ⅓ c Sugar
BROWN SUGAR WHIPPED CREAM
- ¾ c heavy cream
- ¼ c brown sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla
BUTTERSCOTCH BUTTERCREAM
- Butterscotch Sauce [or 3/4 cup premade butterscotch]
- 4 tbs butter
- ½ c brown sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ c heavy cream
- 2 tsp vanilla
- Butterscotch Frosting
- ¾ c Butterscotch Sauce [just above]
- ½ c butter, room temperature
- 2-3 c icing sugar sifted
ASSEMBLY
- ¼-½ c icing sugar FOR DUSTING THE TEA TOWEL AND CAKE BEFORE ROLLING
DECORATION [Optional]
- 1 box Meiji Chocolate Mushroom Biscuits [Kinoko No Yama] OPTIONAL
Instructions
BROWN SUGAR SWISS ROLL
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Lay a large tea towel, 15×10-in or larger, on a clean surface and dust GENEROUSLY with icing sugar.
- Place a rectangle of waxed or parchment paper on the base of a 15x10x1-inch jelly-roll pan or rimmed cookie sheet.
- Then, butter and flour the lined pan or spray the lined pan with baking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a whisk in a large mixing bowl, whip the 3 egg whites until they form soft peaks.
- Next, slowly incorporate the white sugar into the egg-whites until it forms stiff peaks.
- Finally, remove the whites from the mixing bowl and set aside in a smaller bowl for use in a later step.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a spatula in a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar.
- Once combined, add the vanilla, mixing until incorporated.
- Add the 2 whole eggs and 3 egg yolks this butter mixture and mix until incorporated.
- Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder into this wet mixture and mix until combined.
- Slowly fold the egg whites into the batter until just combined.
- Pour the cake batter over the jelly roll pan and use a spatula or icing spreader to distribute evenly.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cake is just baked and the centre springs back beneath a finger.
- Take the cake out of the oven, place the hot pan on a wire rack, and let it cool slightly, for 3-5 minutes.
- Run a knife along all four edges of the pan to loosen the cake.
- While still warm, invert the cake onto the sugar-dusted tea towel and gently remove the waxed paper or parchment from the surface of the cake.
- Make sure that the cake is situated in "landscape" mode in front of you, so that you will maintain its 15-in width and that the 10-inch sides will "roll" into a "log."
- Dust the top of the cake with icing sugar.
- Gently roll the cake right in the towel, dusting the top with more icing sugar, if needed, as you go.
- Set the rolled cake in its towel on a flat surface or rack and cool completely. [You can store the cake like this for up to one day or re-roll the cake in wax paper, wrap wax-paper-rolled cake in foil and freeze for 2-3 weeks before defrosting and continuing.]
ST REMY SIGNATURE SOAK [OPTIONAL]
- In a small pot, over medium heat, combine the St. Remy Signature and sugar, stirring until the sugar has liquified.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool [but don’t refrigerate].
BROWN SUGAR WHIPPED CREAM
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or in a large bowl with a hand whisk, combine the heavy cream, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla.
- Whip on medium-high until a whipped cream forms, about five to six minutes.
- [Whipped Cream may be made ahead and stored in an airtight conteainer for up to 48 hours.]
BUTTERSCOTCH BUTTERCREAM
- Over medium heat, in a medium saucepan, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter.
- Add the brown sugar and salt and whisk until blended.
- Add the cream and whisk until blended.
- Bring to a boil and whisk occasionally for about 5 minutes.
- Remove the butterscotch sauce from the stove.
- Immediately add the vanilla and stir to incorporate.
- Pour the butterscotch sauce into a bowl and bring to room temperature by cooling for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator or on the counter. You should have about 3/4 of a cup.
- [Butterscotch sauce may be made ahead and stored in an airtight container for up to one week. The butterscotch sauce created here can be used on its own or stored and served over ice cream, etc. But the sauce must be brought back down to room temperature before making the buttercream.]
- In a stand mixer, cream the butter and the room temperature butterscotch sauce.
- Add the icing sugar by the 1/2 cup until you form a thick yet spreadable cake frosting. I tend to only use 2 cups, but I have made a thicker frosting with 3 cups when I've wanted a more mountainous topping.
- [I do not recommend storing this frosting in the refrigerator before applying to the cake. It's better made just before you are ready to assemble the cake and stored on the counter until ready to use.]
CONSTRUCT THE BÛCHE DE NOËL
- Unroll the cooled Brown Sugar Swiss Roll.
- Spread the exposed surface of the unrolled cake with the St. Remy Soak.
- Spread the cake with the Brown Sugar Whipped Cream.
- Gently re-roll the cake.
- If desired, slice a 1 1/2 to 2-inch slice off of each end of the cake roll to use as the "knots" on your cake. You may also just ice the jelly roll, now.
- Place the large portion of the cake on your cake plate or serving tray.
- If desired, use the Butterscotch Buttercream to attach these "knots" to the left and right sides of the cake as you see fit.
- Ice the main portion of the cake with the Butterscotch Buttercream, either leaving the swirly knots and ends exposed or working quickly and gently with a clean spreader to avoid too much contact with trimmed cake and cream.
- If desired, with the tines of a clean fork, create a bark pattern on your yule log cake.
- Decorate the cake and the cake plate with the little mushroom cookies if desired
- This cake should be refrigerated until 30 minutes before serving.
- Store in refrigerator for 3-5 days max.*
Notes
*If you’d like, you can create the entire cake ahead of time and freeze it for up two to three weeks before serving. Though, it will not be as fresh. To do so, place parchment underneath the cake before icing. After icing, place the cake on its parchment and plate directly in a freezer for exactly two hours, or until the icing has hardened. Then remove the cake from the freezer. Lift the cake on its parchment onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap the entire cake tightly in plastic wrap. Then, wrap the entire cake in foil. Store in the freezer for two to three weeks. Defrost on a counter approximately 1-2 hours before serving.
MAKING THE CAKE:
MAKING THE ST. REMY SIGNATURE SOAK:
MAKING THE BROWN SUGAR WHIPPED CREAM:
MAKING THE BUTTERSCOTCH BUTTERCREAM:
ASSEMBLING THE CAKE:
ET VOILA!
MAKING THE ST. REMY SIGNATURE SOAK:
MAKING THE BROWN SUGAR WHIPPED CREAM:
MAKING THE BUTTERSCOTCH BUTTERCREAM:
ASSEMBLING THE CAKE:
ET VOILA!
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