Golden Biscoff Bûche de Noël
This showstopper Christmas recipe puts a trendy flavour twist on a traditional Bûche de Noël! The vanilla sponge is light as a feather and filled with Biscoff whipped cream and crunchy Biscoff biscuit crumbs. Caramelised white chocolate ganache coats the cake for a golden finish before it’s decorated with frosted rosemary trees, homemade meringue mushrooms and juicy cranberries. This cake’s got Claus for celebration!
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Ingredients
For the vanilla sponge
- 5 large eggs separated into whites and yolks
- 150 grams caster sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 100 grams plain flour
For the caramelised white chocolate ganache
- 400 grams caramelised white chocolate I used Caramilk
- 150 millilitres double cream
- pinch salt
For the Biscoff cream filling
- 250 millilitres double cream
- 3 tablespoons Biscoff Smooth Spread
- 50 grams Biscoff biscuits crushed
For the decorations
- frosted cranberries/rosemary sprigs
- gingerbread stars
- meringue mushrooms
Instructions
To make the vanilla sponge:
- Preheat the oven to 170ºC (fan). Grease and line the base of the Tala Performance Baking tray 34.5 x 24.4 x 2cm.
- Whisk the egg yolks, half the caster sugar (75 grams) and the vanilla extract for 3-4 minutes until thick and foamy. Sift in the flour and fold together until the mixture is smooth and thick.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites on a medium speed for 3-4 minutes until they reach soft peaks. Turn the speed up and slowly pour in the remaining caster sugar (75 grams). Keep whisking for another 2-3 minutes until the meringue is glossy and reaches stiff peaks.
- Spoon half the meringue into the egg mixture and gently fold to combine. Now fold in the rest of the meringue. Be careful not to overmix as you want to keep as much air in the cake mixture as possible.
- Spread the cake mixture into the baking tray and bake for 14 minutes, until the sponge is lightly golden, risen and springs back when pressed. Whilst the cake is in the oven, lay a large piece of baking paper (bigger than the baking tray) on a work surface and generously dust with icing sugar.
- As soon as the cake is out of the oven, run a knife around the edges to peel the cake away from the sides. Flip the baking tray upside down on top of the baking paper. The cake should fall out easily. Carefully peel off the baking paper on top of the cake.
- Starting from the short edge, roll the sponge up (with the baking paper inside) and leave to cool completely in the roll shape for at least 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the ganache:
- Finely chop the chocolate and place in a microwave-safe bowl. Pour the double cream on top.
- Microwave for 60-90 seconds or until the chocolate has almost melted and the cream is piping hot. Place a plate on top of the bowl and let it sit for 1 minute. Stir to make a smooth and glossy ganache. Leave to thicken and cool for 30 minutes. Top tip: if the ganache splits or turns grainy, stir in 1 or 2 tablespoons of double cream to help bring it back together.
- Add the salt and then use an electric mixer to beat the ganache for 1 minute to make it light, fluffy and spreadable.
Now make the Biscoff cream filling:
- Microwave the Biscoff spread (you can microwave the whole jar if the foil life is removed) for 20 seconds to loosen it slightly.
- Pour the double cream into a bowl and add the Biscoff spread.
- Whisk on high speed for 2-3 minutes until the cream has thickened. Be careful not to over-whisk - the cream will split.
Assembly and Decoration:
- Carefully unroll the cake and spread the Biscoff cream on top. Scatter the crushed Biscoff biscuits over the cream.
- Roll the sponge back up from the short edge. Slice off one-quarter of the roll on an angle and stick to the side of the bigger roll. Transfer the cake to a serving plate or cake stand.
- Spread the whipped ganache all over the cake and use the top of a palette knife or spoon to drag lines through the ganache to make it look like a log.
- Now add your decorations for a festive finish. The more the merrier!