Daring Baker Challenge - Yule Log
>> Saturday, December 22, 2007
This was the baking trifecta of firsts. First Daring Baker's Challenge, first cake not made from a mix, and first buttercream. 
The challenge was to bake a genoise Yule Log with coffee butter cream frosting and decorate it with either marzipan or meringue mushrooms. We were provided with recipes for a plain genoise cake, the coffee buttercream frosting, and meringue.
I flavored the cake with a little vanilla, used the same coffee buttercream frosting for the filling, and made the mushrooms from meringue. The only other real deviation was that I used a half sheet pan rather than the size specified. I didn't scale up the recipe so my cake layer was thinner than it would have been.
It wasn't a technically difficult project, but I am a lot better at making and eating frosting than I am at decorating cakes with it! The children and I thought the results were tasty, and we all loved the coffee buttercream. 
Click to see the rest of the Yule Logs!
Edited to add: Now that I've looked at all the other logs (and man are there a lot of them!) I can see how far I have to go. There are some incredibly talented people out there. This is one of my favorites - La Casserole Caree. Is that not amazing? I really wanted to comment, but it's in French and I couldn't figure it out. Such a doofus!
56 comments:
Great job on your first DB challenge! Your buttercream looks luscious and the meringues are cute. Little wonder your family loved it! :)
Congrats on becoming a Daring Baker! The buttercream looks so smooth and silky, nicely done.
Cute mushrooms. Were they psychedelic, too? :)
Thanks for dropping by, nice blog and yah..cute mushrooms.
Great job on the challenge! I love the grass-effect of your green dish and your mushrooms are perfect!
A Daring Baker, huh? Congratulations on your first project! Now, if you could just figure out how to get that thing into a Bento box,you'll be set!
Nice looking Yule Log.
I love the shape of your log and your mushrooms are so cute
Very nicely done. Welcome to Daring Bakers!
Well done! Me too I'm better in eating frosting. ;-)
the result certainly looks tasty!
Your decoration ist beautiful, congratulations.
Happy holidays.
Love the little landscape you made! Congrats on completing your first!
Welcome to the group and great looking log you got!
Thank you for the great comment on my blog it made me laugh which I needed.
Hooray for conquering the Yule Log! Welcome to the group. :)
Great job on your first challenge! Looks great.
Looks wonderful!!
Happy Holidays from another member of the December 07 DB Class! :)
Thanks for the comment! I have to agree: It was certainly easier eating the cake then it was making it :)
I love your presenatation. Welcome to the DB'S. You'll never go back to a mix again.:-)
Your event reminds me of the first time my mother rode a bike - she went for a 25 mile bike ride. Nothing like starting at the top, now other cakes will seem so easy. Congratulations on a lovely Bûche de Noël, and Merry Christmas!
Nice log, ass poke cookie mama :) lol
Congratulations on completing your first DB challenge! The log looks fab with the mushrooms peeking out :-)
Nicely done for your first challenge. The presentation is lovely -- contrasting colors make a big difference. I also enjoy reading about your bento lunch ideas.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting! I'd say we both did okay for first timers! Your mushrooms turned out really well and your buttercream consistency looks great (that was my one trouble spot.) Can't wait till next month!
Love your Buche de Noel!! Being our very first challenge I think that we learned a lot and I for one had fun rising to the challenge! I hope you have a wonderful holiday season with family and friends. I hope it is everything you hope for and more!!
Val
yule logs is sure a must for christmas.wish you a merry christmas and have a wonderful new year
decorating with buttercream was also the biggest challenge for me. your log turned out great. i love the other colours you used around it.
Love the presentation! Well done!
Oh I'm glad this one was your first challenge, instead of one of the more nightmarish ones (I've just personally had a few disasters, shall we say). I would never have been able to tell that this is your first buttercream and non cake-mix cake. Way to go, and welcome to the Daring Bakers!
Love the log --- did it taste as good as it looks? Happy Holidays!
Wow, your buttercream looks like it turned out beautifully!
This was also my first time with a DB challenge, with making buttercream from scratch, and making homemade mousse from scratch. I think we both did a pretty decent job!! Your dessert looks fantastic!!! Keep up the wonderful work, I'm looking forward to seeing what we come up with next month!
Great looking log and congrats on acing all these firsts!
Happy holidays to you!
great work on your first challenge! isn't homemade buttercream the best?!?
I love that this was your first cake without a mix...what an adventurous first! Great job! Merry Christmas!
Congrats on completing your first challenge! It looks wonderful!
Great job on your first challenge! It looks wonderful. I especially like how your tied it up with a bow!
What a great first post for the Daring Baker challenge! Your log looks wonderful and the mushrooms are beautiful and well placed. I like that it all looks like a Christmas gift. glad you are a Daring Baker. Happy holidays!
Congrats on your first challenge. It was mine too! Wasn't it a blast?!? :)
Congrats and welcome to the group! I read through your site - it is adorable! Coincidentally I am very interested in making bentos - I just received a bento box I ordered online so now I just need to figure out what to do with it! They are so varied and artistic - I'm really looking forward to diving in.
Great Job!!!!!
Glad to have found your blog! I'll be back...
Your cake is wonderful! Great job on your first challenge!
Excellent job on all of your firsts! :) I thought the buttercream icing was really yummy too.
Great job completing your first DB challenge! Your cake does indeed look great and the mushrooms are very cute! Excellent work!
Your Yule log looks wonderful! You did a great job and it looks like you had a blast making it =D
Love that bow! Great job on your first DB challenge!
Congrats on becoming a DB'er!
Your yule log looks great.
Happy Holidays.
Julius from Occasional Baker
That is so funny! I'd say you're just as good as decorating with frosting as you are at making and eating it. Your yule log looks awesome. Pat on the back! Great job :)
jen at use real butter
Great job! I love how you presented it...all sweet and dressed for Christmas with a big red bow. Too cute!
Wow - your mushrooms look fantastic! :0)
Ooh... that Yule Log by La Casserole Caree is shiny! I managed to leave a comment (my husband took French) and thought I would tell you how in case you are still interested.
1. Scroll down to the bottom by the close up of the knome.
2. Click where it says "Ajouter un commentaire"
3. In the field where it says "votre pseudo" put your email address.
4. Then fill out your comment where it says "message" and click "Envoyer."
Hope this helps! :0)
Wonderful job! Flavoured mine with vanilla too and thought it was a great combo with the coffee buttercream.
OMG, I love it!!!! Beautiful job. I have an incredible fondness for yule log cakes that actually look yummy. My grandmother always makes one that no one can bear to eat cause it's so dry you can barely cut it, lol. Yours looks fantastic. The mushrooms are great :D
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