the HOLIDAY issue of EIEO magazine

Celebrity Feature – Anna Olson’s Hazelnut Latte Yule Log

Hazelnut Latte Yule Log

Hazelnuts add a festive dimension to this Yule log. The chocolate mousse doubles as a filling and a frosting, and it has just enough coffee flavour to accent the hazelnut taste, but it is not overwhelming.

Sponge Cake:

1/2 cup (125 mL) toasted, peeled hazelnuts

1/2 cup (125 mL) cake and pastry flour

1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt

6 eggs

2⁄3 cup (160 mL) sugar

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

3 Tbsp (45 mL) hazelnut oil or vegetable oil

Icing sugar for dusting

Latte Mousse :

1-1/2 cups (375 mL) whipping cream

1-1/2 Tbsp (22.5 mL) instant skim milk powder

1 Tbsp (15 mL) instant coffee granules

5 oz (150 g) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

2 Tbsp (30 mL) hazelnut liqueur or brandy

1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract

Cocoa powder, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350°f (175°c) and line a 15½- x 10½-inch (39 x 26 cm) jelly roll pan with parchment paper.

Pulse the hazelnuts, flour, and salt in a food processor until the nuts are finely ground.

Whisk the eggs and sugar in a large metal or glass bowl, and place the bowl over a pot of gently simmering water. Whisk until the mixture has warmed to about 105°f (41°c). Whip this mixture at high speed until it is pale yellow and the mixture leaves a ribbon when the beaters are lifted, about 7 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. While beating at medium speed, quickly sprinkle in the nut mixture, blending only until incorporated. Spoon about a cup of the batter into a dish with the hazelnut or vegetable oil, and stir to blend it in. Add this back to the larger batter and fold in by hand. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake the cake for about 15 minutes, until the cake springs back when gently pressed in the centre. Let the cake cool for just 5 minutes.

While the cake is still warm, dust the surface of it with icing sugar and run a knife around the outside edge of the cake to loosen it. Place a clean tea towel over the cake, then place a cutting board or second baking tray over the cake and invert the cake so that it tips out onto the board, and lift off the original pan. Carefully peel away the parchment paper, dust the cake surface with icing sugar, and place a second tea towel over the cake. From the shorter side, roll the cake up and let the cake cool completely in the tea towels. This step will set the jelly roll “memory” so that the cake will not crack or split when filled.

To prepare the latte mousse, heat the cream, skim milk powder, and instant coffee in a saucepot to just below a simmer, and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute, then whisk until the chocolate is completely melted. Cool the mixture to room temperature, then chill it completely, about 2 hours.

Whip the chilled latte cream until it holds a soft peak, then stir in the hazelnut liqueur or brandy, then the vanilla.

To assemble the Yule log, gently unroll the cooled cake and remove the tea towels. Spread half of the latte mousse over the surface of the cake and roll it up. Carefully lift the cake onto the desired serving platter and spread the remaining half of the mousse over the top and ends. If the mousse starts to set as you spread it, stir in a little more fluid cream to loosen it up. Dust the Yule with a little cocoa powder and chill it until ready to serve. The Yule log will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Makes one 10-inch (25 cm) Yule log | Serves 12 •

“Photo by Ryan Szulc, from Back to Baking (Whitecap Books)”

“Recipe from Back to Baking (Whitecap Books) by Anna Olson”