This was my first challenge and it was hosted by Lis and Ivonne, the founders, and the recipe chosen by 'em was for a Yule Log, which was basically genoise and swiss meringue buttercream. Anybody who remembers my first attempt at meringue buttercream would understand why I was abit nervous. My genoise was just fine. I spread chocolate ganache over it before rolling it up, and decided to tackle the buttercream the next day. It turned out that I was both, luckier and otherwise in comparison to my last time.
The buttercream was fine till I decided it looked runny and refrigerated it for a while (special thanks to Helene of Tartelette for all the tips for buttercream gone awry). What came out was a deflated curdled mass. Whisking it didn't help. So I tried melting 25% of it and adding it back to the lot and whisking again, it did get slightly better, but only slightly. I was tired and frustrated and was quite sure I didn't want to have another go, starting from the beginning, so I just put the curdled mass in a mixer grinder along with icing sugar and pulsed it. Viola, it got better, I added some more icing sugar and pulsed some more, and the buttercream came together! I thanked my stars! Though it wasn't light and fluffly but it was atleast spreadable!
The buttercream was fine till I decided it looked runny and refrigerated it for a while (special thanks to Helene of Tartelette for all the tips for buttercream gone awry). What came out was a deflated curdled mass. Whisking it didn't help. So I tried melting 25% of it and adding it back to the lot and whisking again, it did get slightly better, but only slightly. I was tired and frustrated and was quite sure I didn't want to have another go, starting from the beginning, so I just put the curdled mass in a mixer grinder along with icing sugar and pulsed it. Viola, it got better, I added some more icing sugar and pulsed some more, and the buttercream came together! I thanked my stars! Though it wasn't light and fluffly but it was atleast spreadable!
Since I didn't get the time to take pictures while making, am posting a few of the finished thing which was liked by all! So here it is, with a few marzipan mushrooms and some cocoa.
42 comments:
Looks tasty! Melted chocolate was a great idea!
I have to agree with Michelle, that melted chocolate in the middle looks heavenly! =)
And if you had not said anything about the buttercream, I never would have known you had a problem - it looks great!
Well done, Aamena! Welcome to the Daring Bakers! =)
xoxo
Great job!
I love the dark filling! Looks geat.
Thanks everyone! Its so nice to have your work appreciated!
Thanks Lis, I think am going to immensely enjoy being a DB!
I like the dark filling, it looks more like a log. Great work!
Great job! It looks delicious and I like the chocolate layer in the middle. Welcome to the Daring Bakers!
Nice work!
Ann
well done!
ooooh, the melted chocolate looks heavenly circled in the cake! Great job on your yule log.
Lovely Log! Love the contrast of the genoise and chocolate.
Sorry the buttercream decided to go weird on you but the filling looks killer.
Love the contrast of the genoise with the filling and buttercream. Great first challenge.
Delicious looking! May I have a piece?
Oooo, I love the look of the chocolate on the inside. Makes it look more "loggy!" Good job!
thanks everyone!
I think I'm going to have to try melted chocolate in the middle next, I did chocolate buttercream and pears. Great job on your log, welcome to the Daring Bakers!
All part of being Daring Aamena! It would seem you sure have the spirit.
Love the chocolate, so much like tree rings!
Welcome to the gang!
YUM!! it looks delicious!! I did the buttercream twice- yours looks totally yummy!!
Way to get creative and save your buttercream.
Great job. I am glad you stayed with the buttercream. Love the chocolate in the middle.
Congratulations on your first DB challenge! You did a great job ... Happy Holidays!
Congratulations from another first timer!
Congratulations and welcome! Great job with your very first challenge. Wishing you a happy holiday season and a warm and wonderful 2008.
Congratulations on your first challenge-a big one!
fantastic log!! the chooclate filling was such a good idea.. and no worries about the buttercream...practice makes perfect :)
Yummmmy! Chocolate is fabulous with the genoise and buttercream! Great looking log there! Merry christmas =)
That's a brilliant filling! And I'm glad the buttercream turned out ok, even if it was problematic!
I think that the buttercream looks more like bark than mine, good spreading there!
Oh I made mine with melted chocolate too! Thats what made it all the more delectable.
Lovely bûche de Noël! Great job working the buttercream.
Julius from Occasional Baker
hey bev, to be honest i really didnt have to do anything, it was the consistency of my buttercream which went way awry, that as i spread it, it looks pretty much like a bark, so it was no effort from my part!
Happy Holidays everyone!
Hmmm chocolate. Luckily, I didn't have any problem with the buttercream. Maybe because I decided I wasn't going to worry about it, or because the temperature on my kitchen was just right, I don't know. The challenge was a lot of fun and the best part is that I am meeting so many wonderful bloggers like yourself. I am subscribing to your blog right away :D
The ganache middle looks wonderful and I do like the texture your buttercream ended up with. Great job facing the challenge as a new Daring Baker!
I'm so glad you were able to get the buttercream to come together! Great job on your first challenge!
Oooh, nice job on the yule log and congrats for saving the buttercream frosting!! It looks delicious.
jen at use real butter
What a cute little log! I used a whipped ganache as the filling too. Lovely cake. Wendy
umm ... i bet it better be yummmm ... have never been that big a baking enthusiast but this sweet log sure took the cake, bakery ...everything away.. must say seeing your awesome recipes taking shape seems a cake walk ... but am sure trying to get that consistency, which u so modestly dismissed as been darn lucky, still would need hell lotta cake work:P pardon the pun, which didn't work.. anyways I keep following the baking bits you guys keep sharing its awesome ...Bake it up:p
Your log looks great - how did you get the color for it?
This Yule logs looks absolutely wonderful! You did a fantastic job and I think that it is even better because you did run into an obstacle and you made it work! High five and Happy New Years! =D I love your pictures too. Very nice
Shandy @Pastry Heaven
Great work for your first challenge. The buttercream seemed quite a technical challenge.
quellia, it was just the coffee.
BC, i really hope i will overpower buttercream some day... people who have got it right say their's nothing better!
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