Holiday Yule Log Cake Recipe

Preheat oven to 400 °F (200 °C).

In bowl with an electric mixer, beat eggs, vanilla and white sugar until light and lemon-coloured. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Beat into egg mixture. Cover a 15 x 10 x 1-in (40 x 25 x 2-cm) jellyroll pan with parchment paper and spread batter evenly in pan.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes. Lay cake, parchment paper up, on a lightly floured dishtowel and roll up in the dishtowel.

To assemble, unroll cake, remove parchment paper and quickly cover with ice cream*, leaving a 3/4 inch (2 cm) edge uncovered on long sides. Roll up again and place on presentation plate. Trim 1 1/8 inches (3 cm) off each end of cake roll; arrange trimmed pieces on top of log to ressemble knots.

To make icing, in a bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, Cream Cheese, vanilla extract and 1 cup (250 mL) icing sugar until smooth. Add Carnation® Evaporated milk, cinnamon, cloves and remaining icing sugar and continue to beat until smooth.

Remove 1/3 cup (80 mL) of icing, stir in cocoa and set aside. Check consistency of remaining white icing, adding a little evaporated milk if necessary. Ice log with white icing. Fill a pastry bag or a cone made with waxed paper with brown icing and pipe out growth rings on ends of log and on knots.

Scatter dried cranberries, currants and pecans over log, but not on knots, and press lightly to stick. Keep yule log in freezer until serving time.

To make chocolate sauce, heat evaporated milk in a saucepan or microwave until almost boiling. Pour over chocolate and stir with a wooden spoon until chocolate has completely melted. Add cold butter in pieces and stir to melt.

To serve, slice yule log at the table and spoon chocolate sauce around or over each slice.