This revisits an ideal traditional of French pastry, tarte au citron meringuée lemon meringue pie baked as a swiss roll cake for Christmas.
A lemon tarte, with or with out meringue, is at all times a success. So why not have it in a bûche de Noël yuletide log cake ? The identical distinctive flavors offered in another way? Superb for Christmas or for any fancy dinner if you wish to please or impress your company.
The recipe isn’t very difficult, made with 4 primary preparations: swiss roll flippantly imbibed with flavored syrup, full of clean lemon cream, and dressed with Italian meringue. Cake and syrup will need to have cooled down and lemon cream set to assemble the log. Due to this fact these three preparations should be carried out upfront, even the day prior to this. That is fairly handy as you’ll solely have to arrange Italian meringue and gown a couple of hours earlier than dinner.
The principle elements of this Christmas cake
Swiss roll – gâteau roulé
The recipe for a swiss roll, defined step-by-step in images (hyperlink right here). The portions of elements differ barely from right here, however you need to use both one. Word that the essential trick for achievement is to roll out the swiss roll in a moist material proper out of the oven. It’s going to give the form to your cake. The cooled cake may crack once you roll it when you don’t.
Swiss roll is known as gâteau roulé in French which accurately means rolled cake. Usually imagined for stylish desserts, swiss roll a part of French house cooking, full of jam or pastry cream and served for dessert or kids’s 4:00 pm snack. My mum used to bake some and fill them with selfmade pink fruit jam (strawberry or raspberry), it’s a pleasing reminiscence, I’ll must share her recipe with you.
Lemon curd – crémeux au citron
Lemon curd isn’t very French however is the proper filling right here. An intense lemony taste and clean texture with out being runny. That is as a result of quantity of butter that you just may discover vital. It helps lemon curd set (with out utilizing gelatin) and provides a decadent style and texture.
Syrup – sirop de punchage
For the sirop de punchage (imbibing syrup) which can be used to imbibe the swiss roll, I solely use slightly vanilla and Cointreau in order to not overwhelm the lemon. I take advantage of Cointreau because it is perhaps my dad’s favourite alcohol due to this fact I at all times have Cointreau at house however it’s possible you’ll substitute it with Brandy, Kirsh…
This syrup additionally must be ready upfront as we would like it to chill down earlier than imbibing the cake.
Italian meringue – meringue italienne
Italian meringue is then utilized to the cake utilizing a pastry bag. You too can use a spatula and clean the floor, as you’d for an omelette norvégienne (Baked Alaska). After which roughly reproduce the bark of the log as has develop into the customized at Christmas (have you ever learn my article on the origins of the bûche de Noël?) You too can use a kitchen torch to present it a little bit of a scorched impact, a little bit of coloration.
Ideally, plan on a little bit of time between making the weather (cake, syrup, and lemon curd) and assembling it, and once more between meeting and the ending touches of icing and ornament.
Bûche de noël – custom of Christmas yuletide log in France
Bûche de Noël is a broadly unfold custom in France, not solely amongst Christians. They’re usually selfmade. Bakeries promote unbelievable logs, desserts, and frozen as nicely. You’ll additionally discover some in supermarkets. I attempt to bake a distinct yuletide log cake every year, so there aren’t many on the weblog.
You will discover French Chef Pierre Hermé’s (identified for his macarons) milk chocolate and keenness fruit Christmas log. I nonetheless must translate in English the others that you could find on the French model of this weblog.
I additionally wrote for you a whole article on the story and traditions behind the Christmas yuletide log. So when you’re all for studying about gastronomy or French way of life, I’d suggest studying it.
Lemon Meringue Xmas Log Cake
For a Christmas dessert with a French contact, this bûche de Noël yuletide log revisits an ideal traditional of French pastry, tarte au citron meringuée lemon meringue pie, baked as a swiss roll cake. For Christmas or a flowery ceremonial dinner.
Forestall sleep
