A Simple, Sweet & Earthy Hojicha Log Cake With Caramel Mousse

Hojicha Log Cake With Caramel Mousse

Ingredients

Whipped Chocolate Ganache

• 150ml heavy cream
• 50g chocolate (54.5%) couverture

>Hojicha Chiffon

• 20g hojicha powder
• 30ml whole milk, warm
• 25g vegetable oil
• 3 medium eggs (~55g each with shell)
• 50g cake flour
• 2g baking soda
• 10g cornstarch
• 2g salt
• 60g granulated sugar

Caramel Mousse

• 50g sugar
• 20ml water
• 50ml heavy cream (for caramel)
• 10g butter
• 2g vanilla essence
• 75ml heavy cream (for mousse)

Optional (for garnish)

• 1 tbsp of desiccated coconut or confectioners' sugar

Directions

Making Whipped Dark Chocolate Ganache

1. Add the dark chocolate couverture to a medium bowl.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat heavy cream over medium heat until it simmers i.e. bubbles slightly — do not boil it.
3. Remove heavy cream from heat and pour it over the dark chocolate couverture.
4. Let it sit for 30 seconds, then mix the heavy cream and the chocolate couverture, using a spatula, until well combined.
5. Once everything is well combined, cover the bowl with a cling wrap and let it chill in the fridge for 3-4 hours.

Making Hojicha Chiffon

1. Except for the warm milk, bring all of your chiffon ingredients to room temperature.
2. Preheat your oven to 180C.
3. Combine hojicha powder, warm milk, and oil in a medium bowl. Then, whisk until no clumps of hojicha powder are visible. Set it aside.
4. Separate the egg whites from the yolks.
5. Using an electric mixer, on medium speed, beat the egg whites until it’s bubbly, and frothy. Once it foams, gradually add sugar — do not add everything at once, and continue to beat the egg on high speed until it reaches stiff peaks.
6. Add the yolks to the egg whites meringue, and continue beating the mixture until it’s well combined.
7. With a sieve, sift in cake flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda to the egg mixture. Carefully fold, using a rubber spatula, until it’s well combined. 
8. Combine the egg mixture, and hojicha mixture by adding a quarter of your egg mixture to the hojicha mixture. Carefully fold, using a rubber spatula, until it’s combined. Then add the batter to the rest of the egg mixture, and carefully fold until it’s well incorporated. Do not overmix.
9. Line your baking pan with parchment paper, and pour the batter into the pan. Even out the batter with a spatula, then give a few taps on your work surface to release any air bubbles inside the batter.
10. Bake your chiffon, on the middle rack, for 10-12 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
11. Once done, transfer your chiffon to a clean towel, and cover the top with parchment paper. 
12. While it’s still warm, carefully roll your chiffon from the uppermost side to the bottom, and let it cool completely.

Making Caramel Mousse

1. In a medium saucepan, combine your sugar, and water. 
2. Cook the sugar and water mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the color turns golden brown.
3. Once the color has changed, remove the mixture from heat, and slowly add in 50ml heavy cream (make sure the heavy cream is at room temperature), and mix it until it’s well combined. Be careful as the caramel might splatter, and it is VERY hot.
4. Next, add the butter and vanilla, and mix until well combined. Transfer the caramel to a bowl, and let it cool completely.
5. In a large bowl, beat 70ml heavy cream, using an electric mixer on medium speed, until it reaches a soft peak. Add in the caramel and continue to whip the cream until it reaches a stiff peak.
6. Set aside one tablespoon of the caramel mousse, and use the rest for the chiffon filling.

Assembling Your Yule Log Cake

1. Once the cake has cooled down completely, carefully unroll your chiffon and place the parchment paper on the bottom of the swiss roll. Please note that the brown side of the cake should be facing up.
2. Using a frosting knife, spread a thin layer of caramel mousse evenly on top, leaving a 1 cm gap around the edge of the chiffon. 
3. Carefully roll the cake and make sure it is rolled as tightly as you can. This time, make sure that your parchment paper isn’t in between the cake.
4. Twist and seal the ends of the parchment paper and wrap the rolled cake in cling wrap. Let it rest in the fridge for at least one hour.
5. After 1 hour: Bring your ganache out and let rest for ~15 minutes, then whip the ganache using a hand electric mixer until it reaches a stiff peak.
6. Trim the edges of the roll cake to get a clean look on the edges of the cake.
7. Cut ¼ of the cake diagonally, then spread a thin layer of caramel mousse onto the short stumpand attach it to the side of the log cake. 
8. Cover the log cake with chocolate ganache using a frosting knife, leaving the trimmed edges uncovered.
9. OPTIONAL: Carefully sprinkle desiccated coconut or confectioners' sugar over the top of your log cake.
10. Using a fork or a toothpick, draw bark lines along the top to the bottom of the log cake, and repeat until you cover all of the sides.
11. Let it chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Storage: Best served immediately. Can be stored in the fridge and in an airtight container, can last up to three days.

Read More: Guide To Soft, Medium, Firm, And Stiff Peaks

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