Caramel Espresso Yule Log

Happy Holidays friends! This showstopper is a truly decadent dessert, but ‘tis the season, right? A caramel, espresso, and cream cheese filling swirled with a vanilla chiffon cake and coated in dark chocolate ganache.

This is project baking, for sure, but the recipe from Cook’s Illustrated is written clearly and concisely so it’s possible to pull off even for newish bakers. I know, because I first made it 4 years ago when I was first learning to bake!

I suggest planning out the steps because there are many, and why not make things easy on yourself since many of the steps you can tackle a day or so ahead of when you’re planning to serve. A sample schedule might be:

Day 1: Make the caramel and the filling, let chill in the refrigerator.

Day 2: Make the cake, let cool, add the filling and let firm up in the fridge while you make the ganache. Decorate and chill overnight.

Day 4: Serve! Enjoy your hard work and compliments from friends and family.

I was happy to have an excuse to make it again this year and share it with new friends and family. Maybe a project to try for next Christmas or New Year’s Eve?

Caramel Espresso Yule Log Recipe

The recipe is on the Cook’s Illustrated or America’s Test Kitchen site. If you have trouble accessing it just shoot me a message: https://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/12031-caramel-espresso-yule-log

Yield
1 large cake, serves 10-12

Difficulty
Intermediate

Photos by Daniel Marks