Orange Spice Bûche De Noël With Orange Cream Cheese Frosting Recipes

ORANGE-SPICE BûCHE DE NOëL WITH ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• For glazed orange peel:
• Using vegetable peeler, remove rind from oranges in strips. Cut rind into matchstick-size strips. Place strips in small saucepan; cover with water. Bring to boil. Drain; rinse with cold water. Drain. Combine 2/3 cup water, sugar, and vinegar in medium saucepan. Bring to simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add orange strips; simmer until translucent, about 10 minutes. Drain. Cool on sheet of foil. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 15x10x1-inch jelly-roll pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper; butter parchment. Whisk first 6 ingredients in medium bowl to blend.
• Heat milk in medium saucepan over medium heat to 150°F. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in large bowl until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in vanilla and grated orange peel. Beat in flour mixture until just blended. Gradually beat in warm milk. Pour batter into pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 10 minutes. Spread kitchen towel on work surface; cover with parchment. Sprinkle parchment lightly with powdered sugar. Run knife around edge of pan to loosen cake. Invert hot cake onto parchment. Peel parchment off top of cake. Starting at 1 long side and using towel as aid, gently roll up cake jelly-roll style. Cool.
• For frosting:
• Using electric mixer, beat first 5 ingredients in large bowl until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Cover and chill until firm but spreadable, about 45 minutes.
• Unroll cake; remove second sheet of parchment. Spread scant 2 cups frosting over cake; starting at 1 long side, roll up jelly-roll style. Place cake, seam side down, on platter. Starting 1 inch in from end of cake, turn knife on sharp diagonal and cut to remove one 3-inch-long triangular piece of cake. Spread 1 tablespoon frosting on cut side of cake piece. Attach frosted side of cake piece to side of cake near end. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake and cake piece. Using tines of fork, draw circles on cake ends to resemble tree rings. Draw fork along length of cake to form bark design. Cover and chill overnight. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Let stand 2 hours at room temperature before continuing.) Sprinkle log with glazed orange peel strips.

ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in sugar, then orange peel and vanilla. Beat in sour cream. Cover and refrigerate until frosting is firm enough to spread, about 30 minutes.

SPICED LAYER CAKE WITH ORANGE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper. Butter and flour pans; tap out excess flour. Sift first 8 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter and orange peel in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture alternately with sour cream and milk. Divide batter among prepared pans.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer pans to racks and cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)
• Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 2/3 cup frosting over. Top with second cake layer. Spread 2/3 cup frosting over. Top with third cake layer. Cover top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and store at room temperature.)

CARAMEL-ORANGE BûCHE DE NOëL

Steps:

• For buttercream:
• Whisk egg yolks, sugar and flour in medium bowl to blend well. Bring half and half to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Slowly whisk hot half and half into egg mixture. Return egg mixture to same saucepan and cook until mixture boils and thickens, whisking constantly. Transfer mixture to medium bowl. Add chocolate and orange peel and stir until mixture is smooth. Press plastic wrap onto surface of pastry cream to prevent skin from forming. Cool completely. (Pastry cream can be prepared 1 day ahead. Refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)
• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 300°F. Butter 11x17-inch jelly roll pan. Line with parchment. Butter and flour parchment. Coarsely grind toasted almonds with flour in processor. Using electric mixer, beat yolks with 5 tablespoons brown sugar in medium bowl until slowly dissolving ribbons form when beaters are lifted. Stir in orange peel and vanilla extract. Using clean dry beaters, beat whites with cream of tartar and salt in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 5 tablespoons brown sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into yolk mixture. Gently fold in almond mixture.
• Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Run small sharp knife around pan sides if necessary to loosen cake. Slide cake on parchment onto rack. Cool.
• Slide cake on parchment onto work surface. Loosen cake from parchment using knife as aid. Sift powdered sugar over cake. Invert onto cookie sheet. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and invert onto another parchment sheet.
• Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in Grand Marnier. Add pastry cream 1/4 cup at a time, beating after each addition until just blended.
• Spread half of buttercream over cake, leaving 1/2-inch border. Starting at 1 long side, roll up cake jelly roll fashion. Arrange seam side down on parchment. Set aside 1/2 cup buttercream; spread remaining buttercream over cake. Cut 2 inches off each end of cake, cutting on diagonal. Transfer cake to platter. Attach ends to top of cake, forming branches. Spread reserved 1/2 cup buttercream over cake ends and seams. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to firm buttercream. (Cake can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving.)
• Arrange pine twigs on cake and on platter. Garnish with cranberries.
• For Cranberries:
• Cook 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Transfer to top of double boiler. Add cranberries. Cover berry mixture and place over simmering water. Cook 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from over water. Let cranberry mixture stand at room temperature overnight.
• Place remaining 1/2 cup sugar on plate. Drain cranberries well. Add to sugar and turn to coat. Let dry at least 30 minutes. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)