Muscadine Yule Log

 Alright, this fancy cake was published in The New York Times a while back.

The Grand Marnier soaks into the cake and chocolate and makes it so good!

 "Five Minutes to Midnight"

Ingredients:

• 10 oz. bittersweet chocolate
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp finely chopped candied orange zest
• 5 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp Grand Marnier
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, plus extra for sprinkling and dredging
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tbsp cake flour
• Carmel Spikes, optional

Directions

To prepare chocolate ganache: Finely chop 6 oz. chocolate and place in a mixing bowl. In a small saucpepan, bring cream to a boil. Whisk hot cream into chocolate until smooth, then add orange zest and stir to mix well. Set aside to cool and thicken, or chill 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To prepare Grand Marnier syrup: In a msall saucepan, combine sugar with 1/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, then mremove from heat. Stir in Grand Marnier, then set aside to cool to room temperature.

Reheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 15 by 10 inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper, allowing paper to overlap slightly at ends.

Using a mixer, whisk egg whites until foamy. Gradually add 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar and beat until whites form firm, glossy peaks. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks by hand with 1/4 cup confectioners sugar. Add vanilla and whisk to blend. Turn mixer to lowest speed and add yolk mixture to whites, mixing only to combine; do not overmix. Place flour in a sifter and sift over mixture. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in flour. Scrape mixture into jely roll pan and smooth top. Sprinkle cake lightly with 2 tbsp. confectioners' sugar. Let sit 5 minutes, then sprinkle with 2 more tablespoons confectioner's subar

Bake cake until lightly golden and springy to the tough, about 10 min. Slide it on parchment paper onto a rack and cool to room tmeperature. Place a piece of parchment paper on counter and invert cakeon paper. Peel away baking paper. Brush Grand Marnier syrup over surface of cake. Using an offset spatula, spread chocolate ganache evenly over syrup. Starting from one of shorter ends of cake, using paper for assistance, roll up cake. Cover with plastic wrap and refigerate for 1 hour.

Just before serving, spread a generous amount of confectioners' sugar on a baking sheet. Chop and melt 4 ounces of chocolate. Unwrap cold cake and brush it with a coating of melted chocolate, then roll it in confectioners' sugar. Return cake to refrigerator for 5 minutes to set chocolate, then transfer to a serving platter. If desired, decorate with caramel spikes.