Serve a Log for Christmas Dinner

...a creamy chocolate log, that is! If you've ever made a jelly roll, a Christmas Log won't be that hard for you. It's a French tradition that Julia Child made especially popular, with the 'log' decorated in meringue mushrooms and clouded with a 'veil' of caramel. (Yum -- just writing about this is arguing for setting aside our more usual Sachertorte, and whipping up this instead!)
      Here's the recipe:

• 1/3 cup cake flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs, separated
• 1/4 tsp cream of tarter
• 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
• Confectioners sugar
• Filling:
• 14.5 oz can pitted cherries
• 2 cups whipped topping
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup coffee flavored liqueur

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 15 X 10 jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour paper then tap off excess.
     In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and salt, then mix well. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar until fluffy. In a separate bowl, using clean beaters, beat egg whites on high until foamy. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and cream of tarter, beating until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. Fold 1/3 of beaten egg whites into egg yolk mixture. Alternate folding in egg whites and flour mixture.
     Pour batter in pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle a clean towel with powered sugar. Immediately loosen cake from edges of pan and turn upside down onto towel, sprinkled with powdered sugar. Carefully remove paper. Trim off stiff edges of cake, if necessary. While hot, carefully roll cake and towel from narrow end. Cool on wire rack at least 30 minutes.
     Combine cherries, powered sugar and liqueur is a small bowl. Let stand at least 5 minutes then drain liquid and spoon over cooled cake. Add whipped topping to cherries. Spread cherry mixture over center of cake and roll cake into a log. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more, even overnight. Garnish with whipped topping or chocolate syrup.
    (Thanks to MDWanda at Better Recipes.com for sharing this)

More Christmas cakes are at Better Recipes.com ...take a look!