Oreo Yule Log Cake

Hi All! Hope everyone is already in the mood for Christmas and Year 2011! I guess by the time you all read this post...I am already on my vacation back to California. Yeah I didn't want to post this any earlier, so I set to this date to post. :) Christmas has always been a heart warming and joyous period of the year. Families gather to share good food and gifts with their love ones, and some will even extend it further to the more needy ones too. Bless them. Christmas is all about sharing and giving. Although I haven't done anything significant, at least I made a delicious Oreo Yule Log cake to share with my family, heehee! Oh yes, before I forget! I am submitting this to Aspiring Bakers #2: Christmas! Hosted by Passionate About Baking.

Frankly speaking, it was such a last minute thing. Reason was my in-law has informed us to go over to their place for a gathering last weekend before we head off for my Xmas vacation. But being a Saturday, it's always jam packed with my kids' extra lessons, so the chances of me baking anything is slim. However I decided that I will just go ahead and bake it with the limited time I have. Believe it or not, I actually got this log cake done in 1.5hrs! Including washing up!

I guess I was really focus and wham bam it's done, hahaha! Good thing it's a sheet cake, so it bakes in no time...well in like 13 to 15 minutes. I adpated this recipe from Wendy (again) whom has a post on a Oreo Chiffon Cake a while back, which I believe she got from Cherry Potato. Either way, thanks ladies! I have reduced the recipe to fit my baking sheet pan. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients for Oreo Chiffon Cake: (for 10" by 13" sheet pan):
Set (A)
65gm oreo (half a regular tube), lightly pulverized together with cream

Set (B)
4 egg yolks
45g sugar
45ml milk
45ml corn oil
80gm cake flour, sifted

Set (C )
4 egg whites
½ tsp cream of tartar
45gm sugar

Method:

• Mix yolks and sugar together. Then put in the oil and milk. Then the sifted flour. Combine with a whisk until smooth. (Do not whisk or beat but just combine)
• Preheat oven at 170C.
• Beat egg whites until frothy, put in cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks. Put in sugar gradually and beat until stiff.
• Gently fold in the egg whites into egg yolk mixture 1/3 at a time till all is incorporated.
• Put in pulverized oreos and fold until well combined.
• Pour batter into greased and parchment lined baking sheet pan and level it evenly.
  
• Bake in the preheated oven for 13 to 15 minutes till tester is clean and the top is golden brown.
• Remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from pan.

Filling:
100g Valrohna chocolate (65% cocoa), chopped
200ml non dairy whipped cream, whipped.

• Melt the chocolate under double boiler and let cool slightly but still warm to the touch.
• Add the warm chocolate to the whipped cream and stir well till everything is well blended and even colored.
• Chill in fridge till needed.

Topping / Coating:
1 pack of 125g original Oreo cookies, pulverized (I used only 3/4 of it)

Assemble:

• On the cooled sheet cake, spread 1/2 of the chocolate cream evenly over, leaving about 1 inches "uncreamed " on one longer-sided end.
• Roll up the sheet cake on one of the long side and press firmly and wrap up with a clean kitchen towel. Chill the cake for 30 minutes. (I didn't...no time!)
• Once chilled, slice about 1/4 slightly at an angle from one end of the cake and place the 1/4 section where desired to create a side branch.
  
• Cream the log cake with the remaining 1/2 portion of chocolate cream.
• Pat the pulverized Oreo cream all over the log cake. Decorate as desired.
  

This is a delicious cake, trust me. The whole family enjoyed it and many of them went for seconds, heehee! Come on...Oreo and Valrohna chocolate...what's not to love, lol!

Across section shot...I have to agree with my niece whom commented that this was the perfect swiss roll size, not too big a roll and just right for desert. Yum! :P

Lastly, I want to take this opportunity to wish all my dear readers, fellow bloggers and everyone out there;

A Blissful & Joyous Christmas!

See everyone in the new year, 2011 that is. Take care and cheerio all!

"Thousand Layer" Butter Bread Loaf (奶油千層吐司))

Believe it or not, it's less then 10 days to Christmas (and 15 days to year 2011)! Amazed how time flies...when you do a reality check sometimes. I remembered last year this time, I was packing my bags and leaving KL and my dear friends behind. *sob* It was a tough time for me but look where we are now after a year, all settled down and got back the rhythm of life again. It isn't easy, but I am glad how things are now. I am happy and contented, well at least when I don't think too much, I am, hahaha! For what is worth, I learn to be more independent and grew a little stronger then before. I am still thankful every single day for what I have and always looking forward to a better tomorrow. More importantly (at least with respect to this blog), I can churn up more delicious food for all to share. :)

Oops, sorry about my little "speech"...I can get a little carried away sometimes, lol! You must be wondering when am I gonna get to the food part! Hahaha! No worries, here it is, today's menu is "Thousand layer" Butter Bread loaf (奶油千層吐司). Okay, might be a little exaggerating to say it has a thousand layers, but I was merely doing a direct translation. :)) I wonder if I even got 10 layers in there, hahaha!

I got this wonderful recipe from Carol 自在生活. I could totally imagine how buttery good the loaf was gonna be before I even made it. :P Anything is better with butter. :) By the way, this recipe is vegetarian! No eggs! Well, that is if you skip the egg wash at the end. :)

I did some slight modification to the recipe, here it is:

Ingredients for "Thousand Layer" Butter Bread Loaf (奶油千層吐司):
270g bread flour
30g cake flour
40g caster sugar
225ml fresh milk
1/3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp instant active yeast
20g unsalted butter

For layer:
30g of salted quality butter ( I used President Butter)

Egg wash for glazing (omit if vegetarian version)

Method: (Please refer to original recipe for step by step instructions)

• Mix all dough ingredients except for butter together in a large mixing bowl to form a soft dough. Place on work area to knead or mixer to do the kneading. Knead the dough till it is not sticky, about 20 minutes.
• Add the unsalted butter in and continue to knead till the dough is shiny and elastic. To test if the dough is ready, pull a small piece off and stretching it with your fingers. If dough is very elastic and pulls to almost see through without breaking, then it's done.
• Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap and allow to proof for at least 90 minutes to 2hrs.
• Once it's doubled, punched out the air and divide the dough to 65g portions, roll round and cover to let rest for 10 minutes before shaping.
• Roll the dough out into a large rectangular about 30cm by 50cm. Spread the reserved salted butter on it leaving about 1 inch on the sides.
• Roll up the dough from the short side and seal all the four edges tightly.
  
• Fold the log into half, with one half on top over the other. Then use a sharp knife, slice down leaving about 1" at the end.
  
• Braid the dough and gently place it into a greased loaf tin. Let it proof till 80% full.
  
• Bake in a preheated oven of 175C for 30 minutes till top is golden brown.
  
• Remove from loaf tin immediately and let cool on rack before slicing to serve.
  

Once this butter loaf was out from the oven...the buttery fragrance filled the whole house! Heavenly! I was very tempted to take a bite out of it, lol! Good things come to those who wait...:D It is so soft, I can't imagine if I did slice it before it cooled down...probably moshed, hahaha!

Okay, you can see for yourself the fluffiness of this bread. I teared a piece off and was delighted! It's truly buttery good. Well from the photo, you can't really tell the buttery scent and taste, but trust me...it's like a croissant loaf. :) Do try it...but bare in mind to use quality butter for this recipe, it's worth it. :))

Anyway, got to go do some packing now. Yup it's finally my turn to hit the roads and have some time off. Will be back real soon folks....you all have a great weekend now! Cheers!