Panj Torta / Yule Log

Directions

• Preheat oven to 300 F (150 C) and line a jelly roll baking sheet (10.5 x 15.5 in / 27 x 39 cm) with parchment paper. Oil the baking sheet slightly then place the parchment paper on top. This helps the parchment paper stick to the pan better and reduces creasing.
• Sponge Cake
• In a large mixing bowl, add in the egg yolks, 4 tablespoons (50 g) sugar, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt. Using a hand (or stand) mixer, whip the egg yolks until double in size, thick, and light in color (about 4 minutes on medium speed) Set aside.
• In another clean mixing bowl, add in the egg whites and start beating with a mixer. Add in the remaining sugar in 3 intervals, a little at a time until all the sugar has been added. Continue to beat the egg whites until you reach a stiff peak, about 3 minutes on medium speed. The sugar should be completely dissolved. To test, feel a little bit of the egg whites between your fingers. If you feel sugar granules, keep going.
• Into the bowl with the egg yolks, add in the milk and oil. Mix to combine. Next, fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, being careful not to overmix and deflate the whites. Once the mixture is all one color, add in the flour and baking powder. Gently mix until the flour and baking powder is just combined.
• Transfer the batter to the baking sheet. Using a spatula or another tool, spread the batter in the baking sheet evenly. Once it’s even, tap the baking sheet on a flat surface 2-3 times to release any air bubbles in the batter. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes the sponge cake should be golden brown. Remove it from the oven and carefully transfer it to a flat surface. Let the sponge cool slightly, just so it’s cool enough to handle. Starting at the short end, roll the sponge into a log being gentle not to press down on the cake too much. Cover with a clean dish towel and let cool to room temperature.
• Chocolate Filling
• In the bowl of a stand mixer (you can use a hand mixer as well it just will take longer), add all of the filling ingredients EXCEPT for the cream cheese. Beat the mixture until light brown and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes on medium speed. You may need to stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl 1-2 times to ensure all ingredients are being incorporated.
• Once the filling is nice and fluffy, turn off the mixer and with a spatula, mix in the whipped cream cheese. Taste and adjust accordingly. I like a little extra cream cheese in mine.
• Chocolate Ganache
• In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream (slatka pavlaka) until boiling and remove from heat. Pour the boiling hot heavy cream over the chocolate pieces in a bowl. Let sit for one minute and then stir to melt the chocolate. It will thicken as it cools. To speed up the process, place the bowl in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.
• Assemble
• When the cake has cooled, unroll it and remove the parchment paper carefully from the cake. Spread the filling on the inside of the sponge cake. This filling recipe yields slightly more than you need, but feel free to use it all if you like a lot of filling.
• Roll the sponge cake back up and place the cake on a piece of aluminum foil. Roll the cake and aluminum foil and tuck the sides of the foil under the roll. Place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before frosting.
• After the cake has cooled, either begin frosting or cut angled pieces from both ends to form branches and place them where desired. Use a little bit of ganache to glue the pieces to the cake.
  
  If not forming any branches, simply cut off the ends of the roll for a neater appearance.
• Using your thickened chocolate ganache, frost the cake, making sure to frost generously around any branches to ensure they stick to the cake. Make lines along the cake using a spoon or offset spatula so it looks like tree bark.
  
  Decorate as desired.