Recipes of the tradition: Christmas Stump Cake
It's
not easy to end the Christmas lunch on a high note after tasting the most
delicious family recipes. However, if you are looking for a dessert that is
both tasty and beautiful to look at, you can’t
go wrong with a great classic: Tronchetto di Natale (Christmas Stump).
This
dessert made of rolled sponge cake and decorated as if it were a tree trunk recalls
the ancient tradition of the Christmas Stump,
widespread in many European countries and also in Tuscany. In Florence, on
Christmas Eve families used to lit a big log in the fireplace and let it burn
all night, even beyond Boxing Day.
The
Christmas Stump cake therefore wants to resemble that log, it is usually
covered in chocolate ganache and can have different fillings, such as marmalade,
custard, cream or chocolate cream.
Today
we offer you the recipe you absolutely must try this Christmas!
CHRISTMAS STUMP RECIPE
Ingredients
for sponge cake:
•
120 g of 00 flour
•
140 g of granulated sugar
•
5 medium eggs
•
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•
1 teaspoon of yeast (optional)
•
1 pinch of salt
Separate
the yolks from the whites. Whip the egg yolks with sugar and vanilla extract
for about 10 minutes, until the mixture becomes frothy.
Separately,
whip the egg whites until stiff, but not too much.
Incorporate
the two mixtures carefully, mixing from bottom to top with a spoon, trying not
to cause the dough to fall apart.
In
a bowl, mix sifted flour, yeast and salt and gradually add these dry
ingredients to the whipped dough, continuing to mix.
Pour
the mixture into a flat pan covered with baking paper and level it.
Bake for 8 minutes at 200°C (preheated static oven). The sponge cake will be
ready when the surface is slightly golden.
Remove
the sponge cake from the oven, place it on a clean damp cloth and roll it up
inside, being careful not to break it.
Leave
to cool in the fridge and in the meantime prepare the ganache.
Ingredients
for the chocolate ganache:
•
250 g of dark chocolate
•
250 g of fresh cream
Chop
the dark chocolate into small pieces.
Bring
the cream to the boil in a saucepan and then add the chopped chocolate into
small pieces. Stir until it’s all melted
and uniform. Let it cool.
Assemble
the log:
Unroll
the sponge cake and fill it with marmalade, custard or any other filling of
your choice.
Roll
it up again, cut a piece (about ⅓) by making
a bias cut and reposition the cut piece as if it were a branch of the log.
Now
cover the entire cake with the chocolate ganache, leaving the sides of the cuts
uncovered to show the "rings" of the trunk.
Using
a fork, create streaks on the ganache that resemble bark.
Now
you can have fun decorating your log!
Enjoy your meal!