rofl! No kidding, I had tears in my eyes! I couldn't believe he pulled it off. It brought up every PTSD cooking crisis I ever had and turned it into gold 🤣
A couple of tips from a professional baker about this. :) (1) When rolling, no part of the cake should fold back on itself, including the beginning. Place the cake so that there's maybe 1 1/2" of towel on the edge closest to you, then fold it over the edge of the cake *before* you begin rolling. That way, when you roll the cake doesn't fold over and touch itself. (2) That roll should just sit on the counter to cool after rolling it, it should NOT* go in the fridge. Not only does a fridge dry cake it, it makes it too stiff to unroll and fill. *Absolutely do NOT refrigerate cake, ever. A refrigerator both dries out and chills. You *can* freeze it though, preferably right after baking before completely cooling. If you're making a cake that requires refrigeration for safety because of the filling, wait to apply the filling until close to serving instead of refrigerating it. It's fine if leftovers dry out, they're leftovers. But you wouldn't want that to happen to your fresh cake.
There is a France chef who does not role it. He lets the cake could down on the counter and place the filling on it and roles it very tight. It is what i always do as well.
@@garydiscala5860 yes. I was revering to him I just didn't remember his name. It is how I learned at as well. You never put it in the fridge. That was his first mistake. I also think he had his oven too high or he had it on hot air. Which explains why it was done much quicker than in the recipe and crumbled when he was folding..
@@annaschweissinger3462 It does not make a lot of difference if you use a quality kind of chocolate chips. Good chocolate chips are the same as a chocolate bar. I Chips are easier to melt. More important is the temperature of the chocolate when melted
Hey Jamie!!! DO NOT EVER let the cake rest in the fridge!!! No matter what is in the books, the cake will harden and make it imposible for you to roll it! Love and regards from Brazil
Also, he used parchment paper between the towel and the cake. A slightly damp towel is there to help keep the cake moist so that it won't crack as much. He totally negated that here.
Actually that isn't true. if you try korean and japanese roll cake recipes it doesn't harden too much and you are able to roll it. I've tried it and it works.
When that 3rd sponge cracked, my heart just broke for you. I tip my hat to you for not just downing the rum, setting the kitchen on fire, and walking away.
After your strawberry rolled cake, I told my aunt about the episode. She's been cooking and baking for a large family for approx. 60 years and her immediate reaction after I had just started my story was "Oh, rolled cakes are hard! There are so many variables and the timing has to be just right for everything!" So you're not alone! 😉
I see so many people saying that rolled cakes are hard and it confuses me so much, because it's literally a coffee table staple in my country. If somebody asks for an easy recipe, people are quaranteed to recommend rolled cakes with a variety of toppings 😅
The spun sugar made me cry. Your sugarplums and rosemary look fantastic. Your mushrooms are straight out of a magical forest. Julia is crying tears of joy in heaven with the rest of us who love your videos.
Well he did lube up a bit on the rum in the middle of this. Being that it's a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, it's not easy to see that it's even rolled. Why not crumble up the fail cake with the frosting and pack it into a tubular pan then chill it? This is sometimes done by Ms. Reardon on How To Cook That. Call it particle board log, or something like that. (Granted that it may not be possible to glom on to one of these tubular pans at the last moment without something like Amazon Prime.) Or maybe chill in a rectangular pan then carve it into a cylinder? "Fail" food can often be reformatted. I once did Swedish meatloaf with a Swedish meatball recipe not having the time to make the meatballs.
I think part of the problem with the baking time is probably that Julia says she's using a jelly roll pan, which would be significantly less long and wide than the large baking sheet that you're using, so her cake was probably quite a bit thicker than yours and so would have taken longer to bake (and this would also make it less prone to cracking apart when rolling). That compounded with the fact that, as you said, ovens were different back in her day, is probably why you were getting such drastically different results. (Also, don't put it in the fridge!! Don't set the cake in the fridge!!! Never do this with a rolled cake until it is completely assembled!!!)
The cake did appear a bit thin. My mother made the same mistake the first time she baked a bûche de Noël. She baked it in a cookie pan. The cake was so thin that the rolled result looked more like a Yule... turd. After two dozens of eggs (not wasted, since we ate the "experiments" anyway), a neighbour lent her the right pan, less wide and deeper. The result was perfect, just in time for Christmas Eve.
Were ovens really all that different? I moved from a brand new construction home to a midcentury home last year and I use my original 1960s oven almost every day, never felt it was that different
Always use a temperature gauge in your stove. They all run different temps. I agree I thought he had the wrong size pan or beat the air out of the batter from over mixing.
I just want to say that a lesser man would DEFINITELY have thrown it in after the third false start. Hats off to you, sir, for your patience and commitment, and for reminding me that my own baking disaster yesterday does not actually make me a horrible cook 💙
I don't know any TH-camr with your level of patience and perseverance. David Saymour fucks up and he's like.. oh, the recipe failed. Claire Saffitz would cry after doing a recipe 3 times. At most I think of Babish and his purple yam swiss cake (you might enjoy that episode, look it up). Congrats, you're a role model 🤗
Claire saffitz doesn’t cry from doing a recipe 3 times lol she would get frustrated for the bit after trying to recreate a commercially processed food like pop rocks, where each individual part of the “recipe” was a lab experiment she tried 50 times. She does Julia child’s pastry recipes for fun as a side note. I love both creators, but don’t discredit the insanity she goes through on gourmet makes
@@whitneybobitney I do think a better mindset would help a lot though. And if the producers gave her 2-4 weeks. I don't remember how long she had. I would think that using her knowledge to solve these problems would be fun for her but she seems to not like the iterative process. At least not on whatever time limit they gave her.
Your videos are so good and relatable. I'm french and have baked rolled cake since I'm a little girl with my grandmother for christmas. I don't really where it goes wrong but for me, you cook the cake for like 7 to 10 minutes in the oven at 240° celsius on a buttered parchment paper and then, as soon at it's off the oven, you roll it in a wet dishcloth and let it rest and cool off (not in the fridge) until you fill it with whatever you want. It never failed me.
I’ve never felt so sorry for anyone! You poor thing! I would have given up after the first try! You deserve a medal. Even though I was taught how to cook by my French grandmother (who could boil a pot in another pot and make it taste good), I’ve never attempted this! Kudos to you et Joyeux Noel…🎄
Mate, I'm a pastry chef. I got done yesterday making 13 of those Yule Logs, and trust me, I hate them too. I always make more sponge cake sheets that I need because I will fuck up at least one. You did good, my friend. Merry Christmas!
There should be a baking emergency hotline staffed with the highest level pastry chefs who are also trained in forensics and will tell you exactly what is going wrong in any given recipe! 😆 Still, it's always great to see real life cooking from you Jamie and real life problem solving. Those mushrooms were a real work of art! Happy Holidays everyone ❤
interestingly enough, the King Arthur folks have a hotline where actual humans answer. They're pretty good, maybe not Cedric Grolet, but hey I'm not sure that would even be all that helpful for home kitchen bakes.
Ann Reardon from How To Cook That on TH-cam does that on her channel! It's really good content, she's a food scientist so it's super cool learning from people's baking fails
I am so so so thankful that you showed your struggles through this... I ended up with 3 unusable Pumpkin Roll CRUMBLES one thanksgiving and CRIED. I swore off roll cakes!!! Forever!!! YOUR VIDEO HAS MADE ME FELT SO SEEN.
Having made a Yule log the past few Christmases and then vowing NEVER AGAIN after the last time, I feel your pain Jamie. What I love about you is you're not a quitter! I always throw in the towel after the first mishap, but you just pick yourself up and try again. And look how it turned out!! You're an inspiration to all us fellow home bakers/cooks!
My additional trick for sponge rolls: mentally prepare for failure and have plan B for it. This batter can smell fear, the little... Planning for desaster eliminates fear. Don't remove the paper, either. You can immediately roll the baked dough into it. And, of course, buy enough ingredients for multiple attempts. ❤️❤️❤️ I love your spirit.
I watched a lady making a pumpkin roll. She rolled her cake, unrolled it immediately, then flipped and rolled it the opposite direction. She said that was how you kept the cake from cracking. I've never tried this myself.
I think the reason that the rolled cakes aren’t working is because Julia’s recipe calls for a jelly-roll pan which is the size of a half sheet pan, but it looks like Jamie is just using a normal sheet pan, so the cake is coming out too thin because of the too large pan and it is making it impossible to roll.
the pan called for is 11 by 17 and he measured; im pretty sure the reason is because he way over baked (causing cracking) and then put it in the fridge instead of room temp when re rolling.
I have never pre rolled . I could hardly fill and roll once. Lol. He was so fun to watch. Beautiful little mushrooms and it all looked fabulous in the end.
Congrats Jamie, it looked amazing! Here's my two cents: I think the chocolate cake you rolled up previously was thicker. You might need a jelly roll cake pan rather than a half sheet. That would also mean it bakes a little longer 🤷 but honestly if you never did one again no one would blame you!
I came here to say that all the cakes he made looked much too thin. I agree that he needed a smaller pan, or more cake batter. Rolled cakes are tricky devils, but there just wasn't enough cake to hold itself together when rolled.
I just looked it up. A jelly roll pan is 15" x 10" and a half sheet is 18"x 13". That's 150 square inches as compared to 234 square inches for the half sheet. That's a big difference. I think you are on to something here. I agree the cake looks too thin.
My mum always made a chocolate log at Christmas and she always said it didn't matter if it cracked because the chocolate hid everything! Also sometimes the cracks look kind of cool, looking like cracks in the wood if you dress it up properly! Great job!
For me, this is your most beautiful dessert to date and worthy of a place in a bakery front window. The mushrooms look so realistic, and you arranged the other woodsy touches so beautifully. The sugar floss gave it an ethereal touch. C'est magnifique! 👏🏆🏅 As a former ballerina (Royal Ballet), I especially loved your Nutcracker selections. 🧚♀️ You are really outstanding at creating these videos. This is one of my very favorites. I absolutely loved it!
i’m SO glad the algorithm decided to showcase you in my recommendations 😭 you’re the best youtube discovery of 2022. i’ve loved binging all your old videos these last few months and watching your skills and confidence grow! thank you for sticking with it and putting in all this work. i hope 2023 is an even bigger and better year for you 💕 happy holidays! enjoy the lil break
Right?!?!? I deff felt the same way. Honestly don’t recall how I came across him but it was a great one. The super hard stew thing that has stuff on top lol
From a fellow Guelphite: your tenacity is the best thing about this channel! Your Buche de Noel effort was unbelievable - as was the finished product! Merry Christmas!
I remember watching my grandmother making this exact recipe as a child. Her pan was smaller and she never put it in the fridge..she had the meringues ready right before it came out of the oven and rolled it as soon as the cake was cooled enough to tolerate the heat from it and rush and go..it tasted amazing and if she messed up none of us in the family ever ever noticed
What makes you the BEST is that your real. You show how these recipes really work. I feel like I’m a pretty good cook/baker but sometimes shit happens and things don’t always turn out right. I’d much rather watch a video like this than one where a regular everyday guy like yourself busts out these crazy perfect dishes time after time! Great Job Jamie BEST TH-cam CHEF OUT THERE!!❤
That's exactly the way Julia was on The French Chef show back in the 60's. She was happy when things didn't go exactly right. She would encourage you not to panic. And then show you things to do to save the meal or turn it into something else. She was so encouraging and wanted everyone to believe they could do this stuff and to keep trying and not give up. One time she stuck her spatula into the running mixer and sent it flying across the room. One time she got choked on a green bean and kept coughing and hacking the rest of the show. One time her apple something collapsed into a blob on the plate. One time she jammed up her meat grinder with fish. She grabbed hot pans and skillets and burned her fingers a few times. She was just real, and Jamie is carrying on the real. Great job Jamie and thanks so much!!!
I cooked professionally for 18 years, I can’t bake worth a damn but you have inspired me to take up baking I love seeing all the mistakes I have made , baking is definitely an art great job and thank you
I have had a really crappy day. Seeing you posting a video genuinely made it a little better, and for what it is worth seeing the failures makes the success feel so much more genuine in your videos. A sincere thank you from someone who needed something to look forward to lately.
I remember watching, as a child with my mom, Julia doing that spun sugar broom handle thing and we both died laughing at how over the top that was! LOL your method was just as effective 😉
Bake it on an aluminum foil, than roll it and leave it inside for about 30 min, the steam will help to detach it easily, and It won’t crack! I’ve been making la bûche de Noël l🪵 for years, it never breaks. You got this!
Or parchment and wrap in a clean towel when rolling it first. When ready to fill unroll and fill and reroll. Is there such a word as reroll? Jamie and Christina have a very Merry Christmas 🎅🎄☃️🙏👍
Julia would be so incredibly proud! Those mushrooms were perfection. For whatever it’s worth I think Julie would have appreciated your humor and approach to her recipes. I think she would have been tickled by you. Wishing you and your family a beautiful holiday season!
I'm amazed. Your final finished cake was the most beautiful you've ever produced. It looked sensational. I think the lesson here is when the cake breaks up just roll with it, gather it together into a log shape and proceed as you finally did with the third one. The extra rosemary and cranberries were inspirational and just added to the event. Have a really good Christmas and New Year and I like loads of your subscribers will be looking forward to more madness and miracles in 2023 from you. All the Very Best!!
This made me wonder - you know how people make truffles or cake pops with crumbled up cake mixed with frosting and rolled into balls? If your rolled cake is a disaster, can it be purposely crumbled, mixed with frosting, then rolled into a log?
Jamie, you are an absolute treasure. A genuine, absolute treasure. One of the best things about this year was finding your channel. You never fail to put a smile on my face, and that can be a tall order on too many days. I thought this Yule log turned out beautifully, and I ADORE those mushrooms!!! Like, I’m obsessed, lol! I’m wishing you and yours Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. 🎄❤️
I thought you were going to give up, but the result looks absolutely stunning! This is easily my favourite cooking show on TH-cam, keep doing what you're doing man, you're amazing!
I make this recipe every year and the TEA TOWEL throws me every single time! i just let it cool very slightly before putting the creme de chantilly on and just rolling it then immediately cooling it in the fridge and it works each time : D
I vividly remember, as a child, watching this exact episode of Julia Childs PBS show. Broomstick and all! Thanks for bringing it to life for me, albeit very much appreciated, 2022 style.
Amazing job Jamie! It turned out so pretty!! Those mushrooms were so cute! The improvising around the sugar spun moss worked really well too! I live vicariously through you in the kitchen and glad you're doing it so I don't have to. Your tenacity is admirable!
You’re a better man than me, Gunga Din - You made a gorgeous Bûche de Noël! I would’ve stopped after Disaster #1, scooped everything up, shaped it into a ball or balls, placed it in a decorative platter, and iced it liberally. Then I’d’ve placed the mushrooms strategically, sprinkled sugared raspberries around, and called it a Merde de Noël. Happy holidays (whichever they may be), kick back, drink up, pop some corn and watch a great Christmas movie. Mine is THE REF. If you haven’t seen it, give it a shot. You won’t shoot your eye out!
I've just entirely randomly stumbled across your content, I'm a fan of a lot of the big food tubers on the site, so it was only a matter of time until I spotted your stuff. The collective works of Julia have a very important place in my life, when my mother first turned ill and had to retire she fell in love with the works of Julia, and really developed a passion for the culinary arts that she helped instill in me. We lost her a few years ago, and so as I sit here and watch this I find myself thinking that it's beautiful that another generation can learn to cook the same way she did, with the inspiration from a fantastic chef who wanted to bring culinary arts to the masses. You've got to subscriber for life, now excuse me while I go watch your entire backlog. Happy Christmas.
I feel ya, sponge was not my favorite to do but when it works it looks great. I roll with parchment paper or wax and I don't roll as tight as you do. especially since I usually put fruit in it. But I do enjoy watching someone doing Julia's cooking. She made things look so effortless
I don't enjoy cooking, I'm terrible at it, but after watching Jamie I've gotten braver in the Kitchen. All your stress is worth it for all the inspiration you give. Thank you and Merry Xmas!
Rolled cakes are one of the most unforgiving desserts to make, but the wow factor makes them worth it. Great finished presentation. I tap the sifter with a fork/spoon to get a light dusting. It gives a lot more control. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and all.
That was a journey. We appreciate your perseverance! There's a lesson in it, for sure. Can I just say how beautiful those mushrooms were!!! And the finished product bore none of your struggles. Which is as it should be. See you in 2023!
Cozying up to watch this as the storm front comes through. Thank you for all your hard work, Jamie! These videos never fail to put a smile on my face ☺️☺️
First off, I just want to say bravo! It looks fabulous! Actually you had me clapping and yelling bravo, bravo to The Silver Fox. 😂 I’m just wondering if the pan is too big for the amount of batter and that’s why it keeps cracking. Just an idea…. Still, you did an awesome job! Bravo again!
My jelly roll pans are 10” x 15”, not 11” x 17”. The cakes in this video look too thin, hence overbaking, extensive cracking, etc. I use a similar cake recipe, and mine cooks in 18 minutes, but that's at 6,500’ elevation. Don't overbeat the egg whites because that dries them. Also, I use a knife to partially cut through the cake about 1” from the edge where I start rolling and use sugared parchment instead of a towel. Don't give up! You can do it! (In the meantime, make rum soaked trifles with the scraps.)
Would love to see some ‘Julia inspired’ recipes ie this same recipe but using more contemporary techniques. Love these but gotta be an easier way to make a Yule log. Merry Christmas Jamie!
if it cracks, cover it with frosting...more frosting is always better. Buche de Noel is super daunting. I'm super impressed. When it comes to decorating them, make it yours! Directions are good, but sometimes decorating is more of an art than a science. Also, I use wax paper and the back of a chair for the spun sugar.
This is becoming my favorite TH-cam channel… like, ever. I don’t bake. I don’t invest a ton of time into meals. I get it… it makes sense to me as to why people would. But this show… this guy… he’s one of us! The cooking, the recipes, the comedy, the struggles and overcoming the struggles. Victory dammit. Victory for us all! 💪
Man, I have SO MUCH RESPECT for you! I watched the strawberry rolled cake episode too, and I would have given up. But you stuck it out and made beautiful cakes (eventually) in both episodes. Well done. You're definitely doing yeoman's work on these difficult recipes, showing us that it really can be done.
About the recipe: the begining was tense, the middle was hopefull and the end was amazing. About the "soudtrack": Awesome all along the whole video!!!! Well done!
Merry Christmas Jamie and Christina 🎅🎄☃️❄ I use parchment and then roll with a clean towel and let it hold rolled till ready to fill. Make filling ahead and then refrigerate and then I bake my sponge. I never pit my sponge in the fridge until after filled. Fridge drys it out. A joy as always Jamie...you will conquer and will be able to do this with eyes closed...instincts( I don't bake mine as long as well about 12 to 15 minutes, because you've got this👍🙏
I love this series😂 I think it turned out beautifully!! (tip for spun sugar direction, I think the broom is supposed to be placed horizontally resting on two chairs)
This is crying out to be a major tv series and book but I don't think that anyone could do this stuff better. One of the most entertaining and informative channels on youtube.
Props to you for managing to make such a beautiful Bûche ! Honestly most people in France just buy one... it's really hard to make in my opinion plus it is the finishing touch of a christmas dinner so i'd rather bail then fail on that one lol Yours came out wonderful even after the trial and tribulation ! Bravo !
The one piece of advice I can give you, as someone who has literally been making the fanciest bûche de noël you will ever see since I was nine (well, helping my mom since I was nine; I think I first did it on my own at, like, fifteen), is don't worry so much about the cracks. A log is a lot more forgiving than a jelly roll, because the buttercream filling helps glue it all together. It can be completely falling apart, and as long as you keep it on your parchment until the final roll, it'll be fine. If it is falling apart, just refrigerate it after the final roll to help the filling hold on better before you ice the outside. For the mushrooms, definitely don't sweat the shapes too much; real mushrooms get all misshapen all the time, it's more realistic if a sideways mushroom is bent at a weird angle anyway. Another option, since you're not really baking them so much as drying then out, is to save a bit of meringue to use as glue and stick 'em in the oven a touch longer. I'm intrigued by this Italian buttercream for a French Christmas cake, though. (Italian buttercream is basically Italian meringue and butter; French buttercream is almost the same thing, but with yolks instead of whites, and it's what I've always used for bûche de noël.) To be fair, French buttercream is a lot richer; that slice you ate is about double what you could eat of my cake, which is probably a good thing because mine is gone far too quickly, but you really can't take a second slice of what's effectively chocolate butter mayonnaise without getting sick. Also, as someone who uses vice grips every day (and adjustable crescent wrenches occasionally; the adjustability is nice, but they're kinda terrible at wrenching compared to the proper fixed-size wrench), I don't think I've ever heard someone call an adjustable crescent wrench a vice grips before 🤣
Fabulous episode. I went to pastry school for cake decorating, but never had to face a buche that wasn't rolled by an actual baker. Shout out to PreppyKitchen. Been a fan of his for years. And may I say that his apple pie and crust are beyond the beyond and best pies I ever made. If you ever want a course in the different kinds of buttercreams, he has great episodes...in fact, that's how I found him. But I digress. Jamie, thanks for a great wrap up to a Truly Great Year of Shows! P.S. The broomstick thing works well...only I used a long dowel. The point is it has to be horizontal, not vertical. The results are amazing. Also, my chef/teacher had us make a tool out of about a 6"x 4" piece of wood. Pounded a few rows of nails into it. (It needs to fit inside whatever pot is holding your sugar.) this is far better and faster than a fork, as there are multiple "tines" It was like spinning straw into gold and a lot of fun.
I remember watching Julia's Yule Log episode as a kid, and as I recall, she used an actual broom handle to create the moss. I found it amazing and hilarious at the same time. Watch that episode if you can. 🤣
It would be interesting if you tell us how long you take to make a recipe!! It feels like you spend the whole day sometimes and it amazes us on how dedicated you are
The music score for the footage between 10:00 and 10:37 is perfect. It's soaring and hopeful, almost an embodiment of Jamie's tenacious effort in making this damned cake 🤣
I watch the Food Network almost every single day, and I can say I have NEVER been so personally emotionally invested in a Yule Log before
Same, not even my own lmao
RIght? There were times I caught my self saying "Come on, Jamie! You can do it!"
More like Pain Log...so much failure ;-;
Agreed!!
rofl! No kidding, I had tears in my eyes! I couldn't believe he pulled it off. It brought up every PTSD cooking crisis I ever had and turned it into gold 🤣
A couple of tips from a professional baker about this. :) (1) When rolling, no part of the cake should fold back on itself, including the beginning. Place the cake so that there's maybe 1 1/2" of towel on the edge closest to you, then fold it over the edge of the cake *before* you begin rolling. That way, when you roll the cake doesn't fold over and touch itself. (2) That roll should just sit on the counter to cool after rolling it, it should NOT* go in the fridge. Not only does a fridge dry cake it, it makes it too stiff to unroll and fill.
*Absolutely do NOT refrigerate cake, ever. A refrigerator both dries out and chills. You *can* freeze it though, preferably right after baking before completely cooling. If you're making a cake that requires refrigeration for safety because of the filling, wait to apply the filling until close to serving instead of refrigerating it. It's fine if leftovers dry out, they're leftovers. But you wouldn't want that to happen to your fresh cake.
There is a France chef who does not role it. He lets the cake could down on the counter and place the filling on it and roles it very tight. It is what i always do as well.
Exactly. The towel provides support for the role
@@garydiscala5860 yes. I was revering to him
I just didn't remember his name.
It is how I learned at as well.
You never put it in the fridge. That was his first mistake. I also think he had his oven too high or he had it on hot air. Which explains why it was done much quicker than in the recipe and crumbled when he was folding..
Shouldnt you also use chocolate and not chocolate chips?
@@annaschweissinger3462 It does not make a lot of difference if you use a quality kind of chocolate chips. Good chocolate chips are the same as a chocolate bar. I Chips are easier to melt. More important is the temperature of the chocolate when melted
Hey Jamie!!! DO NOT EVER let the cake rest in the fridge!!! No matter what is in the books, the cake will harden and make it imposible for you to roll it!
Love and regards from Brazil
yep. that was a big mistake - it gets gummy in the fridge.
i think he also let it rest for too long?
Thank you! I always have trouble, and I think you just told me why.
Also, he used parchment paper between the towel and the cake. A slightly damp towel is there to help keep the cake moist so that it won't crack as much. He totally negated that here.
Actually that isn't true. if you try korean and japanese roll cake recipes it doesn't harden too much and you are able to roll it. I've tried it and it works.
When that 3rd sponge cracked, my heart just broke for you. I tip my hat to you for not just downing the rum, setting the kitchen on fire, and walking away.
😂
After your strawberry rolled cake, I told my aunt about the episode. She's been cooking and baking for a large family for approx. 60 years and her immediate reaction after I had just started my story was "Oh, rolled cakes are hard! There are so many variables and the timing has to be just right for everything!" So you're not alone! 😉
Anything is difficult if the source is defective and you lack experience.
@@jmac3327 That applies to all aspect of life.
Darn it.
@@stephenpmurphy591 Indeed.
I see so many people saying that rolled cakes are hard and it confuses me so much, because it's literally a coffee table staple in my country. If somebody asks for an easy recipe, people are quaranteed to recommend rolled cakes with a variety of toppings 😅
@@emiliah2853 Same here, I've never had issues making rolled cakes, I'd consider it an easy dessert
The spun sugar made me cry. Your sugarplums and rosemary look fantastic. Your mushrooms are straight out of a magical forest. Julia is crying tears of joy in heaven with the rest of us who love your videos.
It came out like an art piece. 🎨
Most of his yule log attempts looked like snowy bark too.
The mushrooms came out looking so cute
You’re very patient. I would have thrown the cake out the window and start day drinking…lol
The ideal holiday…no cooking and day drinking. Maybe when I’m old 😂❤
Well he did lube up a bit on the rum in the middle of this. Being that it's a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, it's not easy to see that it's even rolled. Why not crumble up the fail cake with the frosting and pack it into a tubular pan then chill it? This is sometimes done by Ms. Reardon on How To Cook That. Call it particle board log, or something like that. (Granted that it may not be possible to glom on to one of these tubular pans at the last moment without something like Amazon Prime.) Or maybe chill in a rectangular pan then carve it into a cylinder?
"Fail" food can often be reformatted. I once did Swedish meatloaf with a Swedish meatball recipe not having the time to make the meatballs.
😂
This man really going through the five stages of grief! Amazing persistence!
I think part of the problem with the baking time is probably that Julia says she's using a jelly roll pan, which would be significantly less long and wide than the large baking sheet that you're using, so her cake was probably quite a bit thicker than yours and so would have taken longer to bake (and this would also make it less prone to cracking apart when rolling). That compounded with the fact that, as you said, ovens were different back in her day, is probably why you were getting such drastically different results. (Also, don't put it in the fridge!! Don't set the cake in the fridge!!! Never do this with a rolled cake until it is completely assembled!!!)
The cake did appear a bit thin. My mother made the same mistake the first time she baked a bûche de Noël. She baked it in a cookie pan. The cake was so thin that the rolled result looked more like a Yule... turd. After two dozens of eggs (not wasted, since we ate the "experiments" anyway), a neighbour lent her the right pan, less wide and deeper. The result was perfect, just in time for Christmas Eve.
So how large is a “jelly pan”?
@@honey23b2 A jelly roll pan is 10"x15".
Were ovens really all that different? I moved from a brand new construction home to a midcentury home last year and I use my original 1960s oven almost every day, never felt it was that different
Always use a temperature gauge in your stove. They all run different temps. I agree I thought he had the wrong size pan or beat the air out of the batter from over mixing.
I just want to say that a lesser man would DEFINITELY have thrown it in after the third false start. Hats off to you, sir, for your patience and commitment, and for reminding me that my own baking disaster yesterday does not actually make me a horrible cook 💙
I don't know why I laugh so hard at your baking misfortunes, but you do have a special way of taking a bad situation and making it hilarious.
I AGREE!!❤
This is one of my favorite channels because it so often reflects how I feel in the kitchen.
I need to see the Anti-Chef / Preppy Kitchen collab to watch John anxiously try to help Jamie with his optimistic chaos filling the set.
I’d buy a ticket for that one!
Yes!!! I just “nailed” John’s brown butter maple apple cake for Xmas 😂😫
Totally May work. John and him together 😂
@@nettiespiwack7586 me too! epic duo!
😂😂😂
I don't know any TH-camr with your level of patience and perseverance. David Saymour fucks up and he's like.. oh, the recipe failed. Claire Saffitz would cry after doing a recipe 3 times. At most I think of Babish and his purple yam swiss cake (you might enjoy that episode, look it up). Congrats, you're a role model 🤗
And a "roll" model. nyuck-nyuck-nyuck!
A roll model one day!
Sums up TH-cam cooking world lol
Claire saffitz doesn’t cry from doing a recipe 3 times lol she would get frustrated for the bit after trying to recreate a commercially processed food like pop rocks, where each individual part of the “recipe” was a lab experiment she tried 50 times. She does Julia child’s pastry recipes for fun as a side note. I love both creators, but don’t discredit the insanity she goes through on gourmet makes
@@whitneybobitney I do think a better mindset would help a lot though. And if the producers gave her 2-4 weeks. I don't remember how long she had. I would think that using her knowledge to solve these problems would be fun for her but she seems to not like the iterative process. At least not on whatever time limit they gave her.
Your videos are so good and relatable. I'm french and have baked rolled cake since I'm a little girl with my grandmother for christmas. I don't really where it goes wrong but for me, you cook the cake for like 7 to 10 minutes in the oven at 240° celsius on a buttered parchment paper and then, as soon at it's off the oven, you roll it in a wet dishcloth and let it rest and cool off (not in the fridge) until you fill it with whatever you want. It never failed me.
Yes! And also we used to use castor sugar not icing sugar when I was a kid. I think the icing sugar melts into the cake.
The food you create is fun. The running dialogue is entertaining AF. The way the videos are put together is fantastic. Great editing, music, etc.
I’ve never felt so sorry for anyone! You poor thing! I would have given up after the first try! You deserve a medal. Even though I was taught how to cook by my French grandmother (who could boil a pot in another pot and make it taste good), I’ve never attempted this! Kudos to you et Joyeux Noel…🎄
Mate, I'm a pastry chef. I got done yesterday making 13 of those Yule Logs, and trust me, I hate them too. I always make more sponge cake sheets that I need because I will fuck up at least one. You did good, my friend. Merry Christmas!
There should be a baking emergency hotline staffed with the highest level pastry chefs who are also trained in forensics and will tell you exactly what is going wrong in any given recipe! 😆 Still, it's always great to see real life cooking from you Jamie and real life problem solving. Those mushrooms were a real work of art!
Happy Holidays everyone ❤
interestingly enough, the King Arthur folks have a hotline where actual humans answer. They're pretty good, maybe not Cedric Grolet, but hey I'm not sure that would even be all that helpful for home kitchen bakes.
@@TCMx3 That’s so cool!
Ann Reardon from How To Cook That on TH-cam does that on her channel! It's really good content, she's a food scientist so it's super cool learning from people's baking fails
A full necropsy… er… cake-ropsy!
I took for granted being able to call on my late grandmother for food emergencies. Wouldn’t it be great if we did have a hotline!
I am so so so thankful that you showed your struggles through this... I ended up with 3 unusable Pumpkin Roll CRUMBLES one thanksgiving and CRIED. I swore off roll cakes!!! Forever!!!
YOUR VIDEO HAS MADE ME FELT SO SEEN.
Aww lol
This guy's suffering is so damn relatable. Absolutely my new favorite youtuber.
Having made a Yule log the past few Christmases and then vowing NEVER AGAIN after the last time, I feel your pain Jamie. What I love about you is you're not a quitter! I always throw in the towel after the first mishap, but you just pick yourself up and try again. And look how it turned out!! You're an inspiration to all us fellow home bakers/cooks!
Yes he does! He just picks himself up, dusts himself off with some confectioner's sugar, and carries on!
I admire him so much for his perseverance! ❤
Oh Jamie, we have to roll a damn cake again? Are we mentally ready for this?! 🤣
This episode was our Christmas movie! Even better than Die Hard.
My additional trick for sponge rolls: mentally prepare for failure and have plan B for it. This batter can smell fear, the little... Planning for desaster eliminates fear.
Don't remove the paper, either. You can immediately roll the baked dough into it.
And, of course, buy enough ingredients for multiple attempts. ❤️❤️❤️
I love your spirit.
The batter can smell fear….😂😂😂 too funny!
sponges always smell fear... as do soufflé..
Yes! Hilarious comment!
@@SDsearcher this is true for a lot of things in the kitchen. I always say that pizza dough can smell fear, which is pretty true.
@@CRneu How do you fail pizza dough? ^^'
I watched a lady making a pumpkin roll. She rolled her cake, unrolled it immediately, then flipped and rolled it the opposite direction. She said that was how you kept the cake from cracking. I've never tried this myself.
I think the reason that the rolled cakes aren’t working is because Julia’s recipe calls for a jelly-roll pan which is the size of a half sheet pan, but it looks like Jamie is just using a normal sheet pan, so the cake is coming out too thin because of the too large pan and it is making it impossible to roll.
the pan called for is 11 by 17 and he measured; im pretty sure the reason is because he way over baked (causing cracking) and then put it in the fridge instead of room temp when re rolling.
I have never pre rolled . I could hardly fill and roll once. Lol.
He was so fun to watch. Beautiful little mushrooms and it all looked fabulous in the end.
The musical accompaniment is perfect.
When your camera did that George Lucas slow roll over the finished cake, I just sat in my chair, alone in the room, and applauded. Well done, sir.
And the 🎶🎵
Comments be damned, you worked hard and we all saw it. The fact that at the end you produced something beautiful was the WIN!
Congrats Jamie, it looked amazing! Here's my two cents: I think the chocolate cake you rolled up previously was thicker. You might need a jelly roll cake pan rather than a half sheet. That would also mean it bakes a little longer 🤷 but honestly if you never did one again no one would blame you!
I came here to say that all the cakes he made looked much too thin. I agree that he needed a smaller pan, or more cake batter. Rolled cakes are tricky devils, but there just wasn't enough cake to hold itself together when rolled.
You can also use a 9x13 cake pan, it's the same size just deeper. You may need to get creative with lining it but it should make to the correct size!
I just looked it up. A jelly roll pan is 15" x 10" and a half sheet is 18"x 13". That's 150 square inches as compared to 234 square inches for the half sheet. That's a big difference. I think you are on to something here. I agree the cake looks too thin.
He did measure before beginning, so I assumed he followed Julia. But in my head thoughts were the same. Cake is too thin.
@@hilaryarana3186 Right, came to same the same thing, I was shouting at my phone, saying ITS TOOOOO THIN!! 😟🙄😂
My mum always made a chocolate log at Christmas and she always said it didn't matter if it cracked because the chocolate hid everything! Also sometimes the cracks look kind of cool, looking like cracks in the wood if you dress it up properly! Great job!
For me, this is your most beautiful dessert to date and worthy of a place in a bakery front window. The mushrooms look so realistic, and you arranged the other woodsy touches so beautifully. The sugar floss gave it an ethereal touch. C'est magnifique! 👏🏆🏅 As a former ballerina (Royal Ballet), I especially loved your Nutcracker selections. 🧚♀️ You are really outstanding at creating these videos. This is one of my very favorites. I absolutely loved it!
This proves that any cake can look amazing with enough frosting.
Most relatable video yet. Baking is hard, especially when it's the holidays and you have guests coming over.
i’m SO glad the algorithm decided to showcase you in my recommendations 😭 you’re the best youtube discovery of 2022. i’ve loved binging all your old videos these last few months and watching your skills and confidence grow! thank you for sticking with it and putting in all this work. i hope 2023 is an even bigger and better year for you 💕 happy holidays! enjoy the lil break
Absolutely!
This is the best gift this Christmas! I laughed, I cried, I cheered you on.
Right?!?!?
I deff felt the same way. Honestly don’t recall how I came across him but it was a great one. The super hard stew thing that has stuff on top lol
Since you are interested in food, have you heard of the #SaveSoil #ConsciousPlanet movement before?🌸
Me too omg
From a fellow Guelphite: your tenacity is the best thing about this channel! Your Buche de Noel effort was unbelievable - as was the finished product! Merry Christmas!
I remember watching my grandmother making this exact recipe as a child. Her pan was smaller and she never put it in the fridge..she had the meringues ready right before it came out of the oven and rolled it as soon as the cake was cooled enough to tolerate the heat from it and rush and go..it tasted amazing and if she messed up none of us in the family ever ever noticed
What makes you the BEST is that your real. You show how these recipes really work. I feel like I’m a pretty good cook/baker but sometimes shit happens and things don’t always turn out right. I’d much rather watch a video like this than one where a regular everyday guy like yourself busts out these crazy perfect dishes time after time! Great Job Jamie BEST TH-cam CHEF OUT THERE!!❤
That's exactly the way Julia was on The French Chef show back in the 60's. She was happy when things didn't go exactly right. She would encourage you not to panic. And then show you things to do to save the meal or turn it into something else. She was so encouraging and wanted everyone to believe they could do this stuff and to keep trying and not give up. One time she stuck her spatula into the running mixer and sent it flying across the room. One time she got choked on a green bean and kept coughing and hacking the rest of the show. One time her apple something collapsed into a blob on the plate. One time she jammed up her meat grinder with fish. She grabbed hot pans and skillets and burned her fingers a few times. She was just real, and Jamie is carrying on the real. Great job Jamie and thanks so much!!!
finished log actually brought tears to my eyes... loved the addition of Christmas music. Magical.
I cooked professionally for 18 years, I can’t bake worth a damn but you have inspired me to take up baking I love seeing all the mistakes I have made , baking is definitely an art great job and thank you
To watch you go from utter despair to pure delight dancing around your kitchen was the best pick-me-up.
I have had a really crappy day. Seeing you posting a video genuinely made it a little better, and for what it is worth seeing the failures makes the success feel so much more genuine in your videos. A sincere thank you from someone who needed something to look forward to lately.
Hope you have a better tomorrow. Happy holidays .
Sorry you're having an awful day. I hope things improve for you and that 2023 will be a good year.
Praying you have hope and better days coming soon. 🙏
Hang in there, Chris
Jamie...This was the rolled cake that broke me... YOU DID IT! I'm in tears...of joy. Thank you for making this. I know it's possible now.
Those mushrooms are the most adorable little things I've ever seen 😊
I remember watching, as a child with my mom, Julia doing that spun sugar broom handle thing and we both died laughing at how over the top that was! LOL your method was just as effective 😉
😂
Bake cakes just below centre oven and add a little oil to your batter. Butter goes hard and brittle in the fridge.
Bake it on an aluminum foil, than roll it and leave it inside for about 30 min, the steam will help to detach it easily, and It won’t crack! I’ve been making la bûche de Noël l🪵 for years, it never breaks. You got this!
Ooh, interesting! And it doesn't get soggy from the steam?
@@Piggelgesicht No, it won’t! It’s a family trick!
Or parchment and wrap in a clean towel when rolling it first. When ready to fill unroll and fill and reroll.
Is there such a word as reroll?
Jamie and Christina have a very Merry Christmas 🎅🎄☃️🙏👍
Brilliant! Because I gave up rolled cakes like 5 years ago! I will give it one more go with your "family secret!" Thanks for sharing! Merry Christmas!
I've always been reluctant to try rolled cake but I might have to with your trick! Thanks!
I just don't know how you manage to be so tenacious. For me, the first cake would have been on the floor and me in bed crying.
Julia would be so incredibly proud! Those mushrooms were perfection. For whatever it’s worth I think Julie would have appreciated your humor and approach to her recipes. I think she would have been tickled by you. Wishing you and your family a beautiful holiday season!
I love this channel so much because Jamie includes all his trials and tribulations. Superb effort Jamie, your Yule Log is still beautiful!
Your finished bûche is fabulous, like something from a professional bakery. Wonderful.
I'm amazed. Your final finished cake was the most beautiful you've ever produced. It looked sensational. I think the lesson here is when the cake breaks up just roll with it, gather it together into a log shape and proceed as you finally did with the third one. The extra rosemary and cranberries were inspirational and just added to the event. Have a really good Christmas and New Year and I like loads of your subscribers will be looking forward to more madness and miracles in 2023 from you. All the Very Best!!
This made me wonder - you know how people make truffles or cake pops with crumbled up cake mixed with frosting and rolled into balls? If your rolled cake is a disaster, can it be purposely crumbled, mixed with frosting, then rolled into a log?
@@jvallas i've tried, its too sticky
Jamie, you are an absolute treasure. A genuine, absolute treasure. One of the best things about this year was finding your channel. You never fail to put a smile on my face, and that can be a tall order on too many days. I thought this Yule log turned out beautifully, and I ADORE those mushrooms!!! Like, I’m obsessed, lol! I’m wishing you and yours Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. 🎄❤️
I thought you were going to give up, but the result looks absolutely stunning! This is easily my favourite cooking show on TH-cam, keep doing what you're doing man, you're amazing!
The lights on the house plants are my favorite part of this video lol
I make this recipe every year and the TEA TOWEL throws me every single time! i just let it cool very slightly before putting the creme de chantilly on and just rolling it then immediately cooling it in the fridge and it works each time : D
Those mushrooms were so cute! I need to make them! And your final cake turned out pretty darn good. Don't sell yourself short!
That Yule log would have quickly become a trifle in my kitchen.
I vividly remember, as a child, watching this exact episode of Julia Childs PBS show. Broomstick and all! Thanks for bringing it to life for me, albeit very much appreciated, 2022 style.
Amazing job Jamie! It turned out so pretty!! Those mushrooms were so cute! The improvising around the sugar spun moss worked really well too! I live vicariously through you in the kitchen and glad you're doing it so I don't have to. Your tenacity is admirable!
I have to say, I really like the musical choices you did for this video. They're great!
Wow, that conclusion was right up there with Frodo finally throwing the One Ring in. Bravo!
We need Silver Fox and "Bowl Me" merch ASAP
I’m with you. There needs to be these ASAP.
There is no pain like the pain of watching Jamie make rolled cakes 😂 I would have thrown the cakes at the wall, I applaud you for your patience 🎉
You’re a better man than me, Gunga Din - You made a gorgeous Bûche de Noël! I would’ve stopped after Disaster #1, scooped everything up, shaped it into a ball or balls, placed it in a decorative platter, and iced it liberally. Then I’d’ve placed the mushrooms strategically, sprinkled sugared raspberries around, and called it a Merde de Noël.
Happy holidays (whichever they may be), kick back, drink up, pop some corn and watch a great Christmas movie. Mine is THE REF. If you haven’t seen it, give it a shot. You won’t shoot your eye out!
Merde de Noël! Lol!
Yes, The Ref is #1 quotable Christmas movie.
I've just entirely randomly stumbled across your content, I'm a fan of a lot of the big food tubers on the site, so it was only a matter of time until I spotted your stuff.
The collective works of Julia have a very important place in my life, when my mother first turned ill and had to retire she fell in love with the works of Julia, and really developed a passion for the culinary arts that she helped instill in me.
We lost her a few years ago, and so as I sit here and watch this I find myself thinking that it's beautiful that another generation can learn to cook the same way she did, with the inspiration from a fantastic chef who wanted to bring culinary arts to the masses.
You've got to subscriber for life, now excuse me while I go watch your entire backlog. Happy Christmas.
I feel ya, sponge was not my favorite to do but when it works it looks great. I roll with parchment paper or wax and I don't roll as tight as you do. especially since I usually put fruit in it. But I do enjoy watching someone doing Julia's cooking. She made things look so effortless
I don't enjoy cooking, I'm terrible at it, but after watching Jamie I've gotten braver in the Kitchen. All your stress is worth it for all the inspiration you give. Thank you and Merry Xmas!
Rolled cakes are one of the most unforgiving desserts to make, but the wow factor makes them worth it. Great finished presentation.
I tap the sifter with a fork/spoon to get a light dusting. It gives a lot more control.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and all.
That was a journey. We appreciate your perseverance! There's a lesson in it, for sure.
Can I just say how beautiful those mushrooms were!!! And the finished product bore none of your struggles. Which is as it should be. See you in 2023!
The fact your playing Wagner is a testament to stubbornness! It looks lovely. Merry Christmas, Jamie and family
Jamie your personality is just as rich as these wonderful recipes. You're awesome.
Cozying up to watch this as the storm front comes through. Thank you for all your hard work, Jamie! These videos never fail to put a smile on my face ☺️☺️
Stay safe and warm! Sharing my Yule logs (real one for fire and baked one for noms lol) in spirit! 🎄❄️💙
Watching you eat it at the end was worth the pain of watching you make it. Merry Christmas! 😊🥂🎄✨
Yay, my suggestion made it.
BRAVO! You stuck with it and what a triumph! My heart soared when you finished it off and enjoyed every mouthful! Great job!
First off, I just want to say bravo! It looks fabulous! Actually you had me clapping and yelling bravo, bravo to The Silver Fox. 😂 I’m just wondering if the pan is too big for the amount of batter and that’s why it keeps cracking. Just an idea…. Still, you did an awesome job! Bravo again!
My jelly roll pans are 10” x 15”, not 11” x 17”. The cakes in this video look too thin, hence overbaking, extensive cracking, etc. I use a similar cake recipe, and mine cooks in 18 minutes, but that's at 6,500’ elevation. Don't overbeat the egg whites because that dries them. Also, I use a knife to partially cut through the cake about 1” from the edge where I start rolling and use sugared parchment instead of a towel. Don't give up! You can do it! (In the meantime, make rum soaked trifles with the scraps.)
Would love to see some ‘Julia inspired’ recipes ie this same recipe but using more contemporary techniques. Love these but gotta be an easier way to make a Yule log. Merry Christmas Jamie!
This was quite the journey, Jamie! The end product was stunning, you should be proud!
I've done the Julia Childs frosting after watching your videos and when I tell you I've never gotten so many compliments on a cake than this one
if it cracks, cover it with frosting...more frosting is always better. Buche de Noel is super daunting. I'm super impressed. When it comes to decorating them, make it yours! Directions are good, but sometimes decorating is more of an art than a science. Also, I use wax paper and the back of a chair for the spun sugar.
Growing up my mom made many different rolls and she always used wax paper to do it and never had a problem. She was an amazing cook and baker.
the bravery and perseverance displayed here is truly inspirational
This is becoming my favorite TH-cam channel… like, ever. I don’t bake. I don’t invest a ton of time into meals. I get it… it makes sense to me as to why people would. But this show… this guy… he’s one of us! The cooking, the recipes, the comedy, the struggles and overcoming the struggles. Victory dammit. Victory for us all! 💪
This is like, highschool sports movie levels of comeback. Great job Jamie
The music alone just got me! Thanks for the entertainment this year, Jamie- you continue to inspire me to try new recipes.
Man, I have SO MUCH RESPECT for you! I watched the strawberry rolled cake episode too, and I would have given up. But you stuck it out and made beautiful cakes (eventually) in both episodes. Well done. You're definitely doing yeoman's work on these difficult recipes, showing us that it really can be done.
By the fourth cake I was routing out loud for you, Jamie. "I believe!" Went through all the emotions in this video
You are a joy to watch, sir! You deserve way more than 216k followers. Your content is some of the best out there.
About the recipe: the begining was tense, the middle was hopefull and the end was amazing.
About the "soudtrack": Awesome all along the whole video!!!!
Well done!
Merry Christmas Jamie and Christina 🎅🎄☃️❄
I use parchment and then roll with a clean towel and let it hold rolled till ready to fill. Make filling ahead and then refrigerate and then I bake my sponge. I never pit my sponge in the fridge until after filled. Fridge drys it out. A joy as always Jamie...you will conquer and will be able to do this with eyes closed...instincts( I don't bake mine as long as well about 12 to 15 minutes, because you've got this👍🙏
I love this series😂 I think it turned out beautifully!! (tip for spun sugar direction, I think the broom is supposed to be placed horizontally resting on two chairs)
Yes, I felt like shouting that at the screen 😁 but his turned out great, so no harm, no foul!
Those mushrooms were just adorable! What an amazing looking (and tasting by your reaction) Yule log. Thanks for keeping me smiling.
This is crying out to be a major tv series and book but I don't think that anyone could do this stuff better. One of the most entertaining and informative channels on youtube.
Props to you for managing to make such a beautiful Bûche ! Honestly most people in France just buy one... it's really hard to make in my opinion plus it is the finishing touch of a christmas dinner so i'd rather bail then fail on that one lol
Yours came out wonderful even after the trial and tribulation ! Bravo !
The one piece of advice I can give you, as someone who has literally been making the fanciest bûche de noël you will ever see since I was nine (well, helping my mom since I was nine; I think I first did it on my own at, like, fifteen), is don't worry so much about the cracks. A log is a lot more forgiving than a jelly roll, because the buttercream filling helps glue it all together. It can be completely falling apart, and as long as you keep it on your parchment until the final roll, it'll be fine. If it is falling apart, just refrigerate it after the final roll to help the filling hold on better before you ice the outside.
For the mushrooms, definitely don't sweat the shapes too much; real mushrooms get all misshapen all the time, it's more realistic if a sideways mushroom is bent at a weird angle anyway. Another option, since you're not really baking them so much as drying then out, is to save a bit of meringue to use as glue and stick 'em in the oven a touch longer.
I'm intrigued by this Italian buttercream for a French Christmas cake, though. (Italian buttercream is basically Italian meringue and butter; French buttercream is almost the same thing, but with yolks instead of whites, and it's what I've always used for bûche de noël.) To be fair, French buttercream is a lot richer; that slice you ate is about double what you could eat of my cake, which is probably a good thing because mine is gone far too quickly, but you really can't take a second slice of what's effectively chocolate butter mayonnaise without getting sick.
Also, as someone who uses vice grips every day (and adjustable crescent wrenches occasionally; the adjustability is nice, but they're kinda terrible at wrenching compared to the proper fixed-size wrench), I don't think I've ever heard someone call an adjustable crescent wrench a vice grips before 🤣
Fabulous episode. I went to pastry school for cake decorating, but never had to face a buche that wasn't rolled by an actual baker. Shout out to PreppyKitchen. Been a fan of his for years. And may I say that his apple pie and crust are beyond the beyond and best pies I ever made. If you ever want a course in the different kinds of buttercreams, he has great episodes...in fact, that's how I found him. But I digress. Jamie, thanks for a great wrap up to a Truly Great Year of Shows! P.S. The broomstick thing works well...only I used a long dowel. The point is it has to be horizontal, not vertical. The results are amazing. Also, my chef/teacher had us make a tool out of about a 6"x 4" piece of wood. Pounded a few rows of nails into it. (It needs to fit inside whatever pot is holding your sugar.) this is far better and faster than a fork, as there are multiple "tines" It was like spinning straw into gold and a lot of fun.
I've seen a whisk with the rounded section cut off so there are a bunch of "tines" - same concept as your tool.
I remember watching Julia's Yule Log episode as a kid, and as I recall, she used an actual broom handle to create the moss. I found it amazing and hilarious at the same time. Watch that episode if you can. 🤣
It would be interesting if you tell us how long you take to make a recipe!! It feels like you spend the whole day sometimes and it amazes us on how dedicated you are
The music score for the footage between 10:00 and 10:37 is perfect. It's soaring and hopeful, almost an embodiment of Jamie's tenacious effort in making this damned cake 🤣