Tronchetto di Natale

Tronchetto di Natale, Bûche de Noël, is a great classic of holiday pastry-making and a symbol of the warmth of the hearth. It is prepared with a very soft sponge cake and an abundant, indulgent dark chocolate ganache.
In this recipe, created especially for you by our food ambassador Silvia, this traditional Christmas dessert meets the simple and authentic ingredients of Trentino: fresh cream, free-range eggs, and mixed berry jam.

Its original shape also recalls the trees of our forests, bringing the beloved Trentino mountains to your festive table.

A small masterpiece of softness and indulgence, to be prepared with passion, without haste and with a little care, capable of bringing magic to the table on the most enchanting day of the year and delighting your loved ones!

METHOD

1. Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Using an electric whisk, beat the yolks with half of the sugar and the lemon zest until light and fluffy.
2. Whip the egg whites until stiff with the remaining sugar, then gently fold them into the yolk mixture using a spatula, working from the bottom upwards.
3. Gradually add the sifted flour, folding it in gently from the bottom upwards to avoid deflating the mixture.
4. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, pour in the batter and spread it evenly into a rectangular shape.
5. Bake the sponge cake at 180°C (static oven, preheated) for about 8 minutes, without overbaking, until lightly golden. Before removing from the oven, you may check with a toothpick.
6. Remove the sponge cake from the tray with the parchment paper and place it on a clean kitchen towel. Sprinkle the entire surface with the sugar.
7. Cover the sugared surface with plastic wrap, including the edges.
8. Loosen the edges of the sponge cake from the parchment paper with a knife and roll it up gently, helping yourself with the parchment paper, removing it carefully.
9. Wrap the roll completely in plastic wrap and let it rest and cool at room temperature.
10. Coarsely chop the dark chocolate. Heat the cream in a saucepan until it reaches a boil.
11. Remove from the heat and add the dark chocolate to the cream, then let it cool until the ganache thickens.
12. Remove the outer plastic wrap and gently unroll the sponge cake on the towel, carefully removing the inner plastic wrap.
13. Spread the jam, leaving about 1 cm free around the edges, then add the first portion of ganache. Roll it up again, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
14. Remove the plastic wrap and make two diagonal cuts at the ends. Place the main log on a serving platter and arrange the cut pieces to form branches.
15. For the decoration, prepare the second portion of ganache, let it cool until it reaches the right consistency, then cover the entire surface of the log, removing any excess chocolate.
16. Create bark-like grooves using a knife and decorate with berries and rosemary.