Purple Velvet Bûche de Noël

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a 17¼x12¼-inch rimmed baking sheet with baking spray with flour. Line backside of pan with parchment paper; spray parchment.

Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat eggs and granulated sugar at excessive velocity till thick, pale, and ribbon-consistency, 5 to 7 minutes. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt onto egg combination. Gently fold with a balloon whisk till mixed.

In a medium bowl, whisk collectively oil, buttermilk, meals coloring, vanilla, and vinegar; add 1 cup (75 grams) egg combination, and stir till mixed. Fold oil combination into remaining egg combination till mixed, scraping backside of bowl. Pour batter into ready pan, spreading easy with an offset spatula.

Bake till set and prime springs again when gently touched, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool utterly in pan on a wire rack.

Loosen cooled cake from sides of pan if wanted. Utilizing a serrated knife, trim ½ inch of every quick facet of cake. Lower cake into 4 (12×4-inch) items, being positive to chop by way of the parchment as effectively; use scissors if wanted. Rigorously take away every cake piece, with parchment hooked up, from pan. Unfold ⅔ cup (115 grams) Cream Cheese Filling onto every cake piece.

Beginning with one quick facet, roll up 1 cake piece right into a log, eradicating parchment as you roll, and place vertically in heart of a cake plate. Rigorously wrap a second cake piece round heart roll, eradicating parchment as you roll. Repeat with remaining cake items, making a spiral. Cowl and refrigerate till agency, about 4 hours.

Spoon Swiss Meringue right into a pastry bag fitted with a medium open star piping tip (Ateco #824). Beginning at base of cake, pipe meringue vertically up facet of cake. Repeat throughout cake, sometimes piping small circles to resemble the knots of a tree. Pipe a spiral on prime of cake, protecting ends of vertical traces as you attain periphery. Utilizing a handheld kitchen torch, fastidiously toast meringue as desired.

Adorn with Meringue Oyster Mushrooms, Almond-Chocolate Pine Cones, Sugared Cranberries and Rosemary, and confectioners’ sugar as desired. Greatest served similar day as made and assembled. Refrigerate in an hermetic container for as much as 3 days.

Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream cheese at medium velocity till easy. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, beating till mixed; scrape backside and sides of bowl. With mixer on medium-low velocity, slowly add chilly cream, beating till mixed. Scrape backside and sides of bowl. Beat at medium-high velocity till stiff peaks kind, 1 to 2 minutes. Use instantly.

Within the prime of a double boiler, whisk collectively sugar, egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar. Cook dinner over simmering water, stirring sometimes, till a sweet thermometer registers 140°F (60°C).

Switch combination to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat at excessive velocity till combination has cooled and tripled in quantity, 5 to 7 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

Reserve 1 cup meringue (about 95 grams) to make Meringue Oyster Mushrooms, if desired. Use remaining meringue instantly.

Preheat oven to 225°F (107°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Switch Swiss Meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch spherical piping tip (Ateco #806).

Generously mud cocoa onto ready pan. Pipe meringue in various ½- to 1-inch-wide dollops 2 to three inches aside on parchment. Frivolously mud cocoa onto meringue. Cowl with a sheet of parchment paper; gently press circles to flatten to about ½ inch thick. Place one other rimmed baking sheet on parchment.

Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Flip off oven, and let meringues cool in oven with door closed for a minimum of 1 hour earlier than utilizing, or till prepared to make use of. When prepared to make use of, gently take away prime parchment, invert meringues, and gently take away remaining parchment. Greatest served similar day as made. Retailer in an hermetic container for as much as 2 days.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Divide almond paste into 1-teaspoon (8-gram) parts for small pine cones, 2-teaspoon (16-gram) parts for medium, or 1-tablespoon (24-gram) parts for big; form every portion right into a cone with a flat base.

Dip one finish of an almond slice into melted chocolate, and beginning at backside of cone, press into cone. Repeat process to cowl cone, staggering and overlapping almonds throughout cone. Refrigerate in an hermetic container for a minimum of 1 hour earlier than utilizing or for as much as 3 days. Simply earlier than utilizing, evenly mud with cocoa. Frivolously mud with confectioners’ sugar for a snowy look if desired.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, and place a wire rack on prime of every.

In a small saucepan, whisk collectively granulated sugar and ½ cup (120 grams) water. Deliver to a boil over medium-high warmth; scale back warmth to low, and simmer for two to three minutes. Take away from warmth, and let cool for 10 to fifteen minutes.

Dip rosemary sprigs in syrup till simply coated in syrup; place on one ready rack. Repeat process with cranberries, utilizing a slotted spoon to take away. Let stand till dry, about 1 hour.

In a medium bowl, place glowing sugar. Dredge rosemary in sugar to coat; return to wire rack. Repeat process with cranberries, utilizing a slotted spoon. Let stand till dry, about 1 hour. Retailer in an hermetic container for as much as 2 days.