Christmas Yule Log

Instructions

1. Beat the egg whites with salt until they stand in soft peaks.
2. Add 4 tablespoons of sugar, one tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until meringue is very stiff.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar and vanilla.
4. Sift together the flour and cocoa.
5. Gently fold about 1/4 of the meringue into the egg yolk mixture.
6. Pour the egg yolk mixture back into the remaining meringue.
7. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the flour-cocoa mixture and fold together.
8. Repeat until all the flour is blended, being careful not to overmix.
9. Pour the batter into a buttered 10 x 15-inch jelly roll pan lined with buttered wax paper.
10. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 400°F until the cake springs back when touched.
11. Sprinkle a tea towel with confectioners' sugar.
12. As soon as baked, invert the cake onto the towel so the wax paper is on top.
13. Do not remove the wax paper.
14. Roll the cake tightly in the towel to a 16-inch long cylinder and cool.
15. Carefully unroll and peel off the wax paper.
16. Trim off the crusty edges and spread the cake thinly with buttercream, then thickly with whipped cream.
17. Re-roll the cake and refrigerate for half an hour before serving.