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Writer's pictureMangia McCann

Oscars Tasting Menu: American Fiction

Did I like American Fiction? It had some very funny parts. But, I also felt like I was watching a made-for-tv movie at many other times. Do I think it’s Oscar-worthy? No. But some of the actors are definitely deserving for their roles. I was also a bit confused at the end. Had we just been all wrapped-up in a very meta joke by the Director? Or, was I reading too much into things? I really don’t know and haven’t been able to find answers to the questions I had. But, I decided to make a joke of my own with this little dessert. An amuse-bouche is a small bite in an otherwise long dinner. A buche de noel is a large dessert cake disguised as a yule log. Put them together and you have this 3” wide amuse-bouche de noel!



Caramel-Espresso Buttercream Amuse-Bouche de Noel adapted from America’s Test Kitchen, Andrea Geary


For the full-sized cake recipe, see the link above. This is a custom tailored recipe for amuse-bouche sized treats.

Buttercream Filling

  • 1 cup heavy cream, divided

  • 1.5 tsp espresso powder

  • ¼ cup + 2 tbsp sugar

  • 1 oz water

  • 1.5 tsp light corn syrup

  • 2 oz softened cream cheese, cut into 4 pieces

Cake

  • 74 grams of cake flour

  • 74 grams sugar

  • ¾ tsp baking powder

  • 3 large eggs, separated

  • ¼ cup vegetable oil

  • 2 tbsp water

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • ⅛ tsp cream of tartar

  • Clean dish towel and 2 cooling racks

Ganache

  • ¼ cup + 2 tbsp heavy cream

  • 3 oz bittersweet chocolate chips

  • 1 tsp light corn syrup

  • Confectioners’ sugar for dusting the cake


Prepare the filling by pouring half of the cream into the bowl of your stand mixer.


Whisk together the remaining cream and espresso powder in a small pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.


Then, bring the sugar, water, and  syrup to a boil in a saucier (or medium-sized pot) until it turns golden. Reduce the heat to medium-low and swirl the pan until the syrup has caramelized to a bronze color. 


Carefully whisk in the hot cream, then add in the cream cheese, cover and let sit for 5 minutes.


Whisk once more until mostly smooth, then transfer to the bowl of cold cream and stir until combined. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours.


While the cream cools, make the cake by setting a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 350. Grease a small baking tray (about half the size of a cookie sheet), place a sheet of parchment on the tray then heavily spray the parchment with more cooking spray.


Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of salt, in a large bowl. Whisk egg yolks, oil, water, and vanilla into the flour mixture until a smooth batter forms. 


Whisk the egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy. Add in the cream of tartar and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks hold. 


Whisk ⅓ of the whipped egg whites into the batter, then fold in the remaining whipped egg whites until no more streaks of white appear. 


Transfer the batter to the prepared baking sheet and tap the tray on the counter, firmly, to move any bubbles to the surface. 


Bake for about 13 minutes until the middle of the cake springs back after a light poke. While the cake bakes, soak a dish towel and ring out any excess water. 


Once the cake has cooked, transfer to a cooling rack and run a knife around the edge of the cake. Place the other rack on top of the cake and flip over. Carefully remove the parchment paper. Lay the damp kitchen towel over the cake and invert once more. Roll the cake up in the kitchen towel and place it seam-side down on the cooling rack. Let it cool for 1 hour.


Make the ganache by bringing the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Place chocolate and corn syrup in a bowl, then cover with the warmed cream and let stand for a minute. Then, stir to combine. Let it cool for about an hour.


After the buttercream has chilled properly, place the bowl into your stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment and whip on high speed until the mixture is thick and fluffy, about 2 mins. 


Unfurl the cake (do not press down the curled edges) and spread the buttercream all over, leaving a ½-inch border of unfrosted cake. Cut the cake in half, then re-roll the cakes tightly (without the kitchen towel), wrap tightly in cling film and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. 


When the cakes have chilled, cut away the uneven edges, then into several 4 inch sections cutting one edge on a bias. Then cut away some pieces which are roughly 1.5 inches. Apply the ganache to the now-3-inch pieces. Affix the smaller pieces to the larger ones, resembling a log with a branch, with some ganache and coat them as well.


Run a fork over the surface in alternating and curving patterns to resemble tree bark. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve.

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Copyright 2024, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.

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