Buche De Noel (Yule Log)

3 eggs                                                    1 cup sugar

1/3 cup water                                         1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup flour                                           1/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder                      1/4 teaspoon salt

Powdered sugar                                      1 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons sugar                                 1 recipe Yule Log Frosting

Green and red candied cherries, for garnishing

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan (10x15-inch pan) with waxed paper; grease paper.

Beat eggs in a large mixer bowl on high speed until thick and lemon-colored, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar. Beat in water and vanilla on low speed. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; add to egg and sugar mixture, beating just until batter is smooth. Pour batter into jelly roll pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool 5 minutes, then turn out onto a dish towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Remove waxed paper and roll up cake and towel from short end; set aside to cool.

While cake is cooling, beat whipping cream with 2 tablespoons sugar until stiff. Unroll cake and spread whipping cream over cake. Roll up again (without towel) and place seam side down on a serving plate. Cover roll with Yule Log Frosting, making strokes with tines of fork to resemble bark. Decorate with green and red candied cherries. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 10-12 servings.

Yule Log Frosting

1/3 cup cocoa                                           1/3 cup margarine, softened

2 cups powdered sugar                             1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 to 2 tablespoons hot water

Beat cocoa, margarine, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl. Add hot water a little at a time until frosting is smooth and of spreading consistency.