• Making the recipe in the order shared below will ensure you are spending less time, as all necessary parts are ready for assembly when you are ready to do so.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C.
• Time to separate the 5 egg whites and 7 egg yolks. Find a medium-size mixing bowl and place the egg whites. Place the yolks in a large-mixing bowl.
• In the egg whites' bowl, using a hand-mixer or a whisk, mix until little bubbles begin to form. Then gradually add the 1/2 cup sugar (118 g) and whisk until shiny and glossy and medium peaks form.
• In the egg yolk bowl, using a hand-mixer, beat the egg yolks with the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar (60 g) and mix until pale and fluffy.
• Now take the egg white mixture and gradually fold into the yolk mixture with a spatula. Fold in until combined. Now gently fold in the cocoa powder until just combined. The stove should be ready now. Grab a half-sheet baking pan and line with parchment. Pour the cake batter into the the half-sheet baking pan and spread evenly from side to side. Bake for 7-8 minutes until when you press gently in the center of the cake it springs back. Remove from the stove and let cool until ready to assemble.

Vanilla Syrup

• In a small sauce pan, combine the sugar and vanilla with the 2/3 c. water (160 ml) and bring to a simmer until sugar as completely dissolved. Remove from the stove and set aside to cool.

Dark Chocolate Mousse

• Place the chocolate, broken into rough small pieces, into a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream to medium stiff peaks. Place in the refrigerator to cool until needed.
• In a very small bowl, combine 1/2 tsp of cold water with the gelatin until it dissolves. It may become clumpy and that is okay as it will eventually dissolve in the warm milk mixture you will be making next.
• In a small sauce pan, pour the milk and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, remove from the stove and immediately add the gelatin mixture and mix until combined. This will take a few seconds. Pour this warm mixture directly over the chocolate in the small bowl and do not touch for 30 seconds. Let it naturally melt the chocolate. Once the 30 seconds has passed, stir with a spatula until combined and let cool slightly to 93 degrees F/34 degrees C.
• Remove the whipped cream from the fridge and pour the ganache you have just made into the whipping cream, gently folding until incorporated. Now place back into the fridge to cool until you are ready to assemble the cake.

Dark Chocolate Ganache

• Place the dark chocolate in a large bowl (make sure it is heat proof) and set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until fully combined.
• In a small sauce pan, bring the cream and milk to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once it begins to simmer, remove from the heat and slowly pour 1/3 of it into the egg yolk mixture. Gently combine. Then add one more 1/3 of the milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture. Gently combine. Now do the reverse and pour all of the mixture you just combined back into the saucepan with the remaining 1/3 milk mixture and return to the stove top. Cook this custard over medium heat, stirring continuously until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of your spatula. About 4-6 minutes.
• Pour the custard over the top of the chocolate in the large heat-proof bowl. Do not mix. Let stand as it is for 1-2 minutes. While waiting for the custard to naturally melt the chocolate, in a small bowl whisk together the cocoa powder with 3 Tbsp of water until combined. Add this cocoa mixture to the custard and chocolate bowl, and mix everything together until combined. You are adding the cocoa mixture to darken the color of the ganache so that it is differentiated from the mouse .

Assembly

• Tear out one more sheet of parchment and lay it on a flat surface. Invert the sheet cake carefully out of the half baking sheet onto the new parchment paper. Gently, pull off the original parchment paper.
• Grab your small sauce pan with the vanilla syrup and using a small brush, spread entirely over the cake. Be generous as this will keep the cake supple and make easier to roll without breaking it.
• Take the chocolate mousse out of the fridge and begin to spread on top of the cake evenly and nearly from edge to edge.
• Now to roll: using the parchment, pull it up and toward you so to pull the short edge of the cake up and into itself, rolling as tightly as possible. The parchment will help to keep the cake in tact as you begin the roll. Go slowly. Once completely rolled, place the seam at the bottom. Place on a serving platter and chill for one hour. Chilling will make frosting the cake easier ensuring you don't tear the cake with the frosting.

  Now, make sure the ganache you made for the frosting is sitting at room temperature. This too will keep the frosting soft enough to make it easier to spread.

Final Frosting

• Using a spatula, you will be covering the cake twice with the ganache. Be generous and leave the ends of the cake free of frosting as you want to be able to see the neat roll you have created. The second layer of ganache will enable you to create ridges with either the edge or the flat side of the spatula (narrow or wide - your choice).
• Chill the Bûche de Noël for at least 30 minutes or up to one day. Chilling the cake enables you to cut easily the cake into 1/2" slices and the cake will hold its shape.
• To decorate, use chocolate truffles or chocolate pieces, anything that adds a touch of color or texture. You could even add holly sprigs like I did, but don't eat them!
• Now to enjoy. You did it! Congratulations and Joyeuse Fêtes !