Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 10x15 jelly roll pan
with parchment paper.
In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip whites
to stiff peaks. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
Place the yolks in the stand mixer and fit it with a paddle
attachment. Turn on low speed. Add brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla. Combine all
the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then add it to the stand mixer. Add yogurt
and molasses. Scrape down sides as needed and mix until smooth.
Remove bowl from stand mixer and fold whipped whites into
the cake mixture until smooth. Spread the cake batter onto prepared jelly roll
pan evenly. Bake for 10 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned and the
cake springs back to the touch.
While the cake is baking prepare a kitchen towel with a
heavy sprinkling of powdered sugar. Once the cake is done, immediately turn it
out onto the kitchen towel. Leave the parchment paper on. Start from one end and
roll the cake up into the towel. Allow the cake to cool in the towel for 1-2
hours at room temperature.
While the cake is cooling, make the sugared cranberries.
Make ½ cup simply syrup by microwaving ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup water in the microwave.
Let it cool slightly. Dunk each fresh cranberry into the simple syrup then into
the sugar. Let it dry on a rack until ready to use. I only sugared a few
cranberries as I like the contrast between sugared and not sugared in my final
piece.
Once the cake is cooled, unravel it in the towel. Keep it in
the towel and peel back the parchment paper.
Make the Mascarpone filling by combining all ingredients
into a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk until mixture has reached
stiff peaks. Use an offset spatula to smooth all the filling onto the cake.
Leave ½ inch of the sides around clear. Roll up the cake from one end to the
other, and place the entire cake onto a serving tray. If the cake cracks during
this process don’t worry- you’re just gonna cover it up with frosting anyway. Refrigerate
the cake on it’s serving tray for 30 minutes to 1 hour. This will help marry
your filling and cake and ensure its moistness.
To make the meringue, set up a double boiler with a comparable
metal or glass bowl to top it. Place sugar and whites into the bowl and whisk
over the double boiler until whites are warm and the sugar has dissolved.
Transfer to a mixer with a whisk attachment. Whip on high until you reach stiff
peaks. Add vanilla and whisk again to combine. Transfer 1/3 of the meringue
into a piping bag.
To decorate, use an offset spatula to cover the entire cake
in meringue. Smooth it out roughly as to mimic an actual log. Use the meringue
in the piping back to help cover the ends. Smooth it out with a spoon or offset
spatula. Use a fork and drag it a few times around the log. Once you’re happy
with the design, use a blow torch to slightly torch the edges to highlight the features
of your log. Use fresh rosemary, fresh cranberries, and sugared cranberries to
decorate.
Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. This
cake is best served the day it’s made but will last for 1-2 days if you want to
make it in advance.