Instructions

For the Chocolate Sponge

1. Follow the directions on Joy of Baking to the letter. One thing I did do that I recommend you do as well: spray the parchment with cooking spray and then dust it liberally with cocoa powder (use a fine strainer for this). It will help keep the cake from sticking.

For the Cran-Raspberry Mascarpone Cream

1. Whip the heavy cream along with sugar (to taste) and a pinch of salt until thickened.
2. Whip in the mascarpone cheese. Just plop it in there. If you're using the whip attachment on your stand mixer, I promise it will all come together. If you're using a hand mixer, plop the beaters right on top of the blob of cheese to break it up and then mix away.
3. Your cream and cheese mixture will whip up quickly at this point, so be careful not to overwhip. The cheese can turn grainy and gross, so just take it to medium peaks.
4. Plop in the cranberry sauce and chopped raspberries and whip for 2-3 seconds to get it going, then fold in by hand so there are no steaks.

To Assemble the Roll

1. Leave your cooled cake in the pan and remove the towel.
2. Spread the filling evenly over the cake, from edge to edge. Leave about 1 1/2" plain at one short end, but cover the rest with an even coat. Reserve about 3 Tablespoons of the filling.
3. Using the parchment to help you, roll the cake up starting from the short end and rolling towards the end that you left plain. Carefully peel back the parchment as you roll. That initial roll may very well crack, but it's in the middle, so don't worry too much about it. Mine cracked about 1 1/2" in, but whatever. Keep rolling and peeling back the parchment until he's all rolled up. Move the roll to a cutting board, seam side down. Have your Presentation Platter ready too. Cover it with some strips of waxed paper so you don't make a mess on the platter. You'll carefully pull those pieces out before the final garnishing.
4. Trim one end of your jelly roll at an angle. You can make this piece as large or as small as you want, but for aesthetics, I wouldn't make it any more than 1/2 of the length of the remaining roll. Set that guy aside for a moment.
5. Place the longer part of your roll on the serving platter. Slather the remaining filling mixture on the angled end of the piece you just cut off and then stick it to the roll wherever you want. The reserved mixture will act as glue, so press it together fairly well without squishing your cake.
6. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

For the Ganache

1. Bring the cream just to a boil and then remove from the heat.
2. Pour in the chopped chocolate all at once and stir until emulsified--rich, thick, dark and shiny.
3. Refrigerate until it's the consistency of frosting. You don't want it to be runny.

To Make the "Bark"

1. Once the ganache is at spreading consistency, remove the cake from the fridge.
2. Using a small offset spatula (because it's easy to use, but use what you have), spread a thin coat of ganache all over the roll and down to the waxed paper. Try not to leave any of the roll naked. But if you have to, cover it with whipped cream later!
3. Once the ganache is spread evenly. Drag the tines of a fork back and forth over it until it looks as barkish as you want.
4. Refrigerate until the ganache is set. You'll be able to tell because it will no longer be shiny.

To Garnish

1. Using a serrated knife, carefully trim off the very ends of your jelly roll so there's no sloppy filling sticking out.
2. Carefully remove the strips of waxed paper from around the cake roll. You may have to hold the cake in place with a spatula while you pull. Just go slowly and get rid of all the waxed paper.
3. Liberally dust the cake with powdered sugar. Some of it will dissolve as it sits, so use more than you think you need.
4. Whip your cream to stiff peaks (I use cream, a touch of sugar, a pinch of salt and a little bit of vanilla). I think I whipped about 3/4 cup to garnish mine. Make as much or as little as you want.
5. Apply your whipped cream artfully around your Yule Log.
6. Press sugared cranberries and raspberries wherever you think they should go.
7. Some edible (or at least non-toxic) greenery would be lovely as well.
8. Before presenting, dust the entire thing--platter and all--with some more powdered sugar.