How to Make and Decorate a Whimsical Yule-Log Layer Cake

This tall rum-spiked layer cake is filled with chestnut frosting and decorated with chocolate frosting to look like a magical log.

Ingreadient

• 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ¼ teaspoons coarse salt
• 2 cups peeled roasted chestnuts (from two 5.3-ounce packages)
• 2 tablespoons golden rum
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 5 large eggs, separated, room temperature
• 4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 5 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 2 cups peeled roasted chestnuts (from two 5.3-ounce packages)
• 3 tablespoons golden rum
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• Marzipan for decorations
• Raspberries, for placing on a few of the marzipan mushrooms

Direction

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment; butter parchment. Flour pans and tap out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
2. In a food processor, puree chestnuts with rum and 2 tablespoons water. Add sugars; process to combine. Add butter and vanilla; process to combine. Add egg yolks; process to combine.
3. Transfer chestnut mixture to a large bowl; whisk in flour mixture.
4. Whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold into batter.
5. Divide batter among pans; smooth tops. Bake until a tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack, 10 minutes, then remove from pans and let cool completely.
6. With a mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla and salt. Divide mixture into 2 bowls.
7. Puree chestnuts and rum in food processor until almost smooth, then stir into half of frosting.