Buche de Noel

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 15x10x1 inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Line with waxed paper. Coat paper with nonstick spray as well.

For the cake:
Sift flour, nutmeg, and salt into a small bowl.

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl until frothy. Gradually beat in 1/4 cup granulated sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

With mixer on high, beat yolks in a separate bowl with 1/3 cup sugar until thick and lemon-colored; approximately 5 minutes. Beat in almond extract. Fold flour mixture into yolk mixture. Fold yolk mixture into the egg white mixture. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake at 375F for 14-15 minutes, until center springs back when gently pressed. When done, remove it from the oven. Sift confectioners’ sugar over a clean kitchen towel (may need more than 1/3 cup). Invert cake onto the towel; remove pan and paper from the cake. Starting from long side of the cake, roll cake up inside of the towel. Cool the cake in a roll, seam-side down, on a wire rack.

Filling/frosting:
Combine milk, heavy cream, and pudding mix. Beat on high for 2 minutes, until thickened.

Unroll cake. Spread half of the frosting inside of the cake. Reroll the cake without the towel. Cut ends off of the cake, using parallel diagonal cuts. Reserve ends to use as “knots”. Place cake slices, seam-side down, on serving plate. Place a “knot” on each side of the cake. Spread remaining frosting over the log and “knots”, leaving all ends exposed. Dust with a little cocoa powder, so that the log resembles a birch tree, if desired.