Zoë's Buche de Noel - Andrew Zimmern

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (90g) cake flour
• 1/4 cup (25g) Dutch-processed cocoa
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 5 large eggs, separated
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (175g) granulated sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting towel
• 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 1/4 cups frozen sour cherries, thawed and drained
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 cup egg whites (from about 8 eggs), at room temperature
• 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 pounds (6 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 2-tablespoon sized pieces, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon espresso powder
• Chocolate ganache for mushrooms
• Gold edible luster dust (optional)
• Silver, gold, and white dragees and/or large nonpareils (optional)
• Fresh cherries, brushed with pasteurized egg whites and dusted with sugar (optional)