christmas is the time for second chances / chocolate log redux

I know I said I didn't think it would be worth it to make the Cordon Rose Chocolate Christmas Log again, but, hey, it's the holidays--when if not now to develop a little more patience?  Thankfully, take two turned out much better than the first attempt, and took a lot less time.  I was more exact with the ingredients and was careful to smooth out the batter well in the pan before baking, so the cake looked better out of the oven:

I don't think I rolled this one quite as tightly as the last, though, and it didn't set in the fridge for quite as long, so the roll got a little flattened on the bottom.

The biggest improvement, by far, was that I didn't overcool the ganache, so that it was still of a spreadable consistency and didn't crumble when raked with the fork.  For added detail, I piped some royal icing grass on the cake board, which also made it easier to set the mushrooms.