Recipe: Christmas Yule Log

Looking for a last minute centrepiece to give your Christmas table the ‘wow’ factor? Try my yummy Christmas yule log - easy to make within 3 hours, and perfect to enjoy with afternoon Christmas nibbles.

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Christmas Yule Log

Ingredients:

• 100 caster sugar
• 75g self-raising flour
• 30g cocoa powder
• 4 medium eggs

Chocolate Ganache: 

• 500g chocolate (I used milk chocolate - 30% cocoa solids)
• 500g double cream

 

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190˚C, and grease and line a swiss roll tin with baking parchment.

2. Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl, and add the sugar. Mix using an electric whisk for 5-10 minutes until the mixture doubles in volume, becomes very pale / almost white, and thickens to leave a trail.

3. Sift the flour and cocoa powder into the mixture and fold in carefully until combined. Be careful not to over-mix as this will knock out air.

4. Pour the mixture into the lined tin and tip to spread the mixture evenly. Place in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until the sponge is slightly darker in colour, springy to touch, and coming away from the edge of the baking tray.

5. Meanwhile, place a sheet of baking parchment on top of the work surface and sprinkle generously with icing sugar.

6. When the sponge is baked, loosen the edges from the tin with a knife if necessary, and turn it on to the sugared baking parchment. Peel off the baking parchment and neatly trim all four edges to remove crispy bits and to make them straight.

7. Carefully roll up the sponge, like a swiss roll. To be extra safe, you could place a sheet of baking parchment on top of the sponge before rolling to prevent the rolled layers sticking together. When rolled, leave the sponge to cool.

Hint: There are a number of videos on YouTube to guide you through this stage if you are unsure of what to do and how to roll.

8. When the sponge is cooling, make the chocolate ganache. For this, heat the cream in a saucepan so that it is almost too warm to keep your finger in the liquid. Then, remove it from the heat and gradually add the chocolate, mixing it through until it has all melted. You should achieve a smooth and glossy consistency.

 

9. Allow the ganache to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for an hour until it thickens.

Top Top: If the ganache cools but does not thicken enough to spread, whisk the mixture using an electric whisk until a spreadable / pipeable consistency is achieved.

10. Un-roll the sponge and evenly spread a generous amount of the ganache onto it. Re-roll the sponge so that the join is on the bottom, and place it on a cake board or serving plate.

11. Carefully and evenly spread or pipe the remaining ganache on the log so that all of the sponge is covered. If desired, use a fork to create a ‘bark’ effect, then dust with icing sugar and decorate if desired.

12. Enjoy your Yule Log and have a very Merry Christmas!