Snowy Yule Log Cake

By theadmin

With Christmastime approaching, the house filling up, feasts to be cooked, and little ones getting underfoot, the perfect thing for a chilly afternoon is this festive chocolate tree. It’s as fun to eat as it is to look at, and kids can while away hours decorating the woodland scene with confectioners’ sugar for fallen snow; edible glitter for stars; small fondant reindeer, snowmen, and holly; or whatever else their imaginations come up with!

Ingredients:

For the chocolate sponge:
3 large eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 drops vanilla extract
1 ½ tablespoons warm water
A pinch of salt

For the filling and frosting:
9 ½ ounces heavy cream
2 cups good quality chocolate, broken up
Confectioners’ sugar, to taste, plus extra for decorating

Snowy Yule Log Cake

Method:

Preheat oven to 356 F. Line a medium baking pan with parchment paper for your chocolate sponge.

In a heatproof bowl placed over boiling water, whisk eggs and sugar until thick, light, and fluffy. Check to see if they’re done by dragging some of the egg mixture over the surface of the bowl — they’re done when the “ribbon” stays visible for a few seconds.

Using a metal spoon, fold the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla into the eggs, taking care not to knock too much air out of the mixture, then spread into your pan, smooth the surface, and pop it in the oven immediately for 12–15 minutes. It’s done when your finger leaves no imprint in the sponge when lightly pressed.

Gently loosen your sponge from the pan and turn out upside down onto parchment paper dusted with sugar. Roll up the sponge with the parchment still on it to give the cake a muscle memory that’ll make it easier to roll later. You can score it to a third of the depth if it doesn’t want to roll.

For your filling, gently heat the cream in a bowl suspended over hot water. When the edges begin to bubble, add the chocolate, remove from the heat, and stir until melted. Add confectioners’ sugar to taste if your chocolate is bitter, then load into a piping bag. When it’s cooled slightly, spread a thin layer of chocolate cream onto your sponge, leaving an inch around the edges dry.

Roll the sponge. Peel off the parchment and place on a clean kitchen towel — you can use this to help the cake roll more easily and prevent you from getting sticky fingers. Trim the raggedy ends and place on the plate you want to serve it on. Then, using a wide star nozzle, pipe the remaining chocolate cream over the roll. It should start to look like a fallen log with yummy chocolate bark. When the frosting has set, it’s time to decorate!

For more of our holiday recipes, try these Christmas cookies, cocoa twists, and homemade marshmallows.