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Chocolate Yule Log

Updated: 24 Jan 2021

Ingredients

Cake

  • 35g cocoa powder
  • 5 tbsp boiling water
  • 5 eggs
  • 125g caster sugar
  • 125g gf self-raising flour
  • Butter, for tray

Vanilla buttercream filling

  • 175g icing sugar
  • 125g butter, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate icing for the top

  • 100ml cream
  • 200g milk chocolate
  • 1 tbsp icing sugar

Alternative icing if you don't have cream:

  • 175g dark chocolate, chopped
  • 250g icing sugar
  • 225g soft butter
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c.
  2. Rub some butter around the inside of a 22 x 33cm baking tray, and insert greaseproof paper to line it.
  3. Put the cocoa and water into a bowl, mix until smooth, then set aside.
  4. Break the eggs into another large bowl and beat really well. Add the caster sugar and beat for two minutes.
  5. Sieve the flower into the bowl and beat for a further two minutes.
  6. Add the cocoa mixture and beat again.
  7. Tip the mixture into the prepared tray and spread it out to the edges. Bake for 13 - 15 minutes until springy in the middle.
  8. Remove from the oven, then leave the cake in the tray for two minutes. Gently tip out onto greaseproof paper. With the paper inside, gently roll the sponge up from the short end and leave to cool. (N.B. recipe said a tea towel, but the tea towel got stuck - so try greaseproof paper).
  9. Make the vanilla buttercream.
  10. Unroll the cold sponge, spread the buttercream evenly over the top, then roll the sponge up as tightly as you can from the short end, making sure the filing stays inside.
  11. Chocolate icing: Put the cream into the saucepan, bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir until smooth. Cool for a few minutes, stirring occasionally as it thickens, then spread over the cake.
  12. Alternative chocolate icing: melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Mix together the butter and icing sugar in the food processor; add the vanilla extract and cooled melted chocolate. Mix well then spread over the cake. 13.Drag the prongs of a fork through the topping to create a log-like texture. Chill until set and dust with icing sugar.