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Yule Log

A Yule time log for the festive season. Filled with whipped cream and a sharp, tangy, raspberry sauce then covered in a rich dark chocolate Ganache. This easy to bake, light textured sponge, will grace any festive afternoon tea table and will be gone in seconds.

Ingredients

Ganache

75g Milk chocolate broken into small pieces ( 40% cocoa solids)

75g Dark chocolate broken into small pieces ( 70% cocoa solids)

150 ml Double cream

For the Cake

3 eggs

85g ( 3 oz) Caster Sugar

65g ( 2oz) Self Raising flour

20g (1oz) cocoa powder

For the Filling

200ml double cream

Seeds of one Vanilla pod or 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

100g Ready made Raspberry Sauce

Method

Make the Ganache at least a few hours before it’s required. Place the chocolate into a heat proof dish. Heat the cream in a saucepan over a low heat and bring to simmering point. Remove from the heat and pour it over the chocolate and leave for a few mins. Gently stir and amalgamate the two together until all the chocolate has melted and you have a rich smooth glossy ganache. Leave to cool completely until it begins to set to a spreading consistency.

Preheat the oven to 180 fan assisted oven. Grease and line a 32 x 23 cm swiss roll tin.

• With a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together for at least 5 minutes until thick, creamy and doubled in size.
• Sift the flour and cocoa powder into the egg mixture and carefully fold in until well combined, being very careful not to over work the batter and loose all those air bubbles.
• Pour the batter into the swiss roll tin and level with a flat knife. Be careful not to burst all those chocolate air bubbles.
• Bake for 10 – 15 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for a few moments.
• Dust the sponge with castor sugar and place a fresh sheet of non-stick baking paper over the top of the sponge and turn it over, removing the baking tin and carefully peeling off the old baking paper.
• Beginning with the short side, gently start to roll the sponge, including the paper, so that it’s rolled up with the paper. Leave to cool completely. The sponge will keep overnight if needed.
• Whip the cream until it reaches soft peeks, stir in the Vanilla seeds.
• Carefully unwrap the sponge but leave it on the baking paper, you will need this for rolling later.
• Spread the Raspberry sauce over the sponge, then cover with the whipped cream.
• Using the baking paper as an aid, roll up the cake around the filling, taking care not to roll up the paper as well. Any cracks can be filled in with the ganache.
• Cover the entire log with the chocolate ganache, being careful not to cover the ends revealing the swirly cream filling.
• Use a folk to create the decorative bark effect.
• For a snow effect give the log a dusting of icing sugar.
• Can be kept a day or two in the fridge, although this may discolour the chocolate. But my guess is, it won’t see the inside of one.

Notes:

If the ganache becomes too firm to spread, beat with a wooden spoon to soften it a little.

Any ganache left over can be turned into little balls of truffles and coated in Cocoa powder.

If your cream filling looks a little over whipped, help bring it back by adding a little more double cream and mix until combined.

For extra decadence and flavour in the filling, add some fresh fruit to complement the sauce depending on which flavour you use.