Festive Baking with Louise | Chocolate Yule Log

I have never been a fan of Christmas pudding and with a big thanks to my stoma I can no longer eat it.

I make a Christmas cake every year, this year Maisie wants chocolate so chocolate she shall get.

This is not as hard to make as people think.

Things you will need:

– Greaseproof paper
– Non stick flat tray, 23 x 32 should be fine
– A whisk
– Mixing bowl
– A baking sieve ( a wire mesh one)
– A set of scales
– Some artistic flare for decorating

Ingredients:

– 3 eggs
– 85g caster sugar
– 85g of plain flour (minus 2 tbsp)
– 2 tbsp cocoa powder
– ½ tps of baking powder

For the filling & icing:

– 50g of butter and a little extra to grease the baking tray
– 140g of milk chocolate, broken into small pieces
– 1 tbsp of golden syrup
– 284ml of double cream
– 200g icing sugar, sifted
– Icing sugar and holly sprigs to decorate – ensure you remove the berries before serving

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Butter and line a 23 x 32cm Swiss roll tin with baking parchment. Beat the eggs and golden caster sugar together with an electric whisk for about 8 mins until thick and creamy.

2. Mix the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder together, then sift onto the egg mixture. Fold in very carefully, then pour into the tin. Tip the tin from side to side to spread the mixture into the corners. Bake for 10 mins.

3. Lay a sheet of baking parchment on a work surface. When the cake is ready, tip it onto the parchment, peel off the lining paper, then roll the cake up from its longest edge with the paper inside. Leave to cool.

4. To make the icing, melt the butter and milk chocolate together in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Take from the heat and stir in the golden syrup and 5 tbsp double cream. Beat in the icing sugar until smooth. ( I find weighing out the icing sugar then sifting it into the mixture leaves you without lumps).

5. Whisk the remaining double cream until it holds its shape. Unravel the cake, spread the cream over the top, then carefully roll up again into a log.

6. Cut a thick diagonal slice from one end of the log. Lift the log on to a plate, then arrange the slice on the side with the diagonal cut against the cake to make a branch.

7. Spread the icing over the log and branch (don’t cover the ends), then use a fork to mark the icing to give the effect of tree bark. Scatter with unsifted icing sugar to resemble snow, and decorate with holly.

As always

Many thanks for reading

Louise Xx

Louise uses our Platinum with Vitamin E range to keep her stoma site healthy. Try a sample here.