Christmas yule log

Prep: 40 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Christmas yule log

Filling & icing: To decorate:

For the cake:

3 eggs - separated

Pinch of salt

75g caster sugar

75g plain flour

1 level tsp baking powder

2 tbsp cocoa

100g butter

300g dark chocolate - broken in pieces

2 tbsp golden syrup

150ml cream

450g icing sugar - sieved

Icing sugar and holly

To make the cake:

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Grease and line a swiss roll tin 28cm x 18cm with greaseproof paper.

Using a spotless bowl, add the eggs whites and the pinch of salt and beat until the mixture is stiff.

Put the egg whites into a large clean dry bowl, add a pinch of salt. Beat until mixture is stiff and dry looking in appearance. Next add the sugar and beat until it is really shiny and thick.

Finally beat in the egg yolks until a thick ribbon like trail remains from the beaters.

Sieve in the cocoa, flour and baking powder together and add gradually to the egg mixture folding it in with a large metal spoon.

Spoon into the prepared tin and spread evenly into the corners of the tin.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Take a piece of greaseproof paper which is bigger than the swiss roll tin, set on a work surface and dust with caster sugar.

Remove the cake from the oven and turn it onto the waiting greaseproof paper.  Remove the lining greaseproof paper. Roll the cake up into the shape of a swiss roll, from its longest edge with the greaseproof paper inside. Allow to cool.

To make the icing:  

Melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of hot water. Remove from the heat and stir in the golden syrup and the cream. Beat in the icing sugar until smooth.

Unroll the cake, removing the paper and spread half of the icing on the top of the cake.

Carefully roll up again into a log shape.

Spread the remaining icing on the outside of the log and use a fork to mark the icing to give it a 'tree effect'. 

Dust with icing sugar and decorate with holly. 

Preparation Time
40 minutes

Cooking Time
10 minutes

Main ingredients
Flour, Chocolate, Eggs

Recipe Type
Cakes & Baking

Cuisine
American

Special Info
Nut free

Level of Difficulty
Easy

You could cut a thick diagonal slice from one end of the log and then arrange the slice on the side with the diagonal cut against the cake to make a “branch”. You should transfer the un-iced cake to your serving plate before you do this. 

Other recipes you may like