A special occasion calls for a special dessert – Christmas Chocolate Yule Log Taaa-daaa!
My version of Christmas Chocolate Yule Log uses a light and moist chocolate sponge cake, filled with chocolate whipped cream (special recipe😆), shaved chocolate and cherry jelly (🍒to jazz it up😉), rolled into a cylinder, and then frosted with more chocolate cream and dusted the top with powdered sugar and chocolate powder. I also made some meringue mushrooms to give it a more “foresty” look🌲🍄🌲🍄🌲🍄
Christmas Chocolate Yule Log (Bûche de Noël)
Ingredients
Chocolate Sponge Cake
- 30 g Oil
- 35 g Melted Dark Chocolate
- 4 Eggs
- 60 g Water
- 85 g Cake Flour
- 30 g Chocolate Powder
- 60 g Sugar
Chocolate Cream
- 350 g Cream
- 45 g Icing Sugar
- 8 g Chocolate Powder
- 50 g Chocolate Paste
Chocolate Paste
- Chocolate Paste (the ratio is 3:1 with dark chocolate and cream)
Cherry Jelly
- Any cherry jelly packets from a supermarket would do
Meringue Mushrooms
- 3 Egg Whites
- 250 g Sugar
Decoration
- Powdered Sugar
- Shaved Chocolate
- Chocolate Powder
Instructions
Chocolate Sponge Cake
- In a large bowl, mix oil and melted dark chocolate together until well combined.
- In another large bowl, separate 4 egg yolks and egg whites, the egg yolks go into the melted chocolate bowl.
- Mix the melted chocolate and egg yolks well.
- Slowly add in water, mix well.
- Whisk sifted cocoa powder and cake flour into the yolk batter.
- Whip egg whites (I used a KitchenAid) until frothy, gradually at sugar in, whip until medium shiny peaks form.
- Fold egg yolk mixture into the meringue in two batches.
- Pour and spread the cake batter into a pan (31x22cm), tap to release air bubbles
- Bake at 160°C for 10 mins.
- Once cooked, set aside to cool down completely.
Chocolate Paste (or Nutella lol)
- Mix melted dark chocolate with cream, the ration is 3:1.I don’t have the exact measurement here, some people prefer stronger chocolate flavour, while some prefer less. If you don’t feel like making it, then using Nutella or any other chocolate spread is fine too.
Chocolate Cream
- Add cream, icing sugar, cocoa powder and chocolate paste into a mixing bowl.
- Stir until smooth.
- Beat at medium speed until soft peaks form.
Assemble
- When the cake is ready, slightly cut out 3 lines on the longest edge of the cake (DON’T CUT THROUGH THE CAKE❗️).
- Spread the cream over the top (at 03:35 of the video, I specified how I spread the cream).
- Spread cherry jelly over the cream.
- Spread shaved chocolate over the jelly.
- At the slightly cut end, peel off the lining gently and then roll the cake up with paper.
- Put the cake into fridge for 10 mins to set the shape.
- Cut a piece of the log off (about 2-3 inches in length) and use a little chocolate ganache to attach it to the side of the cake to make it look like a little branch.
- Spread the chocolate cream over the cake (it doesn't need to look perfect, since we are looking for that rough tree bark look).
- Use a cake tester or a fork to create bark lines in the cake, dust it with powdered sugar and cocoa powder.
- Chill in the fridge
Mushroom Meringue
- Beat the egg whites at high speed until foamy.
- Add 1/3 sugar in and beat at high speed until it thickens.
- Add 1/2 sugar in and beat at high speed until soft peak forms.
- Add remaining sugar in and beat at high speed until stiff peak forms.
- Transfer meringue to your piping bag.
- Pipe onto lined cookie sheet (about 1″ apart). Mushroom caps should look like large chocolate kisses (1 1/2" diameter at the base) with the tip swirled into the side so you get an even top.
- Dust the tops and stems lightly with cocoa powder.
- Bake at 100°C for 1 hour.
- Leave them in the oven for 2 hours after baking to allow them to fully cool down.
- After they have fully cool down, stick the tops and stems together with melted chocolate.
- Leave them upside-down until chocolate hardens and sets.
- Add the mushrooms on the tree log cake.
Video
🎊🎊That’s it! Now, unleash your creativity to decorate it! I picked some flowers from the garden, some Aussie Christmas figurines and of course my homemade meringue mushrooms for everyone to nibble on! Oh! I think rosemary sprigs will look good too!! 🎊🎊Check out our White Forest Trifle and Christmas Brownies if you are looking for more Christmas desserts.
Please subscribe me on YouTube and IG @sugarsaltsunday for more recipes and tips❤️
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