Originating in France where it’s known as ‘Bûche de Nöel’, the yule log is a traditional Christmas dessert served all over Europe.
Ingredients
For the sponge cake
- 4 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 80g sugar
- Grated zest of half a lemon
- 80g flour
For the filling
- 400g baking chocolate
- 250g butter
- 150g sugar
- 1 tablespoon of rum
To decorate
- Glacé cherries
- Icing sugar
Method
Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and lemon zest until light and creamy. Gradually fold in the flour. In another bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff then fold into the egg and flour mixture.
Pour the sponge mixture into a lined rectangular cake tin and bake for fifteen minutes at 200º C in a preheated oven. Remove when it’s firm to the touch and set aside to cool for a few minutes. Place a piece of baking paper on the work surface and dust with icing sugar. Turn out the sponge face down and remove the used paper. Tightly roll up the sponge. Set aside.
Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie and set aside. Beat the melted butter with the sugar, rum and mix into the chocolate. Uncurl the sponge cake and spread the chocolate mixture on top, keeping some for decoration at the end. Gradually re-roll it and cover with chocolate mixture. Use a fork to give it a rough bark texture. Garnish with cherries and sprinkle with icing sugar. Store in the fridge until serving.
