The secret to making a Yule log

• 21 December 2021, 5:55am
• From Spectator Life

• Text settings

  Text size

  • Small
  • Medium
  • Large

  Line Spacing

  • Compact
  • Normal
  • Spacious
• Comments
• Share

  Share

  The Spectator

  The secret to making a Yule log

  

  Copy link

  • Linkedin
  • Messenger
  • Email

Already a subscriber? Log in

This article is for subscribers only

Subscribe today to get 3 months' delivery of the magazine, as well as online and app access, for only £3.

• Weekly delivery of the magazine
• Unlimited access to our website and app
• Enjoy Spectator newsletters and podcasts
• Explore our online archive, going back to 1828

Most popular

Alexander Larman

What happened to the Rishi Sunak I knew at school?

Makes: 8-10 slices

Takes: 20 minutes, plus cooling

Bakes: 10-15 minutes

For the sponge

4 eggs

100g caster sugar

100g light brown sugar

½ teaspoon fine salt

85g melted butter

75g self raising flour

50g cocoa powder

For the filling

250 ml double cream

250g chestnut puree (optional; if not using substitute for 200ml more cream and 100g light brown sugar)

For the icing

175g dark chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature

250g icing sugar

225g soft butter

30ml espresso (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease and line a 20x30cm swissroll pan with greaseproof paper. Place the eggs, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on a medium-low speed for about three minutes, until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Increase the speed to medium-high and whisk until the mixture is pale, doubled in volume and, when the whisk is lifted away, will mound briefly on top of itself – this will take about ten minutes. Sift the cocoa powder and self-raising flour together into a separate bowl.
3. Pour in the melted butter, then reduce the whisk speed to low and add the flour and cocoa powder all in one go. As soon as the flour is incorporated, turn the mixture off and scrape the mixture from the top to bottom using a flexible spatula.
4. Scrape into your prepared tin and bake for 12 minutes, or until the sponge is risen and golden, but still soft enough to take the imprint of a finger when prodded. Immediately cover the tray tightly with two pieces of aluminium foil (try to keep this taut and avoid touching the surface of the sponge, but don’t worry too much). Leave the covered sponge to cool until the pan is cool (but not cold) to the touch.
5. Carefully but quickly lift the cake on its parchment onto a flat surface. Whisk the cream in a large, clean bowl until it reaches medium peaks, then fold through the chestnut purée. If omitting the chestnut, add the sugar when you first begin whisking the cream. Spread the cream across the sponge.
6. Lift the edge of the parchment along the widest side of the sponge, and gently fold and press, using the baking parchment to lift and maneuver: it will peel away as the sponge rolls. When completely rolled, use a large spatula or cake-lifter to transfer the rolled sponge to your serving platter, seam-down.
7. Now make the icing: blitz the icing sugar in a food processor, then add the butter, followed by the melted chocolate, until smooth and combined. If using the 30ml espresso, finally add this and pulse into the mixture.
8. Cut the end of the rolled sponge off on the diagonal: this will become your branch, the main sponge roll will be the log. Place this offcut at an angle tightly alongside the rest of the sponge. Smooth the icing across the outside of the rolled sponges, covering any join between offcut and main sponge, and ensuring that the ends are also iced. Use a fork to create whorls and grooves in the icing to imitate bark. Dust with icing sugar and serve.