Introduction
The Yule Log is a showstopper. It looks like a magical tree branch straight from a snowy forest, but inside it’s a light-as-air chocolate sponge cake rolled with sweetened whipped cream. It’s a whimsical, impressive dessert that is surprisingly light after a heavy Christmas meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Visual Masterpiece: It looks incredible on the dessert table.
- Light & Airy: The sponge cake is delicate, not dense.
- Rich Chocolate Ganache: Coated in a whipped ganache “bark” that is divine.
- Fun Tradition: A French classic that brings a touch of elegance.
- Gluten-Free Friendly: Because it uses very little flour, it’s easy to adapt.
Ingredients
- Cake: 6 eggs (separated), 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt.
- Filling: 1 cup heavy cream, 2 tbsp powdered sugar, whipped to stiff peaks.
- Ganache: 1/2 cup heavy cream, 4 oz dark chocolate chips.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 10×15 jelly roll pan and line with parchment.
- Whip egg yolks with 1/4 cup sugar until pale. Sift in cocoa and salt.
- Whip egg whites with remaining sugar to stiff peaks. Fold gently into yolk mixture.
- Spread in pan. Bake 12-15 mins.
- The Roll: While hot, turn cake onto a towel dusted with powdered sugar. Peel off parchment. Roll the cake up with the towel. Let cool completely.
- Unroll, spread whipped cream filling, and re-roll (without towel).
- Heat cream, pour over chocolate, whisk to make ganache. Let cool until spreadable. Frost the log and use a fork to create “bark” texture.
Tips
Rolling the cake while it is hot is the secret to preventing cracks! If it cracks anyway, don’t worry—the ganache “bark” covers all mistakes.