Are you bored with apple pies, cakes and fruitcakes? If you want to prepare a truly unique dessert this holiday season, make a cake that appeared on Queen Elizabeth II’s Christmas table many times in the past.
As the longtime chef of the royal family, Darren McGrady, revealed in media interviews and publications devoted to the behind-the-scenes of royal life, The palace regularly served, among others: chocolate Yule log. When you prepare this cake, you will make quite an impression.
Yule log, also known as bûche de Noël (Christmas log in French), is a traditional dessert popular in Anglo-Saxon countries (including Great Britain) and in France. It is a bit less known in Central Europe, which is a pity because it delights with its taste and appearance.
It’s hard to take your eyes off him on the holiday table, because Yule log cake has the form of a characteristic roll, which is why it is usually stylized as a wooden log covered with thick bark. They are made of sponge cake and chocolate cream.
The recipe for a Yule log in the classic version is not complicated at all, and it can look great if you cover its top with cream and gently outline it with a fork, which allows you to create the effect of wood bark. To prepare this dessert, you only need a few simple ingredients.
ingredients for sponge cake:
- eggs – 4 pieces
- sugar – 100g
- wheat flour – 80g
- cocoa – 20g
- salt – a pinch
ingredients for chocolate cream:
- whipping cream (30%) – 200 ml
- dark chocolate – 200g
- butter – 80g
decoration if you want:
- icing sugar
- cocoa
- cranberries/currants
- rosemary
To prepare the Yule log cake, start with the sponge cake. To do this, beat the eggs with sugar and a small amount of salt until fluffy. Also add the sifted flour and cocoa, and then mix everything gently with a spatula.
Spread the mixture thinly on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 10-15 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.. Then place the hot dough on a clean cloth, remove the paper and roll the sponge cake into a roulade. Wait until it cools down.
Start preparing the cream. Heat the cream (but do not boil it), add some broken chocolate and butter. Mix the ingredients until smooth and cool until it thickens slightly.
Unfold the sponge cake and spread some of the cream on it, then roll it up again. Cover the top of the roulade with the remaining creammaking uneven lines with a fork imitating tree bark.
You can give free rein to your creativity. Decorate the top with fruit, herbs, cocoa and powdered sugar, and then put the cake in the fridge for at least an hour.
