Chestnut and Vanilla Christmas Yule Log Cake
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 100g granulated sugar
- 100g all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- A pinch of salt
- 250g sweetened chestnut purée (crème de marrons)
- 250ml heavy whipping cream, chilled
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 150g dark chocolate, chopped
- 100ml heavy cream (for ganache)
- Powdered sugar and cranberries for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 9×13 inch Swiss roll pan with parchment paper, ensuring the paper hangs slightly over the edges for easy removal later. Lightly grease the parchment paper with a little butter or oil spray.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs and granulated sugar together for about 5 to 7 minutes. The mixture should become pale, thick, and triple in volume. When you lift the beaters, it should leave a “ribbon” trail on the surface.
- Gently fold in the vanilla extract. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt over the egg mixture. Using a large metal spoon or spatula, fold the dry ingredients in very carefully using a figure-eight motion. Be careful not to deflate the air you just whipped into the eggs.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly into the corners. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the sponge is golden brown and springs back when lightly touched. Do not overbake, or it will become brittle and crack during rolling.
- While the cake is still hot, lay a clean kitchen towel on the counter and dust it with powdered sugar. Invert the cake onto the towel and peel off the parchment paper. Starting from the short end, roll the cake up inside the towel. Let it cool completely in this rolled position; this “trains” the cake and prevents cracking.
- In a chilled bowl, whip the 250ml of heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla bean paste until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, stir the chestnut purée to loosen it, then gently fold the whipped cream into the chestnut purée until well combined and fluffy.
- Carefully unroll the cooled cake. Spread the chestnut vanilla cream evenly over the surface, leaving a small border at the edges. Re-roll the cake (without the towel this time). Place it seam-side down on a serving platter and refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.
- Heat the 100ml of heavy cream until just simmering, then pour it over the chopped dark chocolate. Let it sit for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Let the ganache cool until it reaches a spreadable consistency. Spread it over the cake, then use a fork to draw lines through the chocolate to resemble tree bark. Dust with powdered sugar to look like snow and garnish with cranberries.