Advent 8 Chocolate Yule log

We had a walk on our advent card today to go out and check out the evergreen trees and plants were around.  But it was also the day my cake decorating magazines arrived and Luke latched onto the idea of making the chocolate yule log in it, so we made this as well.  Chocolate yule logs were a birthday favourite when my older son was small as his birthday is on the 28th December but haven't made one in at least 10 years so was nice to revisit it. 

we started with oven at  gas mark 6 and a swiss roll tin lined and greased 

3 eggs

100 caster sugar plus extra for sprinkling

75g plain flour

25g cocoa powder

1 tbsp hot water

For the Icing

150g unsalted room temp butter

275g sifted icing sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons sifted cocoa powder plus extra for dusting

2 tablespoons hot water

using an electric whisk and bowl over simmering hot water, or a stand mixer with no hot water needed, whisk eggs and sugar until ribbon stage.  This means when the whisk is lifted the egg mix will fall in a ribbon and stay visible on the surface of the mixture for a few seconds. If whisking over hot water remove the bowl from the heat and whisk for another few minutes.

Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and fold in with a big metal spoon and then stir through the hot water.

Turn mixture into your prepared tin and even out making sure it's pushed out to edges and even.  Place in the  preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.  It should feel slightly springy when done.

While sponge is cooking place a t towel down covered with a piece of greaseproof big enough for sponge to go on top of and sprinkle with caster sugar quite generously. And when the sponge is cooked turn the tin quickly and confidently upside down onto this paper.  Cut off the very edges and score a line about 2 cm in from one short edge and using the towel to help  roll up the sponge in a tight roll with the paper inside the roll.  Leave this on a cooling rack while you prepare the filling and icing.

Whip 300 ml of double or whipping cream until it holds a firm peak

For the Icing beat the butter until it is very creamy and then slowly add the sifted icing sugar.  Mix the cocoa powder with hot water until it makes a paste and then add to the butter icing and beat until thoroughly combined.

when your sponge is cold then gently unroll but don't try to flatten it to much it will crack, but if it does don't panic you can glue it together with filling or icing.  so slather over your cream generously and try your best to roll back up as well as you can and place seam down on your serving dish.

Then slather on thickly and evenly your icing.  This can be sticky and a little awkward to get even but logs aren't even so I didn't stress over it.  I then used a skewer to draw lines and a knot into the log and dusted with cocoa powder.

This then needs putting the the fridge to set and store because of the fresh cream. Take out about an hour before cutting and serving.

View of the inside swirl :o)