Description
Sweet chocolate sponge cake rolls into a festive “Chocolate Yule Log” perfect for winter celebrations. Rich buttercream frosting and delicate chocolate bark create a delightful dessert that will enchant holiday guests with European baking charm.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup (120 ml) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) salt
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) milk
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- ¼ cup (30 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 1 cup (170 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar (for dusting)
- Chocolate shavings
- Fresh berries or sugared cranberries
- Meringue mushrooms
Instructions
- Thermal Preparation: Position oven rack to center and heat to 375F (190C). Carefully line a 10×15-inch baking sheet with parchment paper, ensuring complete surface coverage.
- Dry Ingredient Assembly: Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into a medium mixing bowl, creating a uniform powder blend with no visible lumps.
- Egg Transformation: Utilize electric mixer to whip eggs and sugar at high velocity for 3-4 minutes, cultivating a voluminous, pale cream-like texture that dramatically increases in volume.
- Liquid Enhancement: Delicately incorporate vanilla extract and milk into the aerated egg mixture, maintaining the delicate foam structure with gentle circular motions.
- Batter Composition: Gently fold dry ingredient mixture into egg base using a silicone spatula, employing a sweeping motion to preserve airiness while achieving complete ingredient integration without overmixing.
- Baking Performance: Distribute batter evenly across prepared pan, creating a smooth, consistent layer. Slide into preheated oven and bake 10-12 minutes until cake surface demonstrates resilience and springs back upon light touch, indicating perfect doneness.
Notes
- Roll the cake while it’s still warm to prevent cracking and ensure a smooth, flexible texture for the classic Yule log shape.
- Don’t overmix the batter to maintain a light, airy texture and prevent a dense, tough cake.
- Use room temperature eggs for better volume and smoother integration when beating with sugar.
- Experiment with different cream fillings like chocolate ganache, chestnut cream, or coffee-flavored buttercream to personalize your Yule log.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg