This 'pretty as a picture' yule log would be the perfect centrepiece at a Christmas party, festive dinner etc.
Make sure you remember to leave a slice out for Santa, I'm sure you would be on his 'good list' for life- haha!
This cake looks absolutely stunning, tastes exquisite and is perfect for sharing.
Preparation- 10 minutes
Baking time- 18-20 minutes
Makes- 1 yule log
Level- Medium
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Ingredients for the sponge
-240ml of almond milk
-1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
-210g of self-raising flour
-100g of golden caster sugar
-1 tablespoon of cacao powder
-1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
-60g of coconut oil (Melted) Ingredients for the filling -100g of dairy-free butter (Tomor) -160g of icing sugar -2 teaspoons of vanilla extract Ingredients for the chocolate ganache (coating) -100g of dairy-free butter (Tomor) -115g of icing sugar -1 & 1/4 tablespoons of cacao/cocoa powder -1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract -50g of dairy-free chocolate ... To make the sponge Step 1- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees c and line a large baking tray with grease proof paper. Step 2- In a small bowl, combine the almond milk with the apple cider vinegar and whisk until fully combined. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle. This creates a vegan 'buttermilk'. Step 3- In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, sugar, cacao powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Mix well to combine.
Step 4- Add the melted coconut oil to the 'buttermilk' and whisk to combine. Step 5- Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until a smooth batter. Step 6- Pour into the lined tray and level with a offset spatula, making sure to spread it to the corners. Make sure to tap the tray on the worktop to remove any air bubbles. Step 7- Pop the tray into the preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes. You will know when its done when you put a knife or skewer in and it comes out clean and it is springy to the touch. Step 8- Lay a large piece of baking paper on your work surface, sprinkle over cacao powder and invert the sponge onto the paper, peel way the original baking paper. Step 9- Trim the edges of the sponge with a sharp knife. Step 10- Roll up (from the longer edge) using the paper, rolling it up with the paper inside. Set aside to cool. Rolling it up with the paper inside helps the cake not to stick to itself. Set aside. To make the filling Step 1- Cream the butter in a bowl, on a high speed until creamy. I use my stand mixer with the balloon whisk attachment. Step 2- When your butter/margarine is creamy & light in colour, add in the icing sugar, vanilla extract. Whizz together until fluffy & fully combined. Add a splash of milk if the buttercream is too thick. Step 3- Once the sponge is cool, unroll and spread a thin layer of the filling then re-roll tightly without the paper inside. Pop into the fridge while you make the ganache (coating). To make the ganache Step 1- Melt the chocolate, then set aside to cool. Step 2- Cream the butter in a bowl, on a high speed until creamy. I use my stand mixer with the balloon whisk attachment. Step 3- When your butter/margarine is creamy & light in colour, add in the icing sugar, cacao powder, vanilla extract & melted chocolate. Whizz together until fluffy & fully combined. Add a splash of milk if the buttercream is too thick. Step 4- Transfer the yule log to a serving plate or tray and using a off set spatula or knife, spread the ganache all over the yule log. I used my spatula to create bark texture by creating lines. It looks really realistic and effective. I decorated mt yule log with a sprinkling of snow (icing sugar) and added on some homemade gingerbread cookies- Get my recipe here. Go all out and serve with some sparklers, perfect for New Years! Store in a sealed container in the fridge and best eaten within a few days.