Last weekend I tried my hand at baking a chocolate log. I have never baked a cake from scratch before in my life, so I apologise in advance for the poor quality photos and how it looks at the end, but I can honestly say I surprised myself with how good it tasted.
So this is how it should have looked :
This is how mine actually turned out:
Not as good at all is it, but if you would like to make the delicious cake featured in the top photo here is the recipe
Ingredients
For the chocolate sponge
- 175g/6oz caster sugar
- 6 free-range eggs, separated
- 50g/2oz plain flour
- 175g/6oz Cadbury’s chocolate, melted
For the filling
- 150g/5oz sweetened chestnut purée
- 150ml/5fl oz double cream
- 50g/2oz mascarpone
- 2-3 tbsp icing sugar, for dusting
For the icing
- 100g/4oz icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
- 200ml double cream
- 150g/6oz Cadbury’s chocolate
Preparation method
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
- Line a 23x33cm Swiss roll tin with a sheet of greaseproof paper and brush the paper lightly with vegetable oil.
- Whisk the caster sugar and egg yolks together in a bowl until pale and thick. Stir in the flour until combined, and then stir in the melted chocolate.
- Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed.
- Gently fold a spoonful of the whisked egg whites into the chocolate mixture, using a large metal spoon, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites until just combined. (Do not over mix.)
- Carefully pour the cake batter into the prepared Swiss roll tin and bake for 18-20 minutes, until the cake has risen and springs back when a finger is pressed gently into the centre.
- When the cake is cooked, set it aside on a wire rack (still in the tin), to cool for at least two hours.
- When the cake is completely cool, run a butter knife around the inside edge of the tin to loosen the cake. Spread a tea towel out on a large chopping board. With one bold movement, turn the whole cake out onto the tea towel, then lift away the tin. Carefully peel away the greaseproof paper lining.
- Meanwhile, for the filling, carefully mix the chestnut purée, whipped cream and mascarpone in a bowl until well combined. Spread the filling all over the cake, leaving a 2cm border at the edge.
- Starting at the longest side of the cake, gently but firmly roll up the cake, as you would a Swiss roll, using the tea towel as a guide. Transfer the Swiss roll to a flat serving dish.
- For the icing, pour the cream into a small pan and bring gently to the boil. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Beat in the icing sugar until smooth. Leave to cool, then chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour until the mixture reaches a spreadable consistency.
- Cut a small diagonal slice from one end of the cake and spread a little icing over the straight end. Attach to one side of the larger cake. Place on a flat serving plate or cake board. Spread the remaining icing evenly over the cake until completely covered. Using a fork, mark ‘bark’ patterns in the icing and chill in the fridge until the icing has set, about 30 minutes.
- To serve, cut the Yule log into slices and dust with icing sugar.
You can find out more about the chef and see the recipe in its original form here The only thing I’ve changed is that I did’t use chopped chestnuts.
I have definitely been bitten by the baking bug and I’m going to attempt to make this cake again next weekend, I’d promise an update post with a better looking cake, but if I’m honest it probably won’t look any better.
Disclosure: I was provided with the recipe and ingredients for the purposes of this post, The cake that’s very much my own tasty mess.