Description
Rich chocolate cherry and brandy yule log brings festive elegance to holiday dessert tables. Sweet layers of chocolate sponge, smooth cherry cream, and warming brandy glaze invite winter celebration with delightful European charm.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup raw caster sugar
- 1/3 cup plain flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 1/2 cup dark cherry jam
Filling and Coating:
- 1 tablespoon raw caster sugar (extra, for dusting)
- Icing sugar mixture (for dusting)
Preparation Ingredients:
- Cooking oil spray (for greasing)
Instructions
- Prepare baking equipment by coating a 32 x 24cm Swiss roll tin with cooking spray and lining the base and long sides with parchment paper.
- Create a light egg mixture by whisking egg yolks with sugar until creamy and pale, then separately beat egg whites to stiff peaks, gradually incorporating remaining sugar until glossy.
- Delicately fold egg whites into yolk mixture in three gentle stages, ensuring minimal volume loss.
- Sift cocoa, flour, and cornflour over the egg mixture, folding carefully to maintain airiness, then distribute batter evenly across the prepared tin.
- Bake in a preheated 190°C oven for approximately 8 minutes until the cake springs back when touched, indicating perfect doneness.
- Immediately transfer cake onto sugared parchment paper, crust facing downward, and carefully roll from the long edge, allowing it to cool completely in this cylindrical shape.
- Craft decorative chocolate bark by spreading melted chocolate thinly across baking paper, allowing it to set for half an hour before fragmenting into elegant shards.
- Prepare rich chocolate icing by gently melting cream, chocolate, and butter together, then refrigerate briefly before whisking in powdered sugar and cocoa until achieving a luxurious, fluffy consistency.
- Whip cream with icing sugar and brandy until forming firm, stable peaks that hold their shape.
- Unroll the cooled cake and generously spread with cherry jam, followed by the brandy-infused cream.
- Carefully re-roll the cake and position on a serving platter, then lavishly coat with prepared chocolate icing.
- Artfully arrange chocolate bark fragments across the log and finish with a delicate dusting of powdered sugar for a festive presentation.
Notes
- Check cake’s doneness by gently pressing the surface; it should spring back immediately without leaving an indentation.
- Whisk egg whites precisely to achieve maximum volume, ensuring soft peaks are glossy and hold their shape without collapsing.
- Roll cake while still warm to prevent cracking and maintain flexibility during filling and decorating stages.
- For gluten-free version, substitute regular flour with almond or gluten-free flour blend, maintaining similar proportions.
- Control chocolate bark’s texture by adjusting melting temperature and cooling time for desired brittleness and aesthetic appeal.
- Enhance brandy cream’s flavor by using high-quality brandy and allowing mixture to rest briefly before whipping for deeper infusion.
- Prevent icing from becoming too runny by chilling ingredients and whisking at consistent medium speed for optimal consistency.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Cocktails
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 14 g
- Sodium: 40 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 1 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg