Chocolate Roulade with Raspberry Cream : A Yule Log in the Making.

I have been very excited about making this, my very first attempt at making a Yule log, for Christmas. I have watched COUNTLESS YouTube vids and tutorials to ensure I had the basics and principles down pat. I scoured books, magazines and the web for that perfect génoise sponge. I wanted to be absolutely sure the end result would make an impression, and I had good reason for my anxiety …. I had just one shot at getting this right for the office meeting.

All week I had been fussing with the meringue kisses and practicing that it never occurred to me to practice making my chocolate roulade. It all came together today when it came down to finally putting the cake to practice. I was confident though that I could do this (always a good sign).

We begin with the chocolate génoise ~ a light and airy sheet cake that pairs so brilliantly with the raspberry cream filling. You don’t want a dense cake for this recipe because if the cake is too heavy it might break or collapse in on itself. On the flip side if it is too light it will be prone to tears. What you want is a balanced cake with a good cake to filling ratio. It all looks good on paper but the trick is putting it into practice and getting it right in the end.

Chocolate Génoise

 4 eggs, separated
100 g castor sugar
40 g powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
85 g plain flour
25 g cocoa powder
¼ tsp salt

1. Whisk 4 egg whites with 70 g sugar until soft peaks. Transfer to bowl and set aside.
2. Whisk yolks with 70 g sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract
3. Mix cake flour + cocoa powder + salt in bowl.
4. Incorporate the egg white in with the egg yolks. Then add in the dry ingredients.
5. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Place parchment paper and then spray parchment paper as well. Pour in batter and spread using off-set spatula. Tap tray on counter to release air bubbles.
6. Bake in 180° C oven for 13 – 15 mins.
7. Remove from oven, sprinkle with powdered sugar and immediately roll the cake before it cools too much. Release from paper backing and leave to cool completely.

Raspberry Cream.

• 250 mls heavy whipping cream
• 100 g frozen raspberries
• 70 g powdered sugar
• 1 tsp clear vanilla extract

Every time one works with whipping cream you need to ensure that everything is very cold ~ the bowl, the whisk and the cream. On a hot day I like to put everything in the freezer for a good 10 – 15 minutes before I begin. A bad experience 3 yrs ago has helped me remember this rule of thumb. I was invited to a Christmas dinner party and I volunteered to bring a fruit trifle. Thinking I had everything under control I decided to whip the cream and top the trifle before I left the house. But the cream was not cold enough and it looked like I was just whirling milk around in a bowl. I was running very late by now and I decided to do without. Picked up a tub of ready whipped cream on the way out and served it separately. Bummer. Not how I pictured my trifle at all.

To get everything going, whip the cream until soft peaks form then add the sugar and vanilla. Stir in the raspberries at the end unless you want pink filling. Spread an even layer onto the sponge cake. The trick is not to over do it no matter how much you are tempted. The aim is to achieve a symmetrical swirl when you look at the cross-section of the cake. You want to work quickly with cream and don’t mess with it too much or it will start to melt. For best results spread the cream onto a cold cake. I find that this helps keep the cream thick and spreadable for longer. Roll up the cakes, seam-side down. Wrap them in parchment paper and chill for 2 hours to set. The cakes (I made 2 at once) did not fit in my fridge so I wrapped them in tin foil, placed them on a tray and put them out on the patio ~ it was about 4°C out there this afternoon. Perfect!

When you are ready to frost the cake, take it out of the fridge and smear chocolate ganache all over. It really is your choice on how you want to decorate it. You can even just dust the top with powdered sugar if you like. Stick Christmas figurines on the cake, write a message and you are all done. I decorated mine with dark chocolate Holly leaves and marzepan toadstools. This is a stunning cake and I am glad to report, pretty easy to do. I nailed it on the first try. Note, I have never ever made a yule log in my life, yet the results of my first attempt were pretty spot on …. except my writing. 🙁