Merry Christmas

For this taste of chocolatey heaven you will need…

Cake ingredients

• 5 eggs
• 140g of light muscovado sugar
• 100g of self-raising flour
• 25g of cocoa powder

Icing + filling ingredients

• 285ml of double cream
• 500g of Lindt Lindor chocolate (you won’t regret it)
• A little caster sugar for dusting.

Instructions for your Yule Log

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190C/fan 170/gas 5.
2. Butter line the base and sides of a 30cm x 35cm swiss roll tin with baking parchment
3. Separate the eggs and put the yolks and whites into two large mixing bowls. Add the sugar and 2tbsp of water to the egg yolks and whisk the sugar and yolks for about 5 minutes until the mixture is light in colour. Sift in the flour and cocoa, then fold in lightly with a large metal spoon.
4. Using a clean whisk, beat the egg whites until they are stiff before folding into the cake mixture in three batches. You need to retain as much air as possible in the mix.
5. Pour the mixture evenly into your tin and carefully spread it out to the edges. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cake feels firm to the touch. Put a large sheet of baking parchment on the work surface and lightly sprinkle with caster sugar. Turn the cake out into the parchment and peel off the lining paper. Cover with a clean tea towel, then leave to cool completely.
6. When cool, trim the edges and score along the edge of one of the long sides of the cake. Roll up the cake with the paper inside to help you.
7. To make the icing and filling bring the cream to the boil in a small pan then remove it from the heat. Break 400g of the chocolate into the mix and stir until it is melted and smooth. Leave to cool until spreadable. Chop the remaining chocolate into a bowl and spoon half of the icing in with it. Stir together to make the filling.
8. Carefully unroll the cake and spread the filling all over leaving 2cm around the edge. Roll up the cake again using the paper to help you (on the outside) and cut a thick diagonal slice off one end of the cake.
9. Transfer the larger piece of cake to a stylish christmas display plate, spread a little icing over the cut side of the small piece of cake and fix it to the large roll to make a stump (See photo). Spread the remaining icing over the cake and dust with icing sugar to induce wows! and aaahs! on serving.

For those counting calories this Christmas (we wouldn’t recommend it) each serving is around 340kcal.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful festive break, and here’s to 2017!

The Salad team

*recipe credit BBC Good Food.