Mint Chocolate Yule Log!

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A delicious mint chocolate yule log with a peppermint chocolate sponge, peppermint buttercream filling and chocolate ganache outside!

Mint chocolate

I am fully and always obsessed with anything chocolate and mint themed as we all know – most recently my candy cane cupcakes were a big hit because of the mint and chocolate combination. I LOVE IT SO MUCH!

I have had many requests for different flavoured yule logs since I posted my Christmas yule log recipe five years ago. I can only apologise that it took so long to post another one! These recipes are different, but there is a reason…!

Yule log

For my original recipe I based it on a Bûche de Noël recipe and I still utterly adore it. It’s a different method where you rely on the eggs, and dark chocolate along with sugar to create your sponge mixture! If you want a gluten free version, I would recommend following it!

However, I have had so many requests for a version that uses flour and cocoa powder and is a bit easier to make… and that’s where this one has come from! This is a beautiful recipe based on one from Martha Collinson and Waitrose’s recipewith slight changes here and there.

FOLD

Making something such as a swiss roll or a yule log can be a little daunting because sometimes they can turn out rubbery, sometimes they can break when you are rolling them, and I can get it… there is a fear there. I believe as long as you fold your ingredients carefully you will be fine!

When I say fold ingredients, this means use your arm and a spatula/spoon… after whisk your eggs and sugar together, you do NOT want to use your mixer. This will cause problems in your mixture and it won’t have the desired and delicious results!

Method

I whisk my eggs and light brown soft sugar (you can use caster sugar as well though) together for 5 minutes with my stand mixer. This makes the mixture because a lot paler in colour, mousse like, and lovely! Sort of like how you do with brownie recipes like my candy cane brownies.

After this, you sift over your flour and cocoa powder – and I don’t often say to sift things. This helps prevent lumps as you are carefully folding the mixture compared to beating it.You then add the peppermint extract in here, but that’s optional if you don’t want it to be mint chocolate flavoured.

Rolling/unrolling the sponge

The sponge will be HOT when you get it out as it will be fresh out of the oven – but that’s okay. You want to turn the sponge onto a new piece of parchment paper that has been lightly dusted with icing sugar, and roll it as carefully but as good as you can considering how hot it will feel! It’s always important to roll when hot as this helps prevent it cracking later on.

When unrolling the cake, you want to be as gentle and careful as you can – please do not panic if it does break slightly… you can still use it, it may just not be as pretty! Don’t throw away the sponge as the buttercream and ganache will hide a world of sins.

Buttercream and ganache

For the buttercream I did a simple american buttercream flavoured with peppermint extract, and coloured with a good quality green colouring. Colouring the buttercream is optional, but I love to make something look minty if I can help it! You could leave it white, or even go red!

Tips!

For the tin, I use this particular swiss roll tin. I love it and I find it fits the recipe perfectly! You want to grease and line the tin with parchment paper so that you don’t have to worry about getting the sponge out at the end.

You can pipe the ganache on, or slather it on like I did and use the end of a cake skewer to create a pattern of bark. It’s all up to you! Dust with icing sugar, sprinkle on something minty like aero or candy canes…. and enjoy!! x

A delicious Mint Chocolate Yule Log with a peppermint chocolate sponge, peppermint buttercream filling and chocolate ganache outside!

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Category: Cake

Type: Cake

Keyword: Christmas, mint

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Decorating/Cooling Time: 2 hours hours

Ingredients

Yule Log

5 medium eggs
115 g light brown soft sugar (or caster sugar)
65 g self raising flour
50 g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp peppermint extract

Buttercream

125 g unsalted butter (room temp)
250 g icing sugar
50 ml double cream
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
green food colouring (optional)

Ganache

100 g dark chocolate (At least 70%)
100 g milk chocolate
200 ml double cream

Extras

Mint Chocolate/Candy Canes
Icing Sugar

Grams - Ounces

Instructions

Yule Log

Preheat your oven to 200C/180 fan and grease and line a swiss roll tin (32x22cm) with parchment paper.
Add the eggs and sugar to a bowl, and whisk for about 5 minutes on a medium-high speed, until the mixture is paler, and mousse like.
Sift the self raising flour and cocoa powder into the bowl, and add the peppermint extract.
Carefully fold the ingredients together in the bowl until the mixture is combined.
Pour the mixture into the swiss roll tin and smooth over.
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.
Once baked, remove from the oven. Prep another piece of parchment paper, and dust with icing sugar.
Flip the swiss roll onto the sugar covered piece of parchment paper. Carefully remove the original piece of baking parchment that was in the tin.
Carefully fold the sponge up from short side to short side quite tightly (be careful, it will be very hot!) and leave to cool fully all rolled up.

Buttercream

Beat the unsalted butter on it's own for a few minutes to loosen.
Add the icing sugar and beat again - it will be quite thick.
Add the double cream, and peppermint extract, and beat again until smooth!
If using, add the green food colouring now.

Ganache

Add the dark chocolate and milk chocolate to a bowl.
Heat the double cream in a small pan until just before boiling point.
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and leave to sit for at least 5 minutes. Stir to combine until smooth. If chocolate lumps still remain, add back into the pan on a low heat and stir until smooth, or microwave briefly.
Let the ganache sit in the fridge for 30-45 minutes, and then whip with an electric whisk until smooth and fluffy! Sometimes this can take longer than this though to get to the whippable stage.

Decoration

Carefully unroll the sponge - PLEASE be as careful as possible so you don't break the sponge. Don't worry too much if it does though as you can stick it back together.
Spread the buttercream onto the unrolled sponge, and re-roll into the classic swiss roll shape.
Slather the ganache over the outside of the cake, and use a fork/cake skewer to create a bark look! Or, pipe the ganache on instead.
Lightly dust with icing sugar, and sprinkle with crushed mint chocolates or candy canes if you fancy - but these are optional.

Notes

This recipe is based on Martha Collinsons with Waitrose!
This cake will last for 2-3 days.
If you don't want to use ganache you can use a buttercream instead! Double the buttercream recipe, and split into two. Add 25g cocoa powder to one half.
I recommend this Swiss roll tin
I recommend this green food colouring
I use this peppermint extract

ENJOY!

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J x

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