Jamie: Keep Cooking at Christmas
By Jamie Oliver
Scrumptious yule log
Chocolate hazelnut spread, maraschino cherries & a sweet creamy filling
45 mins plus setting time
Not Too Tricky
serves 16
About the recipe
This indulgent and delicious triple chocolate yule log is filled with an amazing chocolate hazelnut spread and whipped cream, then topped with a luxurious chocolate buttercream. If you’re looking for an edible gift you can give friends and family, nothing says 'I love you' like this epic cake.
Recipe From
Ingredients
SPONGE
4 large free-range eggs
75g icing sugar
75g self-raising flour
2 tablespoons quality cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
CHOCOLATE SPREAD
350g blanched hazelnuts
350g quality dark chocolate (70%)
100g unsalted butter
BUTTERCREAM
150g quality dark chocolate (70%)
150g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
150g icing sugar
FILLING
300ml double cream
1 tablespoon icing sugar
10 maraschino cherries, plus a tablespoon of juice from the jar
1 clementine
TOPPING
icing sugar
desiccated coconut
Top Tip
If you want to get ahead, you can make the sponge a day or two in advance and keep it in an air-tight container until you’re ready to decorate. Once assembled, it will keep fresh for up to 2 days – best stored in the fridge.
If you’re planning to give this as a gift, please advise the lucky recipient to keep it in an air-tight container in the fridge until needed for maximum freshness.
You can use the hazelnut chocolate spread to make truffles. Simply scoop a spoonful of the cold hazelnut mixture and roll it in desiccated coconut, cocoa powder, crushed nuts, your favourite blitzed chocolate bar – or anything else you fancy. Decorate with melted white chocolate drizzled on with a cocktail stick, if you like. Then package up in pretty tins and give to lucky friends or family. Or, for an even easier idea, simply gift the jar to someone you love.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4, and line a 25cm x 35cm baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- To make the sponge, first separate the eggs. Then, using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks with a pinch of sea salt. Gradually whisk in the icing sugar, then, one-by-one, whisk in the egg yolks until really pale and light. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder, add the vanilla bean paste, then fold everything together with a large metal spoon, so you keep in as much air as possible.
- Spoon the batter into the lined tray, then gently and evenly spread it out. Scatter the hazelnuts on a separate tray and bake both for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the sponge is just cooked through and springy to the touch.
- While it’s still hot and soft, turn out the sponge onto a large sheet of greaseproof paper (35cm x 45cm) on a flat surface. Peel off and discard the baked piece of greaseproof. With one of the longest sides in front of you, fold over the excess paper, then roll up the sponge with the paper inside (as it cools, this will set the shape but prevent the sponge from cracking). Leave to cool.
- Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and butter for the hazelnut spread with a big pinch of sea salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
- Once cool, blitz most of the toasted hazelnuts to a completely smooth paste, then mix into the melted chocolate and butter. Put one half of the mixture into a jar for another day (see tip), pour the remainder into a tin or bowl, then pop both into the fridge for 2 hours to set.
- For the filling, whisk the cream and icing sugar to soft peaks. To assemble, unroll the sponge so it’s flat, removing the paper. Spread the hazelnut chocolate spread all over and up to the edges, then repeat with the cream. Along one long edge, dot on the cherries and drizzle over a tablespoon of the juices from the jar, then grate on the clementine zest. Re-roll the sponge and pop into the fridge.
- Meanwhile, make your buttercream. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, then remove and leave to cool. Beat the butter in an electric mixer until pale, then, with the mixer still running, gradually add the icing sugar and cooled melted chocolate.
- Take the log out of the fridge, chop off a quarter at an angle – that’s the branch – and position it on your serving board like in the picture, using a splodge of buttercream to keep it in place. Evenly cover the whole log with buttercream, then use a fork to decorate it. Blitz up the reserved hazelnuts and dust them on top, along with some desiccated coconut, then decorate with plastic Bambi figures, whatever you like – go to town!
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