a little rum or simple syrup for brushing over the sponge
caster sugar for dusting
festive sprinkles and edible gold glitter for decorating
Chocolate filling
300g| 10 1/2 oz mascarpone cheese
200g| 7oz dark chocolatemelted
150g| 5 1/2 oz icing sugar
2tbspstem ginger syrup
2globes stem gingervery finely diced
Chocolate mirror glaze
90g| 3oz dark chocolatevery finely chopped
75ml| 2 1/2fl oz whole milk
1tbsphoney or golden syrup
2tspcocoa powder
1tbspunsalted butter
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 220C (425F) 200C Fan assisted (400F). Put a clean tea towel on your countertop and cover with greaseproof paper. Dust the paper with caster sugar.
Melt the butter in a small saucpan. If you wish to brown it - which will add lots of lovely nutty flavour - continue to cook over low heat, swirling the pot. The butter will foam and turn from golden yellow to toasty brown. Once you smell the nutty aroma, take off the heat and set aside.
Lightly brush a 30x20cm (12x8in) swiss roll tin with a little of the melted butter. Line with greaseproof paper and grease the paper as well.
Put the egg whites in the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a bowl.
Put the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer (no need to clean) and whisk until pale and doubled in volume.
Gradually sift in the flour, cocoa powder and spices, in three additions, gently folding it in as you do.
Gradually add the egg whites and melted butter, folding into the batter until smooth.
Pour into the prepared tin and level. Bake for 8-10 minutes until sponge is firm.
Carefully turn the sponge onto the greaseproof paper you prepared earlier. Peel the paper used to line the tin.
Dust with a little sugar and make a small cut in the middle of one short edge. Cover with a clean piece of greaseproof paper and roll tightly, using the paper to help you. Cover with a lightly damp tea towel and leave to cool.
Make the frosting. Put all the ingredients into the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk on low speed until combined. Gradually add the melted chocolate and whisk on high until smooth.
Unroll the cooled sponge and brush with a little rum or spiced simple syrup. Spread with the fiilling. Sprinkle the chopped ginger over the top. Roll up again and spread a thin layer of the filling all over the yule log, filling in at ends.
Cover with clingfilm and chill for an hour or overnight. Save any remaining filling in a piping bag fitted with large star tip for decorating the cake.
Transfer the cake onto a wire rack set over a deep roasting tin.
Prepare the chocolate glaze: put the chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Heat the milk, honey and cocoa powder in a small pan, stirring to mix together, until almost boiling.
Pour over the chocolate and leave to stand for a couple of minutes. Use a small balloon whisk to gently stir the chocolate, starting in the centre of the bowl. Gently and slowly increase the stirring motion until you have a smooth glossy glaze.
Pour the glaze over the yule log to cover it completely. Let the excess glaze to drip into the tray below (scrape it into a jug to use for drizzling over the cake).
Transfer the cake onto a platter. Pipe rosettes of reserved filling over the top. Sprinkle with decorations and edible giltter and drizzle with a little more glaze. Serve at room temperature but keep cake in the fridge if you are not serving immediately.