Vegan Yule Log
This vegan Yule log makes for a gorgeous festive centrepiece. It consists of a rolled chocolate sponge cake filled with chestnut cream and topped with decadent chocolate ganache.
ingredients
For the Sponge Cake
- 1 + 5 tablespoons self-raising flour
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup caster sugar
- ⅓ cup butter or margarine, melted
- 1 cup unsweetened soy milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Chestnut Cream Filling
- ⅔ cup plant double cream
- ½ cup chestnut purée
- 3 tablespoon brandy or amaretto
For the Chocolate Ganache
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate
- ⅔ cup plant double cream
instructions
To Make the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C). Line a 10 x 14-inch tin with baking paper, leaving a small amount hanging over the edges to make for easy removal.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda.
- Stir in the caster sugar.
- Add the melted butter, soy milk and vanilla, then mix well until you have a smooth batter.
- Transfer the batter to your lined tin and spread it out to the edges. It will be thicker than a regular cake mix, so try to make sure it's spread very evenly.
- Tap the tin on the counter a few times to get rid of any large air bubbles, then bake for 12 minutes.
- Dust a clean dishcloth/tea towel with unsweetened cocoa powder. You'll need a decent amount, but don't go too crazy or the cake will taste bitter. Do not use baking paper in place of a dishcloth as it will not work.
- Let the cake sit at room temperature for 5 minutes so that it's cool enough to handle. Then carefully tip it onto the dishcloth.
- Sprinkle a light dusting of cocoa powder onto the cake. Cut off any rough or uneven edges using a knife.
- Carefully use the dishcloth to roll it up, with the dishcloth in between the rolled cake.
- Let the rolled-up cake sit at room temperature for 90 minutes to cool.
To Make the Chestnut Cream Filling
- Whisk the cream until thick - this takes a while, at least 2-3 minutes in a stand mixer.
- Stir into the chestnut puree and mix until it is fully combined and no lumps remain. Stir in the brandy.
To Make the Ganache
- Chop the dairy-free chocolate and add it to a glass bowl with the plant cream.
- Place the bowl over a small saucepan of water, so that it sits on top of it without touching the water.
- Put the saucepan and bowl over a low heat and gently stir until the chocolate has completely melted and there are no lumps left.
- Use a dishcloth or oven gloves to remove the bowl from the saucepan and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
- After the hour is up, use an electric mixer to whisk it for around 10 seconds. This will make it light and fluffy. Be careful not to mix for too long or the ganache will be too firm to pipe.
To Assemble
- When the sponge is completely cool, unroll it carefully. Don't worry if it cracks in places, you will be able to hide it with ganache! Spread a layer of the chestnut cream over the whole sponge, then re-roll to form a long swiss roll.
- Trim the ends to neaten them, then slice about a quarter of the roll off the end on the diagonal. Place this on one side to become the branch.
- Cover the whole log in chocolate ganache, then use a table knife to create the texture of the bark along the length of the log, and circles at each end.
- Place the cake in the fridge and let it sit for 1-2 hours so that it soaks up some moisture from the filling.
- Right before serving, dust with icing sugar.
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