Alison's Yule Log

Written by alison

I used to make cakes for a living. One Christmas I made 3500 chocolate Yule logs, like these, so I thought I’d show you how.

In our house, we really like Yule log so I always make 3 large ones at one go and freeze two, getting the next one out when it is needed.

Ingredients

4 large luxury chocolate Swiss rolls.
3 cake boards
Piping bag and nozzle
Decorations
Icing sugar

For the butter cream

2lb sieved icing sugar
1lb-softened butter
4-6oz cocoa powder, to taste
Milk

Method

Make up the butter cream. This can be done in a bowl, by hand or in the mixer. I use the kenwood as I like to whip the icing up and get it really soft and plyable, with a lot of air in it, as it makes it easier to pipe later. Before adding the cocoa reserve a little of the white butter cream

for later. Only add the milk to the icing if it is too stiff. Usually it is about 4 tablespoons, but depending on the butter brand you may not need any.

With a sharp knife cut 3 of the rolls at an angle, about ¼ - ¾ as in the picture. The other roll is cut into 4 but again at an angle each time.

Fold the piping bag down so only 1/3 is usable, and insert the piping nozzle. I use a ½” star nozzle for this but you don’t have to be too accurate as we will be forking it afterwards.

Fill the 1/3 of the piping bag. If you overfill it will be harder to pipe. Pull the bag up and twist to close. Slowly press the mixture to bring it down to the nozzle tube.

Squirt a rough “z” shape on the boards, and position the Swiss rolls on it. This will stick the rolls to the board.

The final bit of roll is cooks perks later!!

Roughly pipe over each Swiss roll in a lengthways direction. It doesn’t matter if you leave gaps.

Once it is all piped then fork over the mixture, using the grain of the piping. Be careful not to lift the icing off, as this can take the outside layer of the Swiss roll off too. If you need more icing then pipe it in.

Once you are happy with the “grain” on the log then pipe a couple of knots in a swirl.

Decorate with your decorations. These can be made of icing or marzipan or shop bought. We always have a robin, some holly and a gold merry Christmas, but I am too cheap to buy any more!

With the reserved white butter cream make up a small piping bag, or use a sandwich bag and snip the corner, and pipe on the three sides the rings on the log.

Finally sprinkle with icing sugar snow. If you are freezing them then only sprinkle with snow once defrosted as otherwise the icing sugar dissolves when the log is defrosting.