Peppermint Yule log recipe

Peppermint and chocolate go hand in hand on this update on a festive classic. With dark chocolate, silky whipped cream and a refreshing centre, this peppermint Yule log is the perfect after-dinner treat.

A sprinkling of icing sugar gives a snowy finishing touch, while a few mint sprigs add a pop of colour to this chocolatey bake. More of a fan of chocolate orange? Switch out the mint chocolate matchmakers for chopped chocolate orange and add a few dashes of orange extract instead of mint. For a perfect finishing touch, top with cake sparklers just before serving.

Ingredients

• 6 large eggs (separated)
• 150g caster sugar
• 50g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g mint matchmakers or similar (finely chopped)
• 200ml double cream
• 100g icing sugar
• A few drops of peppermint extract
• A few sprigs of fresh mint leaves to decorate

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4/350°F. Cut a section of baking paper to fit a shallow baking tin or swiss roll tin.
2. Whisk the egg whites with a little of the sugar until it is stiff.
3. In a different bowl, whisk the egg yolks, vanilla and remaining sugar until they get lighter in colour and thick.
4. Add the cocoa to the egg yolk mixture and combine. Roughly mix in a couple of spoonfuls of the egg whites to make the mixture easier to combine.
5. Add the remaining egg white taking care to knock as little air as possible out of the mix. Use a figure of eight folding action rather than stirring it in to keep as many bubbles as possible in the mixture to ensure a light sponge.
6. Spread evenly in your tin, sprinkle with the chopped mint chocolates and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes, until just cooked.
7. Leave to cool slightly and then flip onto another sheet of baking paper. Carefully peel off the baked on paper. Cover with cling film or a clean tea towel and let cool.
8. Whip the cream, peppermint extract and icing sugar until it forms stiff peaks.
9. Uncover the sponge and spread evenly with the whipped cream. Using the baking paper to help you, gently roll up into a log shape. You can cut sections off to look like branches if you wish.
10. Decorate with mint leaves and icing sugar.

Top tips for making this peppermint Yule log

For a more grown-up version, you can add a little mint liquor to the cream filling.

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