By
Rosie Conroy
published
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
WEIGHT CONVERTER
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Method
- 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.
- Whisk the egg whites with a little of the sugar until it is stiff.
- In a different bowl, whisk the egg yolks, vanilla and remaining sugar until they get lighter in colour and thick.
- 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.
- 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.
- Spread evenly in your tin, sprinkle with the chopped mint chocolates and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes, until just cooked.
- 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.
- Whip the cream, peppermint extract and icing sugar until it forms stiff peaks.
- 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.
- 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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