Go Back
+ servings
Chocolate Orange Yule Log
Print

Chocolate Orange Yule Log

Light chocolate orange sponge filled with orange buttercream and smothered in dark chocolate ganache
Course Dessert
Cuisine British
Keyword Swiss Roll
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 10
Calories 535kcal
Author thebakingexplorer

Ingredients

For the chocolate ganache

  • 200 g Dark chocolate
  • 200 ml Double cream
  • 20 g Butter unsalted

For the sponge

  • 3 Eggs large
  • 75 g Caster sugar
  • 50 g Plain flour sieved
  • 25 g Cocoa powder sieved
  • 1 Orange, zest only optional

For the orange buttercream

  • 75 g Butter unsalted, softened
  • 150 g Icing sugar
  • 1 tsp Orange extract
  • 1 tbsp Milk
  • Orange food colouring I used Sugarflair

For decoration

  • 10 segments Terry's Chocolate Orange
  • Sprinkles optional

Instructions

  • Make the ganache first as it needs time to cool. Heat the double cream and butter in a pan on a low heat until the butter melts and it starts to steam, you want to to be warm but not so hot you couldn't hold your finger in it
  • Take it off the heat and add the dark chocolate broken into pieces. Leave for a few minutes, then stir and the chocolate should melt, keep stirring until it does. Set aside to cool
  • Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/180C/400F/Gas Mark 6, line a large swiss roll tin or a baking tray with a lip, with baking paper. I used a Salter tray measuring 38.5 cm x 25.5 cm x 2.2 cm
  • For the sponge, whisk the eggs and sugar together with an electric hand whisk or in a stand mixer for 8 minutes until it reaches 'ribbon stage' - this is when you can drizzle some the mix into itself in a figure 8 and it doesn't sink back immediately. Add the orange zest and mix in briefly
  • Gently fold in the flour and cocoa powder in three stages, folding gently and trying not to lose too much of the volume
  • Pour into the tin, and spread the mixture around using a palette knife. Bake for 10 minutes, if you lightly press it in the middle with your finger tip it should spring back
  • Remove from the oven and tip onto a clean sheet of baking paper
  • Remove the baking paper the sponge was baked with, then roll up the sponge, taking the clean baking paper with it, then leave to cool completely
  • To make the buttercream, mix the butter, icing sugar, orange extract, milk and orange food colouring together until smooth, ideally using an electric mixer
  • Gently unroll the sponge and spread the buttercream all over it in an even layer
  • Re-roll the sponge and place onto your serving plate
  • The ganache should be thick by now, but it if is too stiff, microwave it for 15-30 seconds and stir well to loosen it up again. Pipe or spread the ganache all over the sponge. If piping, use a star nozzle to create texture. If spreading, use a fork to create texture
  • Dust with icing sugar and decorate with sprinkles and Terry's Chocolate Orange segments
  • Serve immediately, store any leftovers in an airtight container in a cool place for 2-3 days

Video

Notes

  • Make sure the eggs are at room temperature before you start baking.
  • You need to use double cream for the ganache, single cream will not work.
  • For the best orange colour for the buttercream, use a professional food colouring. I used Sugarflair for this recipe, but I also like Pro Gel. Colour Mill and Americolor are also good brands.
  • Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
  • For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

Nutrition

Calories: 535kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 113mg | Potassium: 304mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 789IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 4mg