Eric Lanlard's yule log recipe

Eric Lanlard
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In France there is no Christmas pudding or cake during the festive season, instead you will find a variety of Christmas logs. This is my favourite…

Ingredients

3 Egg whites
130 g Caster sugar
4 Egg yolks
50 g Unsalted butter, melted
100 g Plain flour
2 tsp Baking powder
50 ml Dark rum
100 ml Double cream - For the chestnut cream
400 g Crème de marrons (sweet chestnut purée or spread) - For the chestnut cream
150 g Dark chocolate - For the chocolate glaze
50 g Unsalted butter - For the chocolate glaze
2 tbsp Icing sugar - For the chocolate glaze
3 Marrons glacés, halved - For the decoration
2 tsp Icing sugar - For the decoration

Details

Cuisine: French
Recipe Type: Dessert
Difficulty: Medium
Preparation Time: 60 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Serves: 6

Step-by-step

Preheat the oven to 220°C (fan 200°C)/425°F/gas mark 7. Cover a baking sheet with silicone paper or a silicone rubber mat.
To start the sponge, beat the egg whites until stiff with an electric hand whisk, then gradually add 50g (2oz) of the sugar.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until the mixture is fluffy and white. Stir in the melted butter.
Sift the flour with the baking powder into the egg yolk mixture, then fold all the ingredients together. Mix in a little of the whipped egg white, then gently fold in the remainder.
Spread the mixture on to the silicone on the baking tray with a palette knife, rather like making a Swiss roll. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, but you must keep an eye on it as it cooks fast!
When out of the oven, cover the sponge with a damp tea-towel to stop it drying out and leave to cool completely.
To make the chestnut cream, in a large bowl, using an electric hand whisk, beat the cream to soft peaks, then fold in the crème de marrons.
To construct the cake, firstly soak the sponge with the dark rum, using a pastry brush. Spread the chestnut cream on to the sponge with a palette knife then, using the silicone paper or mat, gently roll the filled sponge up nice and tight. Place on a serving plate, join down, and cut the ends at an angle. Save one of these ends to use as a `branch' when glazing with the chocolate glaze.
Now make the chocolate glaze. Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie stirring occasionally, then add the butter and sugar. Leave to cool down.
Using a palette knife, cover the whole log with the chocolate glaze. Cover the saved end with glaze too, and stick it on top to mimic a branch. With a fork decorate all over for a wood effect. Place a few chocolate shavings and pieces of marrons glacés on top, and dust with icing sugar. Bon Noël!