Chocolate Log is a traditional form of Christmas gluttony, in our family household at least. Normally made after the day itself, upon realising that traditional Christmas cake really isn't very nice (other than the marzipan and icing of course).
It's essentially an iced chocolate swiss roll, which is far easier to make if you can buy the swiss roll ready made. Being vegan this isn't an option, but making swiss rolls is actually quite easy.
Ingredients:
- 180g Self Raising Flour
- 150g Caster Sugar
- 50g Cocoa
- 1/2tsp Baking Powder
- 150ml Water
- 75ml Sunflower Oil
- 1tsp Vanilla Extract
Combine the wet and dry ingredients together and mix thoroughly.
Line a 12"x8" tin with greaseproof paper and pour the mixture in, spreading it evenly out.
Bake in a 200oc oven (180oc fan) for 8-12 minutes - until an inserted cocktail stick comes out clean. Do not overcook!
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly for a couple of minutes.
Place a large piece of greaseproof paper on your work surface in portrait, about twice the length of your tin. Flip the sponge over onto it, so that it is lying in portrait towards the bottom of the paper. Remove the backing paper from your sponge (now on the top) then score a horizontal line across with a knife 1 inch up from the bottom. Place a clean sheet of greaseproof paper over the top of the sponge then roll it up (still warm), starting from the end you've scored. A video showing this procedure can be found here (ignore the instruction to place sugar on the paper).
Whilst the rolled up sponge cools make a batch of chocolate buttercream icing.
Ingredients:
- 50g Sunflower Margarine
- 30g Cocoa
- 1tsp Vanilla Extract
- Icing Sugar
- Soya Milk
Cream the margarine and cocoa together in a bowl then start to add icing sugar. As it gets stiff add a splash of soya milk and the vanilla, then more icing sugar. Keep adding icing sugar and mixing until you have the right consistency and enough for the filling and outside. If the mixture gets too stiff before this point add a dash more soya milk.
When the sponge has cooled gently unroll it and remove the top layer of paper. Don't worry if some of the sponge has cracked; there's a good chance that once re-rolled and iced there will be no way to tell.
Spread a thin layer of icing over the sponge and re-roll. Cut off the ends and ice the outside, using a fork to give texture.
I was planning on making a test run of a yule log tomorrow! My recipes got tofu in the batter which apparently helps it roll easier but we'll see...