Chocolate Yule Log with Whipped Cream Filling and Ganache Bark

What you need

• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 100 g (1/2 cup) sugar
• 60 g (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
• 20 g (3 tbsp) cocoa powder, unsweetened
• 35 ml (2 1/2 tbsp) whole milk
• 20 g (1 1/2 tbsp) unsalted butter
• 400 ml (1 2/3 cups) heavy cream, 250 ml cold for the filling, 150 ml for the ganache
• 40 g (1/3 cup) powdered sugar, 30 g for the cream, the rest for dusting
• 2 tbsp apricot jam
• 150 g (5 oz) dark chocolate, about 70% cocoa, finely chopped

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 190 °C (375 °F). Line a 30 x 40 cm baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. 2

   Sift the flour and cocoa powder together into a bowl.

3. 3

   Warm the milk and butter in a small pan until the butter melts, then keep it warm.

4. 4

   Whisk the eggs and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water until the mixture reaches 40 °C (104 °F).

5. 5

   Lift the bowl off the pan and beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 6-7 min, until the foam is pale, triples in volume and falls from the whisk in a thick ribbon.

6. 6

   Sift the flour mixture over the eggs in two additions and fold in with a spatula, sweeping from the bottom of the bowl, until no streaks remain.

7. 7

   Stir a scoop of the batter into the warm milk and butter, then fold it back into the bowl.

8. 8

   Spread the batter into an even rectangle about 1 cm thick on the baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 min, until the top springs back and a toothpick comes out clean.

9. 9

   Dust a clean tea towel with powdered sugar. Turn the hot sponge out onto it, peel off the paper and trim the crisp edges.

10. 10

    Roll up the sponge with the towel, starting from a short end. Leave it for 10 min, then unroll it and let it cool to room temperature, 20-30 min.

11. 11

    Whip the cold cream with 30 g of the powdered sugar until it holds firm peaks. Refrigerate.

12. 12

    Heat 150 ml of the heavy cream until it just steams, about 80 °C (175 °F), and pour it over the chocolate. Leave for 1 min, then stir until smooth. Let the ganache cool for about 30 min, until thick and spreadable.

13. 13

    On the cooled sponge, spread a thin strip of apricot jam along one short edge. Cover the rest with the whipped cream, leaving a 1 cm border.

14. 14

    Roll the sponge back up tightly from the jam edge, finishing seam side down. Wrap in the towel and refrigerate for 1 hr.

15. 15

    Trim the ends on a diagonal. Cut a 5 cm piece from one end at an angle and set it against the side of the log as a branch, fixing it with a dab of ganache.

16. 16

    Spread the ganache over the log and branch. Drag a fork along the length to make bark lines, then dust lightly with powdered sugar.

17. 17

    Keep the log chilled until 15 min before serving.

Imported from bakinglikeachef.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.