Chocolate Christmas Log Cake

Directions

Prepare the cake

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C.

2. Grease and line a Swiss roll tin with baking paper covering all corners.

3. Sift and whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and honey.

4. With an electric whisk, whisk together the eggs and sugar until pale and frothy.

5. Gradually add the sifted flour mixture and gently fold it in until just combined (don’t let too much air escape).

6. Pour the batter into the tin and bake for about 10 minutes, until well-risen and firm when you touch it.

7. Let the cake cool completely before spreading the Strawberry Italian Meringue Buttercream.

8. Holding one end of the cake with both hands, carefully roll the cake into a log while removing the baking paper at the same time.

9. Using a metal spatula, spread the Chocolate Ganache all over the cake and run a fork down the length of the cake to add tree bark patterns on the cake.

10. Dust with sifted icing sugar and decorate with strawberries or your favourite plastic decorations, like reindeer and holly leaves.

Prepare the Strawberry Italian Meringue Buttercream filling

1. Heat sugar and water in a pot and bring it to boil. Remove from heat when the sugar is fully dissolved.

2. While boiling the sugar, beat the eggs until soft peaks form.

3. Pour the sugar syrup from step 1 into the eggs and beat until stiff peaks form.

4. Add in the butter and mix well.

5. Fold in the strawberry puree, mix well and it is ready for use.

Frosting

1. Heat cream in a pot, add in sugar and bring to boil.

2. Put the chopped chocolate into a boil and pour in the hot mixture from step 1, mix well and it is ready for use.