Christmas Chocolate Yule Log

Ingredients

•75g/3oz Odlums Cream Plain Flour (less 2 tablespoons)
•3 Eggs (separated)
•Pinch of Salt
•75g/3oz Caster Sugar
•2 tablespoons Cocoa
•1 level teaspoon Odlums Baking Powder
•50g/2oz Butter•150g/5oz Dark Chocolate (broken into pieces)
•1 tablespoon Golden Syrup
•250ml carton of Cream
•225g/8oz Icing Sugar (sieved)
•Icing Sugar and Holly Sprigs

Method
1. Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6. Line a swiss roll tin 28cm x 18cm/11” x 7” with greaseproof paper.
2. Put the egg whites into a large clean dry bowl, add a pinch of salt.
3. Beat until mixture is stiff and dry looking in appearance. Add the sugar and continue beating until thick and shiny.
4. Finally beat in egg yolks until thick and trail of beaters remain. Sieve the flour, cocoa and Odlums baking powder together and gradually add to the egg mixture folding it in with a metal spoon.
5. Transfer to the prepared tin and spread evenly. Bake for 10 minutes. Lay a sheet of greaseproof paper dusted with caster sugar on the work surface.
6. When the cake is baked, turn it onto the paper, remove the lining paper, and trim the edges with a sharp knife.
7. Roll the cake up from its longest edge with the paper inside. Leave to cool.
8. Make the icing: Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Take from the heat and stir in the syrup and 5 tablespoons of the cream.
9. Beat in the icing sugar until smooth.
10. Whisk the remaining cream until stiff. Remove the paper from the cake, spread the cream and carefully roll up again into a log.
11. Cut a thick diagonal slice from one end of the log. Lift the log onto a plate, then arrange the slice on the side with the diagonal cut against the cake to make a “branch”.
12. Spread the icing over the “log” and the “branch” (don’t cover the ends).
13. Use a fork to mark the icing to give the effect of tree bark. Dust with icing sugar to resemble snow and decorate with holly leaves.

Source: Odlums