This chocolate vegan Yule log is decadent, fun and deceptively simple to make. A silky chocolate mousse is rolled up in a tender chocolate sponge cake, and the whole thing is covered in a rich chocolate ganache.This seasonally decorative dessert that will have everyone at your table swooning for more. It’s show-stopping, yet completely achievable in your home kitchen!

Ingredients

For the sponge

• 250ml of almond milk
• 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
• 250g of self-raising flour
• 20g of cocoa powder
• 60g of caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 50g of dairy-free butter/margarine

For the vanilla buttercream (filling)

• 100g of dairy-free butter/margarine
• 190g of icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod (seeds only)

For the chocolate buttercream (coating)

• 100g of dairy-free butter /margarine
• 115g of icing sugar
• 40g of cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 50g of dairy-free chocolate

Method:

For the sponge

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees c (fan oven) and line a 25 x 38 x 2.5 cm baking tray with parchment paper
2. Whisk the dairy-free milk and vinegar together and set aside for 10 minutes to curdle. This creates a vegan buttermilk
3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and baking powder
4. Add the butter into a small saucepan, place onto the hob over low heat and allow to melt. Once melted, pour into the buttermilk and whisk to combine
5. Add the wet into the dry and fold together until fully combined
6. Pour the batter into the lined tin. Level out with an off-set spatula or spoon, you want it to be as level as possible
7. Place into the oven and allow to bake for 18-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean
8. Allow  the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes
9. Lay a large piece of baking paper on your work surface, sprinkle over some cacao powder and invert the sponge onto the paper, peel way the original baking paper
10. Trim the edges of the sponge with a sharp knife
11. Roll up (from the longer edge) using the paper, rolling it up with the paper inside. Set aside to cool
12. Rolling it up with the paper inside helps the cake not to stick to itself
13. Set aside to cool fully

For the vanilla buttercream filling

1. Cream the dairy-free butter/margarine in a bowl, on high speed until creamy. You can use a hand whisk or stand mixer fitted with a balloon whisk attachment.
2. Add in the icing sugar, vanilla extract. Whip together until fluffy & fully combined.
3. Add a bit more butter if the buttercream is too thick or more icing sugar if its too wet. You want it to be creamy.
4. Once the sponge has fully cooled, unroll and spread a thin layer of the filling then re-roll tightly without the paper inside.
5. Pop into the fridge while you make the chocolate buttercream (coating).

For the chocolate buttercream (coating)

1. Melt the dairy-free chocolate either in a microwave or on the hob using a bain-marie, then set aside to cool.
2. Cream the dairy-free butter/margarine in a bowl, on high speed until creamy.
3. You can use a hand whisk or stand mixer fitted with a balloon whisk attachment.
4. Add in the icing sugar, cacao powder, vanilla extract & melted chocolate. Whizz together until fluffy & fully combined.
5. Add more dairy-free butter if too thick.
6. Transfer the yule log to a serving plate or tray and using an off-set spatula or knife, spread the ganache all over the yule log.
7. Now use your imagination: Use a spatula to create bark texture by creating lines. It looks really realistic and effective.Serve with a dusting of icing sugar, winter berries, Christmas ornaments, some homemade hedgehog cookies or a drizzle of dairy-free cream/ice cream.

Enjoy Xx