Chocolate & clementine log

Chocolate & clementine log

This fudgy, fruity alternative to a classic Christmas pudding can be prepared on Christmas Eve to save time on the big day

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 8 - 10

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 1 hr 15 mins

Cook time

Cook 30 mins

Method

  1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a roughly 37 x 25cm tin with baking parchment. Melt the chocolate over a pan of barely simmering water. Set aside to cool while you get everything else ready. Whisk the yolks and brown sugar until pale and thick enough to hold a trail. Whisk in the cocoa, chocolate, clementine zest and juice. Whisk whites until stiff, whisk a third into chocolate mixture, then fold in the rest. Transfer to tin, gently spread to corners and bake for 16 mins until firm to touch.
  2. Meanwhile, dust a large sheet of baking parchment with a little cocoa. When the cake is done, turn it out onto the parchment. Don't remove the paper stuck to the bottom of the cake - just roll the cake up with the paper inside from one of its longer sides. Leave to cool. This can be made a day ahead: wrap it in cling film or keep in an airtight container once cool.
  3. For the frosting, melt the chocolate, cream and icing sugar together in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Cool and chill until spreadable. Or chill for up to 24 hrs, then leave at room temp until spreadable again.
  4. For the clementine cream, whisk the cream, crème fraîche, icing sugar, clementine zest and juice until thick. Chill for up to 24 hrs.
  5. To make the decoration, melt the caster sugar with 100ml water in a small pan and gently bubble. Peel the zest from the clementine with a vegetable peeler. Thinly shred into strips, then drop into the bubbling syrup. Simmer for 2 mins, then turn off and leave for another 2 mins. Scatter a little extra sugar onto a plate. Lift out the shreds with a slotted spoon and toss in the sugar. Set aside to dry.
  6. To assemble, gently unroll the sponge and peel off the paper. Squeeze over juice from final peeled clementine. Thinly spread with a tiny bit of the chocolate frosting, then spread with half to two-thirds of the clementine cream. Carefully roll back up and trim each end. Transfer to a serving plate and cover with the rest of the chocolate frosting, using a round-bladed knife to stripe the surface. Scatter with the sugared clementine peel and silver balls and/or stars, if you like. Serve with remaining clementine cream.
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PER SERVING

875 kcalories, protein 11g, carbohydrate 84g, fat 58 g, saturated fat 32g, fibre 2g, sugar 82g, salt 0.27 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, January 2011.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • Binder photo Barbi

    16 December 2010

    Barbi commented on this recipe

    I live in Canada and was wondering when you refer to double cream what percentage do you mean? Our whipping cream is 35% fat. I can get the creme fraiche at a specialty store and I think also the caster sugar. Would love to surprise the family on Christmas Day with this for the chocolate lovers in the bunch! Sounds Yummy! cheers Barbi

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  • Binder photo Liz

    16 December 2010

    Liz commented on this recipe

    Double cream is 48% butterfat, but heavy cream or whipping cream should be fine.

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  • Binder photo Fi

    22 December 2010

    Fi rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I have made this log twice in 4 days, once for my family pre christmas gathering and today for my office cake day. On both occasions it went down a storm. I sprinkled some edible glitter over the top just to make it extra special.

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  • Binder photo Eve

    23 December 2010

    Eve commented on this recipe

    I have a friend who has to have a Gluten Free diet, as this has no flour would it be suitable?

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  • Binder photo Emmy-Lou

    26 December 2010

    Emmy-Lou rated and commented on this recipe

    1 stars

    The cake broke when I came to unroll it. The chocolate frosting wouldn't soften after chilling, so put it in microwave for a 30 sec's and it congealed - still tried to 'consruct' it using a loaf tin - but over all a disaster - each part tasted nice on it's own, so if you are able to make a success of it, I'm sure it will taste great!

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  • Binder photo MaBrennan

    27 December 2010

    MaBrennan rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    This was lovely but did crack after I had re-rolled it with the icing and cream in but I just covered the cracks with icing and it looked fine. The difficulty was finding a big enough board/plate to present it on but I used a huge chopping board - easily fed 9 with leftovers. I also put cointreau in the cream and icing - yum!

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  • Binder photo Belkey

    28 December 2010

    Belkey rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Deliciously fudgey, but like the other comments - mine cracked when I rolled it, luckily the icing covered those and it wasn't noticed when eaten. A great festive pud.

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  • Binder photo orangeblossom

    03 April 2012

    orangeblossom commented on this recipe

    Completely superb! I do not have a sweet tooth and this was my first Yule log but I can not resist this! My frosting was slightly runnier then anticipated but then I realised I hadn't included all the dark chocolate (oops) was still very rich and the Clementine flavour worked wonderfully with the dark chocolate. The whole family couldn't get enough.

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  • Binder photo Loten10

    07 November 2012

    Loten10 rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I made this today for my Husband's birthday. It went down an absolute storm with everyone! Mine cracked too, but again I covered it with the icing so you couldn't see. So moist, so fruity and not sweet or sickly. Will definitely make again.

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  • Binder photo jenna

    08 December 2012

    jenna commented on this recipe

    I have made this twice. It is delicious... It was a hit with all my family. Perfect for an alternative to Christmas pud

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  • Binder photo Marianne

    30 December 2012

    Marianne rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Ours broke too- maybe it's because it is rolled and unrolled. Next time we will omit the pre-rolling. I say next time because it was otherwise delicious!

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 8 - 10

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 1 hr 15 mins

Cook time

Cook 30 mins

Ingredients

FOR THE SPONGE

  • 200g bar dark chocolate (a standard supermarket own brand is fine)
  • 7 eggs , separated
  • 200g soft light brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp cocoa , plus extra for dusting
  • zest and juice 1 clementine

FOR THE FROSTING

  • 200g bar dark chocolate
  • 200ml double cream
  • 2 tbsp icing sugar

FOR THE CLEMENTINE CREAM

  • 200ml double cream
  • 200ml crème fraîche
  • 2 tbsp icing sugar
  • zest 3 clementines , plus juice 1

TO DECORATE AND ASSEMBLE

  • 100g caster sugar , plus a little extra
  • 1 clementine
  • silver balls and white stars, if you like
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PER SERVING

875 kcalories, protein 11g, carbohydrate 84g, fat 58 g, saturated fat 32g, fibre 2g, sugar 82g, salt 0.27 g

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