Chocolate Orange Yule Log

Directions

• Step 1 Pre-heat the oven to 180C/355F. Line a Swiss roll tray, or a baking tray with high walls, with baking parchment.
• Step 2 Sieve together the dry ingredients (flour, cornflour, cocoa powder, psyllium hush powder, caster sugar, baking soda and salt). Mix in the orange zest.
• Step 3 Mix together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl (plant milk, apple cider vinegar and vegetable oil).
• Step 4 Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and whisk until fully incorporated. Pour the batter into the baking tray. Use an offset spatula to spread the batter evenly across the tray.
• Step 5 Place the tray in the middle shelf and bake for 9 minutes.
• Step 6 Take it out of the oven and leave to cool on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Once it has cooled slightly, place 2 tea towels over the cake and roll the cake up into a tight spiral. Pin in between two heavy surfaces to keep the shape until the cake has completely cooled.
• Step 7 Meanwhile, add all the cream filling ingredients into a bowl and use an electric whisk for 5-10 minutes until the cream has stiff peaks.
• Step 8 Delicately unravel the cake and remove the tea towels. The cake should be slightly curved but open enough to add the filling.
• Step 9 Spoon or pipe the cream filling onto the cake layer evenly and spread out with a spatula.
• Step 10 Tightly roll the cake up, using the baking parchment as leverage to keep a tight spiral. Place the cake in the fridge for 1 hour to set.
• Step 11 In a bain-marie (or microwave), melt the chocolate with the plant-based cream until fully incorporated. Place into a bowl and leave it to cool to room temperature.
• Step 12 Pour the coating over the chilled Yule log and use a fork or piping nozzle to create lines to resemble the bark of a tree.
• Step 13 Dust with icing sugar and serve!