Christmas Log Cake
This Christmas cake is made with a cocoa rolled cake base and fresh cream, decorated on the surface to resemble a log.
Ingredients
Cocoa powder
to taste
Material A (for making cocoa cake roll skin)
Material C (for making whipped cream)
Chocolate syrup
Matcha powder (for drawing ivy)
Instructions
1
Advance Preparation
Follow steps 1–11 of the basic cake roll recipe on pages 18–19, substituting cake flour with Material A to make the cocoa cake roll skin. Follow steps 1–2 of the decoration recipe on page 12, substituting cherry brandy with rum to make the syrup.
2
Whip Cream Until Fluffy
Place Material C in a bowl set over ice water, and beat with an electric mixer until 70% fluffy. Remove a large spoonful of whipped cream. Add the chocolate syrup, and beat until 80% fluffy.
3
Spread Cream on Cocoa Cake Roll Skin
Cut the end of the baked cake roll skin into a slant, and use an offset spatula to coat it with syrup and half of the cream from step 1.
4
Roll the Cocoa Cake Roll Skin
Lift the baking paper upward while rolling up the mixture from step 2. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes, then peel off the baking paper.
5
Decorate the Surface
Take the rolled cake out of the refrigerator, peel off the baking paper, and spread the remaining cream from step 2 over the surface.
6
Cut a Small Segment and Place It Upside Down on the Cake Roll
Cut one end of the cake flat, cut off a small random segment from the other end, and place it upside down on top of the cake roll.
7
Draw Wood Grain with a Fork
Use a fork to draw wood grain patterns on the cream, and sift cocoa powder over it using a tea strainer.
8
Draw Ivy with Matcha-Flavored Cream
Add matcha powder to the whipped cream reserved from step 1, and use a piping bag (or a cone bag fitted with an ultra-fine round metal tip) to draw ivy patterns.
