YULE LOG WITH MOCHA ICING

This is the quickest and easiest Christmassy cake to make. It will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge and can be frozen for up to 1 month and iced on the day you serve.

Serves 6

● 5 eggs, separated

● 140g (5oz) caster sugar

● 225g (8oz) plain chocolate, roughly chopped

● 85ml (3fl oz) water

● 1tsp strong instant coffee powder

● 200ml (7fl oz) double cream

● Mocha Butter Icing (see recipe, below right)

● Sprig of holly, to decorate

● Icing sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Cut a piece of nonstick baking parchment slightly bigger than a large Swiss roll tin. Lay this in the tin and make a 2cm cut at each corner towards the centre to help it lie flat.

In a bowl, beat the egg yolks and caster sugar until pale and mousse-like. Put the chocolate, water and coffee into a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir the chocolate gently until melted, then stir into the egg yolk mixture.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff but not dry. With a metal spoon, stir a small amount into the chocolate mixture, to loosen it, then gently fold in the rest of the whites. Spread the mixture evenly in the lined tin and bake for 12 minutes, or until the top is slightly browned and firm to touch.

Slide the cake and parchment out of the tin onto a wire rack. Cover lightly with a damp tea towel (see tip, above right) and allow to cool.

Whip the cream until it just holds its shape, then spread it gently over the cake. Trim the edges

straight, reserving the trimmings. Roll up the cake from a narrow end, like a Swiss roll, removing the paper as you go. Carefully (it is likely to break) put the roll on a serving dish, seam-side down.

Squish the trimmings into small lumps and stick one or two with a

bit of butter icing onto the log. Cover the cake with Mocha Butter Icing, using a fork to mark lines down it as on a tree trunk and to make swirls round the lumps to resemble knots on a log. Add a sprig of holly and dust with icing sugar before serving.