Description
Mini Christmas Yule Logs are a delightful holiday dessert featuring a light cocoa sponge cake rolled with a tangy mascarpone and lemon cream filling, all coated in a rich peanut butter chocolate glaze. Perfectly sized for individual servings, these festive treats combine simple, wholesome ingredients and a show-stopping presentation for your Christmas celebration.
Ingredients
Scale
Sponge Cake
- 4 eggs, separated
- 3 tbsp icing sugar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- â…“ cup (75g) plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
Cream Filling
- Marscapone cheese, 3 tbsp
- Natural yogurt, 3 tbsp
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Chocolate Coating
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 3-4 tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 180°C (350°F) to prepare for baking the sponge cake.
- Whisk egg whites: In a clean bowl, whisk the separated egg whites together with the icing sugar until stiff peaks form, ensuring a light and airy texture for the sponge.
- Mix yolk mixture: In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with maple syrup and vanilla extract until the mixture is thick and creamy.
- Combine mixtures and dry ingredients: Gently fold the yolk mixture into the egg whites. Then sift in the plain flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder, folding carefully to combine without deflating the batter.
- Bake the sponge: Pour the batter onto a baking tin lined with parchment paper and level the surface. Bake for 20 minutes or until the center is light, springy, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Roll the cake: Remove the sponge from the oven and immediately roll it up in the parchment paper. Leave rolled until completely cool to help the cake maintain its shape and prevent cracking.
- Prepare cream filling: Mix together the mascarpone cheese, natural yogurt, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth and creamy.
- Make chocolate coating: Combine the smooth peanut butter, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and milk, stirring until you achieve a glossy, spreadable consistency.
- Assemble the logs: Unroll the cooled sponge carefully, cut into 4 equal pieces, then spread the cream filling evenly inside each piece. Roll each piece back up tightly.
- Create branch effect: Cut a diagonal slice off each end of the rolled pieces and position these as branches alongside the logs for a traditional Yule log appearance.
- Finish with coating: Cover each log generously with the chocolate peanut butter coating, then dust lightly with icing sugar to resemble snow before serving.
Notes
- Rolling the cake while warm helps prevent cracks but handle gently.
- Use smooth peanut butter for an even, glossy coating.
- Chilling assembled logs before serving can help the coating set.
- You can decorate further with fresh cranberries or holly leaves for extra festive flair.
