During the holiday season, there are many fun and interesting treats to bake and share among friends and family. Yule logs, a perfect activity to do with kids, have always been a staple during Christmas for their fun decorating prospects. This recipe will provide step-by-step instructions on how to make a yule log cake, as well as various tips and tricks to make the cake turn out as well-baked and decorated as possible.

This cake’s prep time should take approximately 30 minutes to complete with an additional 10 minutes of cooking time. The ingredients listed should yield about 10 servings, but the quantity of ingredients can be adjusted if more servings are required. 

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 3 eggs
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract     
• ½ cup cocoa powder, preferably Dutch processed
• ½ teaspoon of almond extract   
• 1 cup of applesauce
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon of salt

For the filling:

• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
• ¼ cup of powdered sugar

For decorating:

• ¾ cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
• 6 tablespoons of heavy cream
• Additional confectioners’ sugar and any other edible greens are optional.

Baking Instructions

For the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 ℉
2. In a mixing bowl, beat together the eggs and mix in the almond and vanilla extracts, as well as the applesauce.
3. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Then, add egg mixture to the flour and mix it well. The result should be a very thick batter mixture.
4. Spread the mixture into a greased and wax paper lined baking pan (about 15 in. x 10 in. x 1 in.) and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly touched.
5. Move the cake  to a linen towel dusted with confectioners’ sugar and peel off the waxed paper. Then, starting with the short side, roll up the sponge while still warm. Finally, let it cool on a wire rack.

For the filling:

1. In a mixing bowl, whip the cream and blend in the powdered sugar and vanilla.
2. Unroll your cake (letting it cool while rolled should have helped maintain the roll). Next, spread the cream filling within 1 in. of the edges and roll up again. Finally, place the cake seam side down on a serving platter.

For decorations:

1. For a chocolate ganache bark, melt ¾ of a cup of chocolate chips and six tablespoons of heavy cream in a small saucepan over low heat. Then, stir it constantly until it’s smooth and creamy. Finally, remove the mixture from the heat and let it cool so it starts to thicken.
2. If desired, trim the cake’s ends and brush off loose crumbs. Next, gently spread ganache over the cake, working from top to bottom. A spatula or knife can be used to create a bark-like texture on the surface.
3. If interested, the previously cut end trimmings can be used to create branches This can be done by placing one trimming on one side of the cake and spreading ganache on that too.
4. You can dust the ganache with confectioners’ sugar for a snow-like effect and place edible greens and berries, among other decorations if interested in further decorating.