Description
This Vegan Chocolate Yule Log is a delightful holiday dessert featuring a light and airy chocolate sponge cake made with aquafaba, filled with rich vegan buttercream, and enveloped in a smooth dark chocolate ganache. It’s dairy-free, egg-free, and perfect for a festive celebration that everyone can enjoy.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake:
- 120 g (½ cup) aquafaba
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 125 g (½ cup + 2 Tablespoons) caster (superfine) sugar
- 170 g (1 + ⅓ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 20 g (2 packed Tablespoons) cocoa powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- pinch salt
- 80 g (⅓ cup) smooth applesauce
- 41 g (3 Tablespoons) olive oil or another neutral oil
- 30 g (2 Tablespoons) unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy recommended)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Buttercream:
- 100 g (3 ½ oz) vegan block butter, softened
- 180 g (1 ½ cups) icing (powdered) sugar
- 25 g (2 ½ packed Tablespoons) cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ganache:
- 250 g (9 oz) dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 200 ml (¾ cup + 1 Tablespoon) vegan double cream (such as Elmlea) or 150 ml soya milk plus 50 g vegan block butter (alternative)
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare baking tin: Preheat your oven to 200℃/180℃ fan/400℉/gas mark 6. Line a 23 x 33 to 25 x 35 cm swiss roll tin with baking parchment, leaving extra overhanging edges for easy cake removal.
- Whip aquafaba: In a cleaned bowl, combine aquafaba and cream of tartar. Using an electric mixer, beat until white and frothy. Gradually whisk in caster sugar spoonful by spoonful until the mixture becomes glossy and softly whipped, leaving trails with the beaters but not forming peaks.
- Combine dry ingredients: Sift together the plain flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt over the whipped aquafaba. Gently fold with a spatula until about half combined to maintain airiness.
- Add wet ingredients: Fold in the applesauce, olive oil, non-dairy milk, and vanilla extract gently until no dry lumps remain, careful to preserve as much air as possible.
- Bake the cake: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake for 8-11 minutes until the cake is set and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Avoid overbaking to keep the cake soft.
- Prepare the cake for rolling: While baking, cut a piece of baking paper slightly larger than the cake size and dust it lightly with cocoa powder. When the cake is done, invert it onto the cocoa-dusted paper, keeping the parchment on the underside. Let it cool between the sheets of parchment for about 1 hour until just cold.
- Make the buttercream: Beat the softened vegan butter until smooth. Sift in the icing sugar and cocoa powder, add vanilla extract, and whisk until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Trim and spread filling: Once cooled, peel off the top parchment sheet. Trim the edges of the cake with a serrated knife to remove drier parts prone to cracking. Evenly spread the buttercream over the cake using a palette knife.
- Roll the cake: Starting at a short edge, roll the cake tightly into a spiral using the parchment to assist. Place the rolled cake seam-side down in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
- Prepare the ganache: Place the chopped dark chocolate and vegan double cream in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, ensuring the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir until smooth and melted, then remove from heat. Let cool and thicken, about 1-2 hours, until spreadable.
- Assemble the Yule log: Once ganache is spreadable and the cake chilled, unwrap the cake and slice one end at an angle to create a branch piece. Attach this piece to the side of the cake roll with some ganache.
- Coat with ganache: Use a palette knife to cover the entire cake, including ends, with ganache. Texture the top and ends to resemble bark and tree rings using a knife or fork. If ganache becomes too firm, gently warm it again over simmering water and stir.
- Decorate and store: Garnish the Yule log with cranberries and rosemary sprigs if desired. Store the finished cake in an airtight container at cool room temperature.
Notes
- If using jarred applesauce, press it through a fine sieve to remove chunks for a smooth texture.
- Alternative ganache: replace vegan double cream with 150 ml soya milk plus 50 g vegan block butter.
- Accuracy: use a digital scale and metric measurements for reliable and consistent results.
- This delicate recipe does not tolerate ingredient substitutions without risk to texture and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/10th of cake)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 25 g
- Sodium: 85 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
