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woodland log cake

chocolate log cake

chocolate log cake filled with chocolate praline flavoured whipped ricotta and covered in ganache.
Course Dessert
Cuisine european
Servings 10

Equipment

  • stand mixer
  • 2 rimming baking trays
  • pan for melting chocolate

Ingredients
  

Sponge

  • 8 eggs
  • 200 grams caster sugar
  • 40 grams cocoa powder
  • 130 grams plain flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Filling

chocolate ganache

  • 200 grams dark chocolate
  • 250 ml double cream
  • 2 tbsp butter

Instructions
 

For the cake

  • preheat the oven to 180c 350f
  • Line two rimmed baking trays (jelly roll tins) with baking paper
  • Add the eggs and sugar in to the bowl of a stand mixer and whip at high speed until pale and the volume has tripled in size and it is full of air. (about 5 to 7 minutes) or use a hand held electric mixer)
  • Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and a pinch of salt together then using a sieve add to the egg mixture 1/3 at a time, gently folding it in with a spatula.
  • Fold in gently so you don't knock all the air out,
  • pour into the prepared tins and tip them slightly to spread it out, tap them once on the counter to pop any large bubbles then bake for 12 minutes.
  • While baking place two sheets of baking paper the same size as the cakes on the work top and dust with icing sugar
  • when cakes are done place them up side down on the the paper then carefully peel off the baking paper, turn the paper you just used the other way around and place on top and roll the cakes up into a tight log and leave to cool completely on a wire cooling wrack.

Make filling

  • whip together the ricotta and praline paste with the icing sugar and add a little maple syrup at a time until its sweet enough.
  • gently unroll the sponges and spread a layer of the filling mixture on and then roll back up, cover and chill for 15 minutes.

Chocolate ganache

  • Chop the chocolate finely and place in a bowl.
  • Add the cream and butter in a pan and heat until it is simmering
  • Pour into the chocolate and mix
  • let it sit for 5 to 8 minutes then whisk together with a hand held whisk. At the beginning the butter will make it look oily and weird but after a few minutes when you whip it, it will look right.
  • while the ganache is sitting for a few minutes, cut the two log cakes and arrange to look like a branch or tree stump. i did this by cutting one in half at and angle and cutting the end off at an angle.
  • spread on ganache. As it cools drag a fork over it to look like bark.
  • I used my shortbread log slice cookies for the ends of the log, recipe here https://www.twiggstudios.com/2019/11/roasted-chestnut-chocolate-shortbread-log-slice-cookies/

    and gingerbread mushrooms recipe here.
    https://www.twiggstudios.com/2019/11/mushroom-shaped-gingerbread/

    alternatively leave the ends or use while chocolate.
    i crushed a few of the cookies to look like soil.
Keyword chocolate