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Tirami-Yule Log

A fun take on the iconic French Yule Log, inspired by the flavours of an Italian tiramisu. A simple vanilla sponge is brushed with a coffee & amaretto syrup, filled with an eggless mascarpone cream filling and topped with grated dark chocolate.
Course Dessert
Cuisine French, Italian
Keyword Amaretto, Coffee, Dark Chocolate, Mascarpone, swiss roll, Tiramisu, Vanilla, yule log
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 14 minutes
1 minute
Total Time 2 hours 14 minutes
Servings 8

Equipment

  • 1 32 x 23cm Swiss roll tin (see Note 1).
  • 1 pastry brush

Ingredients

For the vanilla cake:

  • 3 eggs
  • 100 g caster sugar, plus 2 tbsp for sprinkling.
  • 2 1/2 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1 1/2 tbsp milk
  • 3/4 tsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 splash vanilla extract
  • 75 g plain flour (see Note 2).
  • 15 g cornflour (see Note 2).
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt

For the coffee & amaretto syrup

  • 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
  • 1/2 tbsp sugar
  • 75 ml water
  • 1/2 tbsp amaretto liqueur (optional, see Note 3).

For the mascarpone filling:

  • 500 g mascarpone
  • 250 ml double cream
  • 150 g icing sugar, sifted.

To assemble

  • Dark chocolate, for grating OR cocoa powder (see Note 4).

Instructions

Make the vanilla cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 175°C. Grease and line a 33 x 23cm Swiss roll tin and set aside.
  • Place the eggs into the bowl of a stand mixer (or use an electric whisk) and whip on high speed until frothy and doubled in volume. Add the sugar, one tbsp at a time, with the mixer going, until it has all been incorporated. Beat the mixture for a further 5-8 minutes until tripled in volume and has reached the 'ribbon stage'.
  • Whisk the oil, milk, vinegar and vanilla extract together in a small jug. With the mixer on low, slowly pour the wet ingredients into the egg mixture.
  • Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into the mixture, then fold in using a large, metal spoon, until no streaks of flour remain.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared tin and gently level the top. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-14 minutes, until golden and just about springs back when touched gently. Be careful not to over-bake the cake, or it will be harder to roll without cracking.
  • While the cake is baking, spread a piece of baking paper larger than the size of the Swiss Roll tin on the work surface and sprinkle it with the 2 tbsp caster sugar.
  • When the cake comes out of the oven, leave it to stand for 1 minute, then tip it out onto the sugared baking paper. Carefully peel off the baking paper from the surface of the cake, then use the new baking paper to help you roll the cake up quite tightly. Leave the cake to cool completely in this roll before filling/decorating.

Make the coffee & amaretto syrup:

  • When the cake is cool, make the coffee syrup. Place the instant coffee granules, sugar and water into a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Swirling every now and then, allow the sugar to melt completely before removing from the heat and stirring through the amaretto. Set aside to cool slightly while you make the mascarpone cream.

Make the mascarpone cream:

  • Place the mascarpone, double cream and icing sugar into a large bowl, and whisk with an electric mixer until just thickened. Don't over-whip, or the filling will look curdled.

Assemble the cake:

  • Once the cake is completely cool, carefully unroll it. Use a pastry brush to soak the surface of the cake in the coffee syrup, then spread over a thin layer of mascarpone cream. Grate over a layer of dark chocolate (or dust over a thin layer of cocoa powder), then carefully roll the cake back up, keeping the roll quite tight.

Decorate the cake:

  • If you want your Yule Log to have a traditional 'branch', make that now. Use a large, serrated knife to cut one end off the rolled cake at an angle. Move the end piece to the side of the cake and press the cut edge against the side of the main roll (use a small amount of the mascarpone icing to stick it in place, if needeD).
  • Cover the whole log (and branch) with the remaining mascarpone icing. Use a palette knife to create texture by dragging it down the length of the log, following the direction of 'growth' for the branch, right around the visible circumference of the cake. On the ends, use the palette knife to create a spiral design, to mimic the rings of a cut log.
  • Add a final grating of dark chocolate/dusting of cocoa powder over the top of the cake to finish it off, then enjoy. The cake is best eaten straight away, but can be stored in the fridge for 2 days (as long as both the cream and the mascarpone are still in date).

Notes

  1. 33 x 23cm is the standard size for a Swiss Roll tin. You can also use a slightly bigger tin for this recipe, which will yield a thinner sponge. This will give you a more defined swirl, but will also mean that your cake is more likely to crack. As you'll be covering the entire thing in icing, no one will see the crack, but it's up to you! If you use a larger tin, keep an eye on the cake when it is baking, as it will cook more quickly.
  2. If you're in the US/have access to 'cake flour', you can substitute the flour and cornflour for 90g total cake flour. If you don't have access to cornflour (also known as cornstarch), you can replace it with an equal amount of plain flour.
  3. Tiramisu typically has an alcoholic element, and I like the taste of amaretto here, though rum is more traditional. Feel free to use whatever liqueur you prefer, or to omit the alcohol entirely to make a child-friendly, non-alcoholic dessert.
  4. Tiramisu is traditionally dusted with a layer of cocoa powder, but my family always uses grated dark chocolate instead. I've used grated dark chocolate in this recipe, but feel free to replace the chocolate (both inside and on top of the log) with sifted cocoa powder, if you prefer.