I baked this chocolate log cake to use the gingerbread mushroom cookies and the shortbread log slice cookies i made as decoration.

The woods are full of mushrooms right now, so its a perfect ode to autumn.

If you dust it with icing sugar it would be perfect at Christmas as a yule log.

The filling is made with ricotta flavoured with maple syrup and chocolate praline paste. Macarpone would also work well.

I love the flavour of praline paste and chocolate its a perfect combination.

Originally i was going to shape it into a tree stump, but i decided on making a large log instead.

The recipe makes two roll cakes that are stuck together, if you just want to make a simple roulade cake, then half the quantities.

Alternatively you can roll the sponge vertically for a tree stump cake.

The gingerbread mushrooms go so perfectly with this cake. you can find the tutorial for them here.

Chocolate log cake

Chocolate log cake is one of my favourites, i love the combination of the nutty filling and the rich chocolate ganache.

It is a really easy one to bake, and this recipe can be adapted into a vertical roll tree stump cake too.

Make sure you whip the eggs until the volume has at least tripled in size. I use a stand mixer fitted with a balloon whisk.
The butter in the ganache will make it seem weird and oily at first, be patient and keep whisking it, as the butter cools it will mix in.
when you whip ricotta it can get quite runny so i chilled the cakes rolled up.
Mascarpone or double cream can be used instead if you don’t like ricotta.
I use shop bought good quality chocolate praline paste, you could also use sweetened chestnut paste.

chocolate log cake

chocolate log cake filled with chocolate praline flavoured whipped ricotta and covered in ganache.

Course Dessert

Cuisine european

Servings 10

250 grams ricotta
150 grams chocolate hazelnut paste i use this one https://cluizel.com/fr/45-le-praline-89
4 tbsp maple syrup
4 tbsp icing sugar Add more if you like it sweeter

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.

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.

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://twiggstudios.com/2019/11/roasted-chestnut-chocolate-shortbread-log-slice-cookies/

and gingerbread mushrooms recipe here.
https://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