Buche de Noel 2010

With mini snowmen on top.

Buche de Noel

Sponge cake

50g cocoa

pinch sea salt

3 large eggs

75g light muscovado sugar, or a mixture of caster and brown sugar

Filling

375g sweetened chestnut puree

75g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

180ml whipping cream

Icing sugar

Christmas figurines or other decorations

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Butter a Swiss roll tin (approx. 23cm x 32cm), line it, and butter the lining.

2. Put eggs and sugar into electric mixer and whisk for 8 to 10 mins, or until pale and moussey.

Sift cocoa and salt into bowl and fold in lightly.

3. Pour into tin, tap on bench to knock out any air bubbles. Bake for 8 to 10 mins or until set and springy.

4. Turn cake out onto a clean tea towel dusted with icing sugar. Leave the paper on and carefully roll up the sponge, using the tea towel to help. Roll from the short end. Leave it to cool.

5. Whip the cream. Melt the chocolate over hot water. Combine both with the chestnut puree to taste.

6. Unroll the sponge, remove paper. Spread with half the filling mixture. Roll it back up. If the sponge cracks or breaks, just stuff it back together or ignore it.

7. Tip sponge onto serving plate, seam down. Spread it with the rest of the filling. Use fork to make lines and swirls, like a tree branch. Add decorations.

8. Chill in the fridge for an hour or longer. Bring it back to room temperature before serving, then sift over icing sugar.