I don’t know in how many you still know about this old tradition during the wintertime and especially around Christmas. Today many traditions are gone, in some countries you can’t even call an event anymore by its name because there is a slight possibility that one of 8 billion people could feel offended.
But talking about the tradition called Yule Log: This is an old Pagan tradition widely spread throughout Europe. For the winter solstice people have gone into the woods to cut a big trunk of an ash or an oak to be burned during the next days in the kitchen on the open fire place. I should bring luck, send away the bad spirits and of course help to warm the house which very often most of the time was only one room.
During the early Christendom it was of course forbidden. I guess because they didn’t know what kind of meaning they should give it that it sounds ‘from Christ’. But in the 12th century it was again an official ritual. Since then the trunk would burn from Christmas day to the Epiphany. After that the ashes would be thrown on the fields and given to feed the domestic animals to make them prosper and healthy.
Today this tradition is still very alive in England and English speaking countries. The first time it was mentioned in Germany around the 12th century.
Many countries don’t use anymore this tradition but transformed it into a… dessert. In France they call it Bûche de Noël and in Italy we call it Tronchetto di Natale. It is a dessert made of chocolate, eggs, sugar and cream and has the shape of a tree trunk. Also the surface is made with chocolate or cream that it looks like bark.
The cake is a sponge cake, thinly baked and then spread with jam or cream, rolled into a roulade and then cut slantwise into two or three pieces to form the trunk. On the top the chocolate ganache is made of chocolate buttercream or also chocolate. Who wants more decoration can put some berries, meringue or marzipan mushrooms or just icing sugar for some ‘snow’ feeling.
Enjoy this (sweet and creamy) tradition!
- 40 g all purpose paleo flour
- 80 g tapioca/corn/potato starch or rice flour
- 1/2 tsp backing powder
- 1 tbsp xanthan gum
- 3 eggs (divided)
- 1 tsp bourbon vanilla bean paste
- 100 g granulated sugar (coconut flower, Xylitol or Erythritol)
- 250 g apricot jam (or any other)
- 150 g ghee
- 200 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp bourbon vanilla bean paste
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- handful red fruits (red currants, raspberry, ...)
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
- Add the flour, starch, baking powder and Xantham in a bowl and mix.
- Blend the egg whites until they are stiff, add one bu one the egg yolks, vanilla paste and slowly also the sugar. Continue to blend the mixture.
- Incorporate the dry ingredients with a spatula.
- Place some baking paper on a baking sheet and pour the sponge mixture on the paper. Level a little bit to a thin, square layer.
- Place int he oven on the middle rack for around 10 minutes or until golden.
- Take the sponge out of the oven and turn it upside down on another baking paper in order to get off the attached baking paper.
- Turn the sponge back on the right side and - as it will be already cooling - pour the jam on the top and spread all over the sponge. Now roll the sponge to a roll, helping with the baking paper. Close the paper and let the roll cool out well.
- Meanwhile prepare the buttercream. In a bowl put the icing sugar, the cacao powder, the vanilla paste and the ghee. With a hand-mixer mix all well until you get a smooth, even cream.
- Cut the roll into two or three pieces and form a log. Now cover the Yul Log with the buttercream. Not to evenly as you want to have a more rustic look, like real bark. Decorate with some fruits and/or Christmas ornaments.
- Enjoy the big eyes when you serve the decorative cake!
For more decoration you can also sprinkle some icing sugar for some snow on the top.
Store in the fridge up to two or three days. Cover the cake with something, so the cake can't dry out in the fridge.
