Bûche de Noel - Chocolate Log

Light fluffy sponge, with a cool cream filling and a glossy chocolate topping - heaven for a pudding. It's way easier to make than you think, just needs a bit of rolling and icing to make it pretty. Dairy Free options in brackets (). They can often be really rich and way too sweet from an overload of butter and sugar, so this one is much more chocolate and textures and much less sweet and filling. Really just means you can eat more without bursting. Perfect for Christmas Day, but great for any day as a beautiful pudding. Make ahead and freeze, or keep in an airtight container for up to 4 days. For Roulade

• 7 Eggs, separated
• 1/2 Cup Rice Syrup
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Icing

• 200g Dark Chocolate, well chopped
• 3/4 Cup Double Cream (for df use coconut milk whipped)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp butter (coconut butter)

Filling

• 1/2 Cup Double Cream (as above use coconut milk whipped)
• 3 tbsp Creme Fraiche (coconut yoghurt)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla paste

Place the yolks, 1/4 cup rice syrup, cocoa powder and vanilla in a bowl and beat with an electric whisk or mixer for a few minutes until very thick. In a clean bowl whisk the egg whites until soft peaks, then drizzle the remaining syrup in whilst whisking, get a little helper to do this. And whisk until stiff peaks form. Fold the whites into the chocolate mixture lightly until combined. Line a large 10 x 13/14inch baking tray with parchment paper, and grease it. Pour and scrape the mixture in, spreading right into the corners and smoothing the top. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until not sticky to touch. Leave for a few minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a cocoa dusted parchment sheet on a wire rack until cool. Now make the filling by whipping the cream and adding the vanilla bean and maple syrup, until fluffy and billowing. Fold in the creme fraiche, it cuts through the richness really well. Leave in the fridge until assembly. For the ganache icing, heat the cream in a small pan until almost boiling, pour over the chopped chocolate, butter and maple syrup, stirring until melted, smooth and glossy, stop through the vanilla paste. Trim the edges of the cake to a neat rectangle, saving the off cuts (or eating them). Spread the cream filling all over the cake to the very corners, and then using the paper nearest you, roll up tightly, away from you to form a long log. Slice a diagonal few inches from one end and attach it to the side as a branch. Then using the chocolate ganache spread thickly all over. Using the spatula to make stripes along it and round swirls at the circular end to make it look more wood like. Dust with icing sugar if you want snowy finish.