Name: Vanilla yule log cake recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: Serves: 10
Cuisine: Baking, British
Ingredients: 3 medium eggs; 100g caster sugar; 55g plain flour; 55g ground almonds; ½tsp baking powder

By Jessica Ransom

last updated 15 December 2023

in Recipes

Our vanilla Yule log cake serves 10 and makes a great alternative to Christmas pudding if you want a less traditional festive dessert.

This yule log has a rich chocolate filling which has some liqueur mixed through but you can leave this out if serving for children or swap for some orange zest if you still want a flavour boost. We’ve used a combination of Marshmallow fluff and cream cheese for the frosting but you can use buttercream if you prefer.

Ingredients

3 medium eggs
100g caster sugar
55g plain flour
55g ground almonds
½tsp baking powder

For the filling:

150ml double cream
200g chocolate, melted
2tbsp liqueur (pick your favourite)
2tsp vanilla paste

For the frosting:

125g Marshmallow Fluff
150g full-fat cream cheese
Cocoa, to dust

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Method

Heat oven to 180C (160C fan, Gas 4). Grease and line a 20x30cm Swiss roll tin.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs and sugar with an electric hand whisk for 3-4 mins, until thick and pale – it should leave a trail when the beaters are lifted from the mix. Sift in the flour, almonds and baking powder, then fold in gently. Spoon into the tin, smoothing the surface. Bake for 12-15 mins, until golden and slightly springy to the touch. Cover with a tea towel and leave to cool.
Whip cream to soft peaks, add melted chocolate, booze and 1tsp vanilla and whisk to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the Marshmallow Fluff, cream cheese and rest of vanilla.
Turn the cake out onto a large sheet of baking paper, dusted with icing sugar, peel off the cooking paper. Spread with the chocolate cream, leaving a 3cm margin along one of the short edges, then roll up gently from the opposite edge, using the baking paper to help you. Transfer to a serving plate. Dollop over the cream cheese frosting, smooth with a knife then use a fork to create a bark effect on the surface. Dust with a little cocoa powder and serve, or chill for up to 24 hrs, loosely covered.

Top tips for making this vanilla yule log cake

You can serve the yule log with some fresh berries if you like. Red currants look especially festive but raspberries are a great flavour combination.

How do I stop my yule log cracking as I roll it up?

Don't overmix the batter as it can lead to a bad rolling texture. Also, don't let the cake cool down too much before you roll it, as that can cause cracking. Don't worry if it cracks a little on the outside - this will be covered by the topping anyway.

The sponge has split - how can I fix it?

Don't worry too much if this happens. Don't forget the finished cake will be covered in Marshmallow Fluff, which you can use to deftly cover up all sorts of little mistakes. Use the filling to roll the cake as best you can, then cover with the topping. By the time you're slicing in, people will be too excited about eating it to notice little mistakes.

What is Marshmallow Fluff and where can I buy it?

You can find Marshmallow Fluff in major supermarkets or on Amazon. You can use the cheat's marshmallow frosting to add a festive twist to everything from brownies to cookies.

In step two of this recipe you need to use an electric hand mixer to whisk the sugar and eggs. We like this one from Kenwood.

You might also like Mary Berry's roulade or our chocolate Swiss roll is a popular choice for Christmas. Mary Berry’s chocolate roulade is another reliable choice.

Jessica is a freelance food writer, stylist and recipe tester. She previously worked as Senior Food Writer at Future. While at Future Jessica wrote food and drink-related news stories and features, curated product pages, reviewed equipment, and developed recipes that she then styled on food shoots. She is an enthusiastic, self-taught cook who adores eating out and sharing great food and drink with friends and family. She has completed the Level 1 Associate course at the Academy of Cheese and is continually building on her knowledge of beers, wines, and spirits.