When Christmas started to replace the old celebrations, like winter solstice, the French continued the tradition of cutting down a tree every year and then putting it in the fireplace so that the heat from the log could be used to prepare the Christmas Eve midnight supper.  Eating at midnight is quite common in Europe and we used to wait until midnight when the children were small, dragging them to the midnight service before eating and subsequent gift giving would take place. The ashes from the yule log were believed to hold magical and medicinal powers that would frighten all evil spirits and bring only good fortune

in the coming year. It is said that this cake was developed by a forward thinking French chef, in the late 1800′s, who decided that it was much healthier to bake one and here it is:

Ingredients for chocolate sponge

• 50 grams plus 28 grams) granulated white sugar
• 6 large eggs separated
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 112 grams Lindt 75% chocolate, finely chopped
• ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar

Ingredients for cream filling

• 240 ml whipping cream
• 1 ½ vanilla extract
• 40 grams granulated sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoons cocoa powder

Method

Sponge

• Preheat oven to 180 C and place the rack in the middle of the oven.
• Grease a 43 cm cake roll pan and line with parchment paper, greasing the paper as well.
• Separate the eggs, placing the whites in one bowl and the yolks in another.
• Cover with cling wrap and bring to room temperature before using (takes about 30 minutes).
• Melt the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and set aside.
• In the bowl of your electric mixer or a hand mixer and put the egg yolks and 50 grams of sugar and whisk until this mixture is light and fluffy and falls back into the bowl in a slow ribbon when you lift up the beaters.
• Add the vanilla extract combining well and then the chocolate, whisking only to combine and then set aside while you beat the egg whites.
• In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until nice an foamy and then add the cream of tartar and whisk until soft peaks form.
• Gradually beat in the remaining 28 grams of sugar until stiff peaks form.
• Fold in a little of the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture to lighten the batter and then the rest until incorporated.
• Don’t over mix or the batter will deflate.
• Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan with a spatula.
• Bake until the cake has risen and springs back when gently pressed, about 15 minutes.
• Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool, covering with a damp dish cloth.

Chocolate cream filling

• In a large bowl combine the whipping cream, vanilla extract, sugar and cocoa powder and stir to combine.
• Cover and chill the bowl and beaters in the refrigerator for at least one hour so the cocoa powder has time to dissolve.
• Beat the mixture until stiff peaks form.
• Once the cake has cooled, spread with the chocolate whipped cream but set aside about 2 tablespoons and then gently roll the cake, peeling off the parchment paper as you roll.
• The sponge cake will crack, but since you are going to cover it with a thick layer of icing sugar or the traditional butter cream, it doesn’t matter.
• Trim one end of then put the sponge cake, seam side down, on your serving platter, taking the slice of reserved cake and, using the reserved whipped cream, attach it to the side of the sponge cake to look like the end of a branch.
• Cover with plastic wrap and chill until serving time.
• Just before serving remove the cake from the fridge as sift with icing sugar or cover with butter cream and decorate as you prefer.