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Christmas log

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Italian Christmas Log

Tronchetto di Natale 
A Christmas log  recipe is originally a French creation known as ‘Buche de Noel’. But like many other brilliant ideas it has crossed over the border to Italy, where it is called ‘Tronchetto di Natale’ or ‘Rotolo alla Nutella’. Other versions include torrone and nougat in a kind of ice cream, so the dessert is indeed open to interpretation.

This Christmas log recipe contains a lot of custard cream and chocolate rolled up in a biscuit sponge to a spiralling sweetness.

Ingredients

For the sponge
4 eggs
120 g sugar
120 g flour
1 tsp vanilla sugar

For the filling
1 egg
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cocoa
1 tbsp flour
300 ml milk

100 g butter
25 g powdered sugar
1 egg yolk
Grated zest of 1 orange

For the icing
200 g chocolate
2 tbsp butter

Preparation

Separate the eggs in whites and yolks.
Whip the whites stiff with an electric mixer.
Beat egg yolks with sugar until all the sugar grains have dissolved.
Gradually add flour and vanilla sugar.
Fold the whites into the yolk, sugar and flour mixture.
Spread the batter in an even 1-2 cm layer on a sheet of baking paper.
Bake at 160 C/ 320F for 20 minutes.
Let the sponge cool a little before assembling the roll.

Meanwhile make the filling:
In a casserole beat egg, sugar, cocoa and flour.
Add milk and heat the custard over low heat while stirring (It burns easily)
While the custard cools, mix butter, powdered sugar, egg yolk and orange zest to a soft cream.
Mix butter cream and custard cream, spread the filling over the sponge and roll it up tightly.
Wrap the roll in cling film and leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Melt chocolate and butter in a water bath.
Cut uneven ends off the the Christmas log and cover with melted chocolate.

More Italian Christmas cake recipes

Buccellato – Sicilian Christmas wreath

Pangiallo – A Christmas cake from Rome

Cake with apples, walnuts and dates

Panforte di Siena

Parrozzo – Abruzzo chocolate cake for Christmas

Italian Christmas Log - italian Notes

 Biscuit sponge rolled with lots of chocolaty custard cream

8 replies
  1. Leigh
    Leigh says:
    December 19, 2012 at 4:18 pm

    I’ve enjoyed eating Christmas logs but haven’t ever considered making one. It doesn’t look that hard either.

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      December 20, 2012 at 9:01 am

      It isn’t hard. The only tricky part is in the rolling. This log has a biscuit sponge that cracks if it has cooled too much before it is rolled, while the butter in the filling melts if the sponge is too warm. It’s a bit of a balance, but it has works for me. And as a consolation, cracks in the sponge will be covered up by the chocolate icing:)

      Reply
  2. rebecca
    rebecca says:
    December 21, 2012 at 11:52 pm

    this looks so good and love that it looks like a log, Merry Christmas

    Reply
    • admin
      admin says:
      December 22, 2012 at 2:36 pm

      Thanks. And merry Christmas to you too:)

      Reply
  3. Kathy
    Kathy says:
    November 6, 2014 at 2:25 am

    Thanks for the recipe. I know everyone in my family will love this cake for Christmas!

    Reply
    • Mette Vaabengaard
      Mette Vaabengaard says:
      November 9, 2014 at 2:10 pm

      Oh yes. It’s a real treat.

      Reply
  4. Dina
    Dina says:
    November 18, 2015 at 1:11 am

    Oh, this looks so chocolatey and delicious!

    Reply
    • Mette Vaabengaard
      Mette Vaabengaard says:
      November 22, 2015 at 11:43 am

      It is the kind of cake cravings are made from:)

      Reply

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