Gingerbread Christmas log
A twist on the traditional yule log, this version is made without chocolate or dried fruit making it a great low potassium festive indulgence suitable for everyone.
Chef
Ingredients
Christmas log
50g unsalted butter
50g treacle
50g golden syrup
2 balls stem ginger from a jar
2 tablespoons stem ginger syrup
4 large eggs
100g dark muscovado sugar
100g plain flour
Β½ teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground ginger
Additional butter for greasing
Icing
200g unsalted butter, softened
250g icing sugar
2tsp vanilla extract
3 tablespoons stem ginger syrup
Method
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Step 1
Heat oven to 190C/gas mark 5. Grease and line a 20 x 30cm Swiss roll tin with baking parchment, then grease the parchment. Put the treacle, syrup, butter and grate the stem ginger in to a pan, heat until melted and stir to combine, then set aside to cool.
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Step 2
Put the eggs and sugar in a bowl and whisk for 10 minutes using an electric hand whisk until light, mousse like and doubled in size. The mixture is ready when it holds a ribbon trail from the beaters for 3 seconds. Sift over the flour, baking powder and spices, then pour the melted butter mixture around the sides of the bowl so that it trickles down into the whisked eggs.
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Step 3
Gently fold everything together. When just combined, pour the mixture into the Swiss roll tin and ease it into the corners. Bake for 12 mins until just cooked. While the sponge is cooking, lay a sheet of baking parchment, big enough to fit the cake, on your work surface and dust with a little sugar.
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Step 4
Once cooked, tip the cake directly onto the parchment. Use a serrated knife to score a line about 2cm from one of the shorter ends, making sure you do not cut all the way through. Gently roll up from this end, rolling the parchment between the layers. Leave to cool like this on a wire rack to help set the shape.
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Step 5
To make the icing, put the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle, Unroll the sponge and drizzle the surface with the ginger syrup. Pipe a layer of ginger buttercream over the inside of the roll, then use the paper underneath to help tightly re-roll into a roulade. Slice off both ends for a neat finish.
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Step 6
Place the log on a serving plate or board. Use the remaining icing to pipe a thick layer over the top of the sponge, zigzagging backwards and forwards to create a pattern. Decorate with white pearl sprinkles if you like.
Food facts
The carbohydrates in this recipe come mainly from the refined sugars and flour. The total carbohydrate value has been provided for those who are trained in insulin adjustment.
This cake is low in both potassium and phosphate but full of flavour from the ginger and spices.
This Christmas log is a suitable treat if you are on a low protein diet.
Use gluten-free flour.
Like many cakes this is high in refined sugar and should be eaten as an occasional treat and portion sizes should be kept small.
Once made the log can be kept in a sealed container for up to 5 days. To freeze simply re-roll in the parchment, then in foil and freeze for up to two months. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
If you donβt have an icing bag, try using a plastic sandwich bag and snip off one corner to make a hole about 1cm wide.