Steps to Prepare the Chocolate Yule Log with Mascarpone and Raspberries

• Sponge Cake

  

• In a large bowl, beat the eggs with an electric whisk for about a minute, until they are fluffy. Then add the sugar and beat at maximum power for about 5 minutes, until you get a light and frothy mixture.

• Set aside the whisk and add the sifted flour, a little at a time, incorporating it with a spatula with movements from bottom to top. Then add the sifted potato starch, vanillin, incorporate and finally add the honey, mix well without deflating the mixture and pour into the oven tray lined with parchment paper.

• Bake in a preheated static oven at 350°F for about 12 minutes. Check if it’s well cooked, take it out, roll it up with the parchment paper on the long side. Wrap in a towel and let it cool.

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• For the raspberry syrup, put 150 g of water with 40 g of sugar and about 70 g of raspberries in a saucepan, bring to a boil, blend with an immersion blender, leave it on the heat for a moment and turn off. Pour into a bowl and let it cool.

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• Whip the cream with an electric whisk, 250 g or slightly less to save some for later steps, add the mascarpone and mix well, finally adjust with sugar, I added 50 g of powdered sugar, with already sweetened whipping cream. Mix well and set aside, in the fridge.

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• Put the dark chocolate in a bowl cut into pieces, with half the cream and melt in the microwave at 400 watts for about 2 or 3 minutes, stir until completely melted, be careful not to use metallic objects in the microwave, so no metal spoons or teaspoons.

• Once all the chocolate is melted, add the rest of the cream and let it cool in the fridge, then whip the ganache lightly with a manual or electric whisk, so it is not liquid but holds its shape, don’t overwhip or the cream might become too hard.

• Proceed to assemble the Yule log when all the bases are cooled

  

• Cut the sponge cake in two, so as to obtain 2 rolls of the same size, then unroll and remove the parchment paper. On a silicone mat or cutting board, proceed to make the log, one at a time.

• First, soak with raspberry syrup, it should be enough for both rolls.

• Fill the soaked sponge cake with the cream, half per roll, spreading it over the entire surface, using a spoon, or more conveniently a pastry spatula.

• At this point, add a few raspberries, cut in half, to the cream, don’t overdo it otherwise it will be difficult to roll it up. Use just enough to echo the syrup and then the decorations, so save the necessary for decorating, at least 10 for both logs.

• Now roll up the log, following the same direction used earlier. Close and place on a serving platter, decide if you want to use the other log to add branches, or perhaps make like me, create 2 identical logs, by cutting a slice from each log to get the branch to add as in the picture.

• Now cover the surface of the log with the chocolate ganache, spreading it on all sides, then add the branch and cover it with ganache as well to make it look like a real branch.

• Using a spatula or a fork, create grooves to mimic the trunk of a tree.

• Once the assembly is complete, whip the cream set aside and make some mounds with a piping bag where you will place the raspberries. Add some fresh mint leaves or wafer leaves and leave in the fridge for a few hours before serving, so it soaks well and becomes a delicious creamy dessert.

  Make sure to keep desserts in closed containers in the fridge, so they don’t absorb odors from other items in the fridge.