Gluten-Free Yule Log
This gluten-free Yule log recipe features a tender chocolate sponge cake wrapped around a stable cream cheese filling and finished with a generous layer of rich chocolate ganache.
Servings 12 slices
Calories 571kcal
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup Cathy's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend
- 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2.5 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
- 6 large eggs separated
- ¾ cup raw sugar divided
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Filling
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream chilled
- 1 cup cream cheese at room temperature
- ¼ cup raw honey in liquid form
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache Icing
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 12 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate whole or in morsels
Instructions
Cake
- Line a 12X17-inch (30X43 cm) baking pan completely with parchment paper, being sure that it covers all of the sides and leaves a little for you to grab onto around the edges.
- Preheat the oven to 325℉ (163℃) with a rack in the center.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients except the sugar.1 cup Cathy's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend, 6 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon xanthan gum, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Chop the dark chocolate if it is not already in small pieces. Melt it slowly over low heat, stirring occasionally. I fit a bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water for this.2.5 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
- Beat the egg whites until they're foamy. Add ¼ cup of the sugar and continue beating until glossy, soft peaks form.6 large eggs, ¾ cup raw sugar
- In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks until thickened and lighter in color, about 3 minutes.
- Whisk the remaining ½ cup (100 g) of sugar into the melted chocolate along with the oil and vanilla. This will become quite thick. Whisk some of the beaten egg yolk mixture into the chocolate mixture until it becomes thin enough to whisk easily and pour.¼ cup avocado oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- With the beaters running on low speed in the yolk mixture, slowly pour in the chocolate mixture and beat until it's all blended together.
- Add half of the dry flour mixture to the egg yolk-chocolate mixture, mixing on low speed just until it's mostly blended in, about 10 seconds. Then add the remaining dry mixture and mix it slowly until it's just completely combined.
- Add half of the beaten egg whites to the batter. Mix on low speed for about 10 seconds. Then slowly mix or fold in the remaining egg whites, being careful not to beat too much and lose volume.
- Spread the batter evenly into your prepared baking sheet, making sure that it fills each corner.
- Bake in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until a fork poked into the middle comes out clean.
- As soon as you remove the hot, baked cake from the oven, wrap it completely in foil, sealing it around the edges to keep the steam from escaping. Allow it to cool completely on a rack, about an hour. Try not to leave it longer, as this will help to prevent cracking when you roll the cake up.
- Near the end of the cooling time, prepare your filling and frosting.
Cream Cheese Filling
- Whip the cream until it's stiff.¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, honey, and vanilla.1 cup cream cheese, ¼ cup raw honey, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
Chocolate Ganache
- If your chocolate is solid (rather than morsels), chop it up now.12 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
- Warm the cream over low-medium heat until it starts to steam, but is not boiling. 145℉ (63℃) is ideal.¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- Immediately add the chocolate to the steaming cream. Turn off the heat. Cover the pan, and let it sit for a few minutes for the chocolate to melt. Then whisk it all together until it's smoothly blended.
Assembly
- Grab an edge of the parchment paper that's under your cooled cake and pull the cake from the pan, so that you can work with it on the parchment directly on the countertop.
- Spread the filling evenly over the cooled chocolate cake. An offset spatula helps with this step.
- Starting at one end, roll the cake up. Roll it as snugly as you can while also trying not to squeeze too much of the filling out. As you complete the roll, lift it from the parchment paper to your desired serving platter or board.
- If you wish to make a "branch" to attach to your "log", as is commonly done, slice it off one end of your roll. Starting about 1½ inches in from the end, cut through on a 45° angle. Place this "branch" snugly next to one side of the "log."
- Pour prepared chocolate ganache over the top of your yule log, spreading it down the sides with a spatula. Either frost the ends or leave them exposed. You should have plenty of ganache.
- Create a bark-like texture by dragging a fork lengthwise through the surface of the ganache while it is still soft.
- Keep your chocolate yule log refrigerated until close to serving time.
Notes
- Be careful not to overbake the cake, as that would cause it to become too dry and crack.
- Assemble the cake as soon as it has cooled completely, not giving it an opportunity to dry out.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 571kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 148mg | Sodium: 258mg | Potassium: 374mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 844IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 3mg
