Christmas Cake from France

Ingredients

• 6 egg yolks
• 80 g sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 3 egg whites
• 2 tbsp Cornstarch
• 60 g flour
• 400 g softened butter
• 1 packet chocolate pudding mix
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 0.5 l milk
• 50 g dark chocolate
• 50 g powdered sugar
• 200 g fondant
• cocoa powder
• powdered sugar
• chocolate shavings

Instructions

1. 1.

   For the sponge, beat the egg yolks with half the sugar, salt and lemon zest until fluffy. Whisk the egg whites into stiff peaks, gradually adding the remaining sugar. Fold the yolk mixture into the meringue using a whisk. Sift together flour and cornstarch, fold into the batter. Line a baking tray with parchment paper, spread the sponge evenly, bake at 200 °C for 10–12 minutes. Remove, transfer to a sugared kitchen towel, lift off the parchment, roll the sponge lengthwise into a roulade and let cool. Meanwhile, cook pudding from milk, sugar and pudding mix according to package instructions and cool. Melt dark chocolate over a bain‑marié. Beat butter with powdered sugar until fluffy, then fold in the cooled melted chocolate. Finally spoon in the cooled pudding (remove any skin first). Carefully unroll the sponge roulade, remove the towel, spread about one third of the cream on it, re-roll into a roulade. Cut off roughly a quarter diagonally and place as a twig beside the roulade. Cover the entire surface with remaining cream, smooth and carve a tree pattern with a wooden stick.

2. 2.

   Place the Christmas chocolate log in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

3. 3.

   For decoration, shape fondant mushrooms, dust them with cocoa, arrange on the log and sprinkle the stem with chocolate shavings and powdered sugar.