2009 Menus de Noël

 
For the cake

100 g / 3½   oz caster sugar

100 g / 3½ oz plain flour

5  eggs, separated

2 drops vanilla essence

100g /3½ oz butter

150g/5oz icing sugar

55g/2oz cocoa powder

Preparation:

Cake:

Preheat the oven to 180C/350 Gas 4. Grease a 23 cm x 33 cm flat roll tin and line with baking parchment.

sift the flour, and salt together and set aside. Sprinkle a large piece of greaseproof paper with caster sugar and set aside.

Place the sugar in a bowl and the egg yolks and whisk until pale and thick. Add the vanilla essence.

Put the egg whites in a clean bowl and whisk until frothy

Using a large metal spoon stir in the flour . Finally, lightly fold in the egg whites until well blended - take care not to beat the air out of the mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the tin and level the top. Bake for 10 minutes.

Turn the sponge cake onto the greaseproof paper dusted with castor sugar. peel away the baking parchment and roll the sponge cake with the greaseproof paper inside. leave to cool.

1. Beat the butter in a mixing bowl until smooth and then gradually beat in the icing sugar and cocoa powder. Mix well.
2. Once the sponge cake  has cooled unroll it carefully and spread it with half the filling and roll it up again - without the greaseproof paper this time.
3. Spread the rest of the filling over the cake to cover it. Score it with a fork to resemble a log and dust with cocoa powder. Decorate with a sprig of holly and Christmas decorations.