It’s fantastic to have one good Christmas dessert recipe up your sleeve, so you can enjoy the tradition of making it every year, and also the voilá! moment when you present it to your expectant guests. This recipe, which is only a tiny bit trickier than a trifle, is a brilliant one for a Christmas gathering. It looks so splendid and festive and tastes absolutely delicious, the peppermint chocolate giving it a moreish minty flavour. You could also try an orange yule log, or a plain milk chocolate one – just choose your chocolate according to your taste. Because there is sponge-rolling and decorating involved, it’s nice to get someone else, or the kids, to join in. Hand them a Christmas cocktail (not too strong!) and a sieve, and let them get stuck in! It will keep for 2-3 days at (cool) room temperature in an airtight container. It can also be refrigerated, though it’s best eaten at room temperature.

Peppermint Chocolate Yule Log
Serves 10-12

Sponge ingredients
4 large eggs
100g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
75g self-raising flour
50g cocoa powder
½ tsp salt
Icing sugar, for dusting

Ganache ingredients
175g Butlers Dark Mint Crunch Chocolate Bar, roughly chopped
125g unsalted butter
2 tbsp. golden syrup
175ml double cream

Buttercream ingredients
115g unsalted butter, softened
325g icing sugar
30ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

To decorate
25g Butlers Dark Mint Crunch Chocolate Bar, roughly chopped
Fresh mint leaves
Berries of choice
Icing sugar, for dusting

For the sponge

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C Fan, 350°F, Gas Mark 5) and line a large shallow baking tray approximately 25cm x 40cm (10 x 15 inch) with parchment paper.
2. With an electric mixer, whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until they are pale and thick, about 5-8 minutes.
3. Sift in flour, cocoa powder and salt and mix gently with a large whisk just until there are no patches of dry ingredients.
4. Pour mixture into a prepared tin and smooth out with a spatula or large palette knife, making sure to get the batter into the corners of the tin.
5. Bake just until cake feels firm to the touch in the middle, between 8-10 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack and immediately dust the top generously with icing sugar.
7. Lay a large sheet of parchment paper on top then place a large tray, cut-ting board or cooling rack on top, carefully turn everything over and lift away the tin.
8. Gently peel away the parchment paper and using the parchment paper still under the sponge to help, roll up the sponge tightly from the shortest side.
9. Leave to cool completely while still rolled up.

For the sauce and buttercream

1. To make sauce, place the chocolate, butter and syrup in a medium-sized heat-proof bowl and sit it over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat, then stir in the cream. Set aside to cool until it’s a spreadable consistency.
2. To make the buttercream, beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until the mixture is creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, then set aside.

To assemble and decorate

1. Melt 25g of chocolate in short 5-10 second bursts in the microwave, removing from the microwave when there is still some chocolate left to melt, stirring until melted and smooth.
2. Spread melted chocolate on the underside of the mint leaves with a teaspoon, try to avoid letting the chocolate run over onto the top side of the leaf, then place chocolate side up on a parchment paper lined plate or board and refrigerate to harden.
3. Once the sponge is completely cool, carefully unroll.
(Tip: The sponge may crack in places but this is normal and the cracks will be covered once filled and decorated.)
4. Spread the buttercream filling evenly over the sponge to the edges.
5. Re-roll it in the same direction it was rolled before
6. Cut off a piece of the cake at an angle then transfer both pieces to a serving plate, placing the smaller piece against the longer piece at the angled side it was cut so that the shape resembles a branch.
7. Spread the chocolate ganache over the entire cake and create patterns along the cake to imitate tree bark with a small palette knife.
8. Remove chocolate coated leaves from the fridge and gently peel the leaves away from the chocolate.
9. Decorate cake with chocolate leaves and berries, then just before serving, dust with icing sugar for a snowy effect.