Yuletide Chocolate Log

Moist vegan chocolate dessert cake.
Chestnut Puree filling and icing.
No cane sugar, no artificial flavours.
Dairy Free, Gluten Free.
Serves 8-10.

Organic Chestnut Flour, Gluten-Free 1kg (Sussex Wholefoods)

75g Chestnut Flour

Organic Ground Almonds (1kg) - Sussex WholeFoods

50g Ground Almonds

Organic Cacao Powder (1kg) - Sussex WholeFoods

100g Cacao Powder, 50g for the cake, 50g for the ‘icing’ + extra for dusting.

Organic Chestnut Puree, Unsweetened 300g (Organico)

2 jars of Unsweetened Chestnut Puree

Organic Brown Rice Flour, Gluten-Free (1kg) - Sussex Wholefoods

50g Brown Rice Flour

Natural Egg Replacer - No Egg 200g (Orgran)

3 heaped tsp of egg replacer

Virgin Coconut Oil, Organic 400g (Biona)

100g Coconut Oil, melted.

Organic Coconut Sugar (1kg) - Sussex Wholefoods

200g Coconut Sugar + 70g for the filling & topping

Sweet Freedom Fruit Syrup 350g

3 Tbsp Sweet Freedom.

Pure Vanilla Extract 60ml (Nielsen Massey)

2tsp Vanilla Extract, 1tsp for the cake mix, 1tsp for the chestnut ‘icing’.

Organic Cornflour 110g (Dove's Farm)

100g Cornflour

Xanthan Gum 110g (Doves Farm)

1tsp Xanthan Gum

Gluten-Free Baking Powder 130g (Doves Farm)

1tsp Baking Powder

Baking Soda - Pure Bicarbonate of Soda 450g (Bob's Red Mill)

½tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

Rice Dream Organic Rice Drink 1litre

200ml Rice Milk.

Morello Cherry Fruit Spread, Organic 284g (Meridian)

1 jar of Meridian Organic Morello Cherry Jam.

Organic Maple Syrup, 125ml Pouch (Shady Maple Farms)

7 Tbsp Maple Syrup

Organic Coconut Milk 17% Fat 200ml (Biona)

½ tin /around 100ml of Coconut Milk.

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 190°C/180°C Fan/Gas Mark 4. Grease and line the base of a flat, rimmed baking sheet. The internal dimensions of our baking tray measured roughly W 22cm x L 31.5cm x D 1.5cm (8½inch x 12½ inch x ¾ inch).
First make the chocolate cake. Sift the flours, egg replacer and Cacao powder into a food processor or large mixing bowl.
Add the Bicarbonate of Soda, Baking Powder and Xanthan Gum. Mix gently for half a minute.
Then add 200g of the coconut sugar, sweet freedom syrup, 1 tsp of vanilla extract and coconut butter.
Whizz up/ beat up until all the ingredients are combined, then add the rice milk and whizz up until you have a smooth dropping consistency.
Spoon the cake mixture evenly onto the baking sheet and smooth over.
Place in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes or until the surface springs back lightly to the touch.
Allow to cool slightly in the tray before tipping out onto a cooling rack with the baking parchment still underneath. Allow to cool some more.
Cover the top with a fresh sheet of baking parchment. We rolled the sponge mixture when it was still slightly warm. Leave to one side in its rolled up state.
In a clean mixing bowl spoon out both jars of chestnut puree. Sift in the 50g Cacao and add the Coconut Sugar. Combine with a spoon.
Then add the Coconut Milk, 1tsp Vanilla Extract and the Maple Syrup.
Mix with a hand blender if you have one until you have a smooth butter-icing style consistency. Set to one side.
Gently unroll the sponge cake. Remove the top sheet of baking parchment. Gluten free sponges are more liable to cracking so you will need to support it with a rolling pin and other kitchen implements!
Spread the whole jar of Morello Cherry Jam over the sponge.
Then add blobs of the chocolate chestnut puree mixture on top. Spread evenly over the entire surface with a knife or palette knife.
Using the baking parchment still underneath the sponge to help roll the sponge into a log.
Transfer to your presentation plate/platter/board. Cover the the top and length of the chocolate log with more chocolate chestnut puree. Create a pattern with the back of a spoon.
Dust gently with cacao powder and use the back of a spoon to add detail into the ‘icing’ to make it look more like the bark of a log.
Serve. Best enjoyed on the day you make it! This can be stored in the fridge and eaten within 2 days.