Christmas log cake

25cm x 25cm tray

Ingredients

Chocolate sponge Chocolate cream

Egg yolks 3 Cream 120ml
Egg whites 3 Chocolate 40g
Sugar 10g + 50g (optional) Filling of choice includes strawberry,
Oil 20ml cranberry, cherries, chocolate crispy balls etc
Milk 40ml
Cake flour 55g Chocolate ganache
Cocoa powder 5g Cream 80ml
Chocolate 80g
Butter 10g
Light corn syrup 10g

Method
To make chocolate ganache
1. Warm the cream in saucepan until it steams. Pour the warm cream over the chocolate and
butter. Wait for a few minutes before mixing it until well combined.
2. Add light corn syrup and mix well. Let cool in the fridge until ready to be used.

To make chocolate sponge

1. Whisk egg yolks and 10g sugar in a bowl until light yellow.
2. Add oil and mix well.
3. Add milk and mix well.
4. Sift cake flour and cocoa powder into the bowl and combine well together.
5. In a separate bowl, add the egg whites and start to whisk until it becomes foamy.
6. Add the sugar in 3-4 parts, making sure that each part of the sugar is well incorporated before
adding the next. Stop when the meringue reaches stiff peaks and is glossy.
7. Place 1/3 of the meringue into the egg yolk batter and combine well. Add the remaining 2/3
of meringue and mix until it is just combined.
8. Pour batter into mold and smoothen the surface.
9. Bake at 190 degrees C for 11-13min. Remove from oven and let cool.

To make chocolate cream

1. Melt the chocolate over a bain marie before making the sponge and let cool.
2. Whisk the cream until just before soft peaks.
3. Add the cooled melted chocolate and continue whisking until it just reaches stiff peaks.

Assembly
1. Slice one end of the sponge (further end away from you) at a diagonal.
2. Spread cream on top of the sponge, making sure there is a thicker row of cream on the end
nearer to you.
3. Sprinkle filling of choice and roll the cake tightly. Place in the freezer for about 30 min.
4. After 30 min, remove from freezer and chop off the ends of the log cake.
5. Frost the cake with the chocolate ganache made at the beginning. Use spatula spread to
resemble like log, or a fork to score it.
6. Decorate to your creativity!

Gingerbread Ice-cream
Makes 1.5-2 pints
Ingredients
Milk 500g
Cornstarch 10g
Cream 300g
Sugar 70g
Dark brown sugar 70g
Light corn syrup 2 tbsp
Ginger 1.5 tbsp
Cinnamon 1 tbsp
Nutmeg 1 tsp
Clove 1/4-1/2 tsp
Cream cheese 45g
Salt 1/8tsp

Method
1. Mix 2 tbsp of milk (from the 500g) into the cornstarch to make a slurry.
2. Whisk softened cream cheese with salt to make sure there are no lumps.
3. Heat milk, cream, both sugars, light corn syrup, all spices in saucepan and bring to a boil over
medium high heat. Whisk at the beginning to make sure spices are combined well into the
mixture.
4. Let mixture come to a rolling boil for 4min.
5. Remove from heat and whisk in the cornstarch slurry.
6. Place saucepan back on stove and boil for 1min. Remove from heat.
7. Pour mixture over the softened cream cheese, whisk to combine well.
8. Chill for at least 4-6 hours, overnight for best results.
9. Churn mixture in ice-cream maker for 20-40min.
Matcha choux tree
Makes about 8-12

Ingredients
Water 40ml
Milk 35ml
Unsalted butter 30g
Salt pinch
Cake flour 45g
Egg 1

Pastry cream
Egg yolk 3
Caster sugar 50g
Cake flour 25g
Matcha powder 2-3g
Milk 250ml
Cream 50g
Sugar 5g
(optional) Vanilla extract

Method
To make the choux dough
1. Place water, milk, unsalted butter and salt in a saucepan and melt over low heat. Once melted,
bring it to high heat and let it come to a boil. Stop heat immediately.
2. Add flour and mix it until it comes together as a dough.
3. Start heat again at medium heat and cook dough until a thin film is seen at the bottom of the
4. pan.
5. Transfer to a bowl and spread mixture out to let it cool slightly.
6. Beat the egg, divide addition of egg into 4-5 portions, making sure each part is mixed well
into the dough before adding the next. Stop and check before adding the last fifth of egg.
7. Transfer dough to piping bag with round tip and pipe.
8. Bake at 200 degrees C for 20min. Turn heat down to 190 degrees C and bake for 15min
(without opening the oven door).

To make pastry cream

1. Heat milk in saucepan until steam appears.
2. Whisk egg yolk and sugar until pale yellow.
3. Add sifted cake flour and matcha powder and combine well.
4. Divide the steamed milk into two parts and pour into the bowl, mixing well after each
addition.
5. Pour mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, mixing constantly with a spatula
until mixture is thick and glossy.
6. Place on a plate to cool, making sure cling wrap touches the surface of the mixture to prevent
a skin from forming at the top.
7. In a bowl, place cream, sugar and vanilla extract (if using) and whisk until just stiff peaks.
8. Add the cooled pastry cream into the whipped cream and combine well.

Assembly
1. Slice off top of the choux puff.
2. Pipe the matcha cream into the puff, and replace with the top.
3. Stack into a tree and dust with icing sugar.