Low sugar Chocolate Yule Log recipe

For the Swiss roll:

4 medium eggs, room temperature
60g xylitol (Total Sweet or other non-GMO brand)
30g cocoa or cacao powder
1 1/2 tsp sugar free vanilla extract

For the filling:

200ml double cream, cold
1 tsp sugar free vanilla extract
1 tbsp rice syrup (optional - makes it sweeter but still fructose free)
Large handful frozen strawberries, defrosted and roughly chopped

For covering:

80g really dark chocolate (85% min to keep the sugar as low as possible), roughly chopped
Large handful of desiccated coconut

How to make it

1. Preheat oven to 180C/gas 4. Separate eggs. (For young children, get them to cup their hands and crack the egg gently into their hands and wiggle their hands slightly so the whites fall into the bowl and yolk stays intact in their hands.

If any little bits of yolk get into the whites, just use the eggshell to lift them out until the whites are totally yolk-free!).

Whisk egg whites until they're stiff peaks and add xylitol, then whisk again for a minute until stiff and glossy.

2. Whisk egg yolks with vanilla in a separate bowl until light, frothy and doubled in size (use an electric beater or stand mixer if you have it to make this easier as it can take a good 5-10 mins).

3. Sift the cocoa powder into the egg yolks and mix in, then add a large tablespoon of the egg whites and fold in gently to loosen the mixture (it will be quite dry so do not skip this step).

4. Fold in the rest of the egg whites really gently with a spatula or metal spoon, mixing as little as you can until everything is just incorporated.

5. Pour the batter into a lightly greased Swiss roll tin (33 x 23cm/13 x 9in) lined carefully with baking paper (ensure the baking paper hangs over the edges slightly to make lifting the cake out easier after baking).

Very carefully and lightly spread the batter to the corners of the tray with a spatula, moving the batter as little and as lightly as possible to keep the air in.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 mins, until the sponge is cooked through and springy to the touch.

6. Gently remove the cake from the tin while still hot using the baking paper, and place on a clean slightly damp tea towel (a little warm water from the tap on it will do, it needs to be just damp, not soaked).

Slowly roll the cake up using the baking paper and tea towel (if a young child is doing this, start it off so it’s positioned perfectly then let them finish rolling). Allow the cake to cool completely while rolled up (should take about 30 mins-1 hour).

7. While the cake is cooling, whip the double cream to stiff peaks and stir in the chopped defrosted strawberries.

8. Gently unroll the cooled cake and spread the filling all over the cake in an even layer.

9. Carefully roll the cake back up, peeling the baking paper off as you go.

10. Carefully move the roll to a serving board or plate, using the baking paper to lift it more gently. Remove the baking paper from underneath the log. Don’t worry about a few cracks here and there - you’ll be covering those up soon and it makes it look more authentically log-like anyway!

11. Melt the chocolate in the microwave on short bursts (or gently over a low heat in a saucepan) until only just melted and smooth.

12. Pour the melted chocolate over the roll and top with desiccated coconut for a “fake snow” look (kids love this bit so let them have some fun covering it and making a little mess!).

13. Have fun decorating the log together. Non-edible decorations to keep the sugar low, but you could use edible low sugar options like my sugar free marshmallows, low sugar gingerbread men or fresh/frozen fruit.