Festive Yule Log

• Heat oven to 200C fan 180C gas 6
• Grease and line a 22 x 32cm Swiss roll tin with baking parchment
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and caster sugar together with an electric whisk for about 8 mins until thick and creamy.
• In a separate bowl, mix the self raising flour, and 2 tbsp cocoa powder, then sift onto the egg mixture. Fold in very carefully pour into the prepared tin.
• Using a palette knife, spread the mixture to the edge of the tin and bake for 8-10 mins
• Place a sheet of baking parchment on the work surface, dust with caster sugar. When the cake is ready, tip it onto the baking paper, peel off the lining paper, then roll the cake up from its longest edge with the paper inside. Leave to cool.
• While the sponge is cooling, make the chocolate ganache.
• Chop the chocolate and place it into a clean, dry bowl. Bring the cream and the glucose together to a boil, leave to cool for 10 minutes. Then whisk into the chocolate and leave to cool at room temperature.
• In a separate bowl, whip the cream until it reaches soft peaks; be careful not to overwhip.
• Next, unravel the cake, remove the parchment and spread over the whipped cream, then carefully roll up again into a log shape (not too tight or cream will spill out)
• Cut the log at an angle (roughly a third of the way down the sponge). Position the largest cut section onto a serving plate and arrange the diagonal cut against the cake to make a branch.
• Using a piping bag or palette knife, spread the ganache over the log, and the branch don't cover the ends. Then using a fork, mark the ganache to give the effect of tree bark. Finish with icing sugar to resemble snow and decorate with holly.

Optional extra

• If you want to create chocolate tree bark. Melt the chocolate and spread out onto a sheet of parchment on a baking tray, roll up and place into the freezer for 20 minutes or until set. Unroll and break into pieces to look like bark. Decorate your log