Black Forest Yule Log

French German Buch de Noel The VS site suggests this if you don't feel like making the log: " leave the sponge to cool, trim the edges then cut into three pieces. Divide the brandy cream and cherries into four and layer up the sponge with cream and cherries in between. Top with cream and use the last portion to pipe rosettes around the edge. Decorate with cherry halves and grated chocolate.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• cake

• 175  g chocolate
• 2  tablespoons brandy
• 5  free-range eggs, separated
• 175  g caster sugar
• 100  g hazelnuts, roasted
•  icing sugar, for dusting

• filling

• 1 -2  tablespoon brandy
• 300  ml  double cream, whipped
• 425  g  black cherries, drained, stoned and halved

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F while you line a 33 x 23-cm Swiss roll tin with non-stick baking parchment.
2. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir in the brandy and cool a little while you whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl, again over a pan of simmering water, until the mixture becomes thick and creamy.
3. Combine the cooled chocolate and egg yolk mixture. Grind the hazelnuts and fold into the chocolate mixture.
4. In a grease-free bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold into the chocolate mixture with a metal spoon until no whites can be seen.
5. Pour into the prepared Swiss roll tin and spread evenly. Cook in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the sponge springs back when lightly pressed. Lay a sheet of baking parchment on a wire rack and turn the cake out into it. Cover with a clean damp tea towel before peeling off the lining parchment. Trim the edges.
6. Transfer the cake and parchment to the work top. Roll up the cake with the parchment inside and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
7. Fold the brandy into the cream. Unroll the cake, spread the cream over the surface, leaving a 1/2-in gap along one long edge. Scatter with the cherries and roll up. Dust with icing sugar and decorate with holly to serve.