Even though it doesn't look like it, this chocolate vegan yule log is really easy to make and delicious made with healthy-ish ingredients.
This recipe was inspired by How To Make A Festive Gingerbread Cake House, Classic Panettone: The Traditional Italian Christmas Cake and 30 Wooden Gifts Ideas For Toddlers This Christmas.
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What Is A Vegan Yule Log Cake
The Yule Log is a traditional Christmas dessert that is very popular in some countries like Belgium, France, Switzerland, UK and Canada but also the US. Although it looks very professional and complicated to make it is really not.
It took me years to get to a point to even attempt to make a yule log. But once I did and realized how simple it is, this recipe has become a must for each and every Christmas.
Vegan Yule Log Recipe
For years I have made the traditional vegan yule log cake with eggs, dairy milk and butter. But we've had people come over for the holidays who don't tolerate dairy, so they were not able to enjoy it.
Which got me thinking of a vegan yule log option. This way anyone with any dairy restriction can eat it but also anyone else can enjoy a cake that is no less tasty than the original version.
So, this vegan yule log recipe is now our new favorite Christmas cake.
A decadent sponge with an amazing cream filling and creamy chocolate ganache is just the thing you need for your Christmas time with family.
Vegan Yule Log Cake Ingredients
To make this delicious vegan yule log you will need the following ingredients:
- plain flour: to make a cake sponge, plain flour really is the best option. It might not have so many nutrients so if you're worried about this, just remember that the holidays are also a time to enjoy meals with your family and that nutrition is all about balance in the end
- cacao powder: unsweetened cocoa powder is what you want to use here to get the best possible chocolatey flavor of the sponge
- coconut sugar: coconut sugar is a better alternative to regular sugar so I like to use it in baked recipes. Birch sugar or brown sugar can also be a good alternative but you can even use caster sugar if you want.
- plant milk: to ensure this yule log is vegan, you'd want to use non-dairy milk such as almond milk, soy milk
- baking powder: this is your levening agent that will help the cake sponge rise
- coconut oil: I like to use coconut oil when baking but you can also use another vegetable oil as well
- icing sugar: this really is something you cannot substitute in this recipe as the icing sugar is the one thing you need for that amazing buttercream inside and on top of the yule log
- dairy-free margarine/butter: you can find these in health stores but nowadays every bigger supermarket will also have it
- vegan dark chocolate: make sure you are buying vegan dark chocolate when choosing for this recipe
How To Make Vegan Yule Log - Step-by-step
How To Make the Sponge
1. Preheat oven to 180 C / 360 F and line a 25 x 35 baking tray with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar together and set aside for 10 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, cacao powder, coconut sugar and baking powder)
4. Add the coconut oil to the milk mixture.
5. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold together with a silicone spatula until fully combined.
6. Pour the cake batter into the lacing tray. Level the top.
7. Put into the oven and bake for about 15 - 18 minutes.
8. Once baked, take out from the oven and let cool for about 5 minutes.
9. While the sponge is cooling, wet a tablecloth and squeeze out the water as much as you can.
10. Place the damp tablecloth over the sponge and turn it over.
11. Remove the parchment paper.
12. Starting from the longer edge, roll up the sponge using the tablecloth (with the tablecloth inside).
13. Set aside to cool.
How To Make the Vanilla Buttercream
1. Mix the vegan margarine/butter in a bowl with a hand mixer on high speed until creamy. You can also use a stand mixer.
2. Once creamy, add in the icing sugar and vanilla extract and whisk together until you get a fluffy vanilla buttercream.
How To Make the Chocolate Buttercream
1. Melt the vegan chocolate either in the microwave or in a water bath.
2. Mix the vegan margarine/butter in a bowl with a hand mixer on high speed until creamy. You can also use a stand mixer.
3. Once creamy, add in the icing sugar, cacao powder, melted chocolate and vanilla extract. Whisk together until you get a fluffy chocolate buttercream.
Assembling the Cake
1. Once the sponge has fully cooled, unroll it and spread the vanilla buttercream evenly.
2. Roll the sponge back but without the tablecloth.
3. Place on a serving platter and put in the fridge to cool down for about an hour.
4. Once cooled, take it out and spread the chocolate buttercream over the vegan yule log.
5, Use a fork to make bark texture by creating lines on top.
6. Decorate with some berries, cookies and icing sugar.
Top tip: cut your sponge once rolled up with the vanilla buttercream into ⅔ and ⅓ in a 45 degrees angle. Place the cut up piece at an angle on the side of the sponge to get a cut branch effect.
Storage
You can store the vegan yule log in your fridge for up to 3 days.
Alternatively, if you are not able to eat it and need to save for later (highly unlikely) you can cut up in pieces and freeze on some parchment paper. Once frozen you can transfer to silicone bags and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Top tip
Share something here that you think is key to making this recipe well, such as: Don't overcook the burgers! Sear the outside and cook to a minimum internal temperature, but they should still be juicy for best results.
FAQ
The easiest way to know if a sponge is baked is to insert a toothpick or a skewer inside close to the end of the baking time. If it comes out clean, the sponge is baked. If not, leave it in for a few more minutes.
I wouldn't recommend it because the paper towel once wet can easily tear apart and you'll have yourself having to unstick the paper towel from the sponge. An alternative to a damp cloth is parchment paper.
Of course. Whipped cream is a great way to add that snowy effect to your yule log. Just make sure you are using vegan cream to ensure that this yule log remains vegan if you need it to.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Homemade Vegan Gluten-Free Healthy Twix Cups
- Lemon and Garlic Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Carrots
- 3-Ingredient Vegan Avocado Chocolate Mousse
- Salted Garlic Crunchy Roasted Peas
Easy Vegan Chocolate Yule Log Recipe
Ingredients
Sponge
- 2 cup plain flour
- 2 tablespoon cacao powder
- 4 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 ½ cup icing sugar
- 100 g dairy-free margarine/butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 100 g dairy-free margarine/butter
- 2 tablespoon cacao powder
- 50 g dairy-free chocolate
Instructions
Making The Sponge
- Preheat oven to 180° and line a 25 x 35 baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk the non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar together and set aside for 10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, cacao powder, coconut sugar and baking powder)
- Add the coconut oil to the milk mixture.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold together with a silicone spatula until fully combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the lacing tray. Level the top.
- Put into the oven and bake for about 15 - 18 minutes.
- Once baked, take out from the oven and let cook for about 5 minutes.
- While the sponge is cooling, wet a tablecloth and squeeze out the water as much as you can.
- Place the damp tablecloth over the sponge and turn it over.
- Remove the parchment paper.
- Starting from the longer edge, roll up the sponge using the tablecloth (with the tablecloth inside).
- Set aside to cool.
Making The Vanilla Buttercream
- Mix the vegan margarine/butter in a bowl with a hand mixer on high speed until creamy. You can also use a stand mixer.
- Once creamy, add in the icing sugar and vanilla extract and whisk together until you get a fluffy vanilla buttercream.
Making The Chocolate Buttercream
- Melt the vegan chocolate either in the microwave or in a water bath.
- Mix the vegan margarine/butter in a bowl with a hand mixer on high speed until creamy. You can also use a stand mixer.
- Once creamy, add in the icing sugar, cacao powder, melted chocolate and vanilla extract. Whisk together until you get a fluffy chocolate buttercream.
Assembling The Cake
- Once the sponge has fully cooled, unroll it and spread the vanilla buttercream evenly.
- Roll the sponge back but without the tablecloth.
- Place on a serving platter and put in the fridge to cool down for about an hour.
- Once cooled, take it out and spread the chocolate buttercream over the vegan yule log.
- Use a fork to make bark texture by creating lines on top.
- Decorate with some berries, cookies and icing sugar.
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