Shaping Yule Log

Asked by Jane88. Answered on 29th September 2017

Full question

I would like to know if it would be possible to cut the Yule Log into 3 different lengths and stand them up vertically next to each other like 3 trees that have been cut down? Would the sponge be strong enough? Would I need to reinforce it somehow? Thank you.

Yule Log

By Nigella

Our answer

Nigella's Yule Log (from NIGELLA CHRISTMAS) is a flourless whisked chocolate sponge cake that is rolled into a log shape with a cream filling on the inside and chocolate buttercream on the outside. The sponge itself is slightly fragile as it is gluten free, but is more robust once the buttercream frosting has been spread over.

We suspect it would be possible to cut the log into 3 or 4 pieces and stand them vertically, as long as the pieces are not too big (no more than 10cm/4 inches long). You may need to make a little extra buttercream to cover the cut ends of the pieces of Yule Log. There is a risk that when stacked vertically the rolls will try to unwind themselves, even once the buttercream has set, so it may be a good idea to keep the rolls firmly closed by inserting wooden skewers (cut to appropriate lengths) through each piece of the cut up roll. You are likely to need 2-3 skewers per piece of roll. Remove the skewers before cutting and serving the Yule Log. However please note that as we have not tested this method we are unable to guarantee the results.