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Gluten-free Chocolate Orange Yule Log Recipe (dairy free)

Gluten-free chocolate orange yule log recipe - super easy to make and you'd never know it was Coeliac-friendly and wheat-free. Promise!
Keyword chocolate orange, christmas, gluten free chocolate orange yule log, gluten free yule log recipe, recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 9 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 9 minutes
Servings 15 slices
Calories 342kcal
Author Becky Excell

Ingredients

For the sponge

  • 100 g caster sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 65 g gluten free self raising flour
  • 1/4 tsp xanthan gum add this even if your flour already has it in it
  • 40 g cocoa powder ensure dairy free if necessary
  • 2 tsp orange extract

For the icing

  • 250 g butter softened (use Stork hard margarine if dairy-free)
  • 250 g dark chocolate melted and cooled dairy-free if necessary
  • 250 g icing sugar
  • 2 tsp orange extract

Optional extras

  • Icing sugar for dusting (I didn't use this in the photos, but you can sift some on at the end for a 'snowy' effect)
  • Chocolate orange buttons linked in FAQ section along with dairy-free alternative
  • Chocolate orange Toblerone linked in FAQ section - omit this if dairy-free

Instructions

To make the sponge

  • Prepare your swiss roll tin by greasing it and then placing baking paper onto it. Make sure it fits really well as you want the full shape of the tin.
  • Preheat your oven to 180C Fan / 200C.
  • Using an electric hand whisk, whisk together your sugar, eggs and orange extract until light and a little frothy. It should only take a few minutes.
  • Sift in your gluten free flour, xanthan gum and cocoa powder (always sift cocoa powder otherwise it can be quite lumpy). Fold this into your mixture carefully until fully combined.
  • Pour/spoon the mixture into your tin, ensuring it spreads right to the edges. Try your best to get it even as it will be pretty thin.
  • Bake in the oven for about 9 minutes. The sponge should have come away a little bit from the sides of the tin and be slightly risen.
  • Remove the sponge from the oven and very carefully invert it (turn it upside down!) onto another piece of baking paper on a flat surface. Carefully peel off the baking paper that was on the bottom of it in the oven.
  • Whilst the sponge is still warm, roll the sponge up with the paper inside it as you roll. Put your rolled up sponge to one side and leave it to cool completely whilst still rolled. I usually put something heavy against it to ensure it stays fairly tight and doesn't unroll.

To make the icing

  • Whilst your sponge cools, make your icing for the inside and out. Place your butter in a stand mixer (or electric hand whisk if you don't have a stand mixer), mix on its own on a high speed for about 5 minutes. The butter should change from a more yellow colour to being a lot more pale.
  • Add your icing sugar gradually to the butter (I do this in two stages). I mix each addition of icing sugar for around 3-5 minutes before adding the second half.
  • Now add in your melted, cooled chocolate and mix until fully combined, followed by your orange extract. It should be the right consistency at this point.

To assemble:

  • Carefully unroll and remove the baking paper. Fortunately I never find the sponge cracks using my recipe, but if it does, it doesn't matter - it will all be covered in icing!
  • Spread a layer of about 1cm thick of your filling on the unrolled sponge (I leave about a half cm gap around the edge). Carefully roll the sponge back up and transfer it to the serving board. Do this as tight as you can for the best swirl. Don't overfill with cream, you don't have to use it all!
  • Cover the rolled up sponge with the icing and use a fork or sharp knife to go over it to make a wood like pattern.
  • Optionally dust with icing sugar for a snowy finish and top with some chocolate orange Toblerone (chopped up as they're quite big and chunky) and chocolate orange buttons.
  • Cut the ends off to reveal your swirl and enjoy!

Notes

I changed the icing recipe for this - the new one is sooo much more chocolatey, indulgent and needs less ingredients. Trust me, it tastes better AND it's easier to make! But if you want the older one because that's what you've always used, here it is:

OLD ICING RECIPE:

Ingredients:
675g icing sugar
45g cocoa powder (ensure dairy free if necessary)
65g butter, softened (dairy free alternative if necessary)
2 tsp orange extract
125ml milk (any milk should work here)
Add all your ingredients to a standing mixer (you could use an electric hand mixer too) ensuring you sift in the icing sugar and cocoa powder.
Start the mixer on low and then increase to a higher speed as it all comes together. If it's not coming together, add a little extra milk very slowly.
It should be lovely and thick but still able to be spread. If you want it to be thinner, then add a little extra milk, and if you want it more thick then sift in some extra icing sugar (mine is always perfect or a little too thick, never too runny).

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 106mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 60g