Retro Christmas Chocolate Log

Retro Cake Decorating

Who doesn’t love retro!

Mish Pattinson of VS Cakes shows Cake Life how to create a bit of nostalgia this Christmas.

Please send your retro designs to [email protected], we would love to feature them!

The festive season is well and truly upon us.   Time to start thinking about the family Christmas cake design. This meant I needed to pop into my local cake shop for some last minute supplies.

I was shocked to see that they still stock and sell cake frill, plastic robins and holly leaves. Talk about a step back in time. I quizzed Tracey the owner about it and she advised me that they still sell loads of it in the run up to Christmas. I bought a set to take home.

This got me feeling all nostalgic remembering making Christmas cakes and Chocolate logs from the Bero book with my mum – using royal icing to make peaked “snow” and adding cake frill and the plastic decorations that has lovingly been kept from the year before. I reckon if I looked I would find a set safely stored at mums in a kitchen drawer! In fact I bet there are quite a few sets stored in kitchen drawers.

I decided to make a Chocolate Log for old times sake.   I loved doing it as it made me feel 12 again and you know what, when I showed it to my husband his face lit up into a big smile and he said oh I used to love them. The only difference is this time I used chocolate bailey buttercream.

So whilst you are thinking on your designs for your family Christmas cakes you might want to take yourself back and make a quick chocolate log. Your children will love it.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New year.

Quick Chocolate Festive Log

You will need..

1 x Chocolate Swiss roll – home made or shop bought

Chocolate Buttercream

Festive cake card

Plastic Robin

Plastic Holly

Palette Knife

Fork

Flour dredger filled with icing sugar

Chocolate Baileys Butter Cream

500g of Icing Sugar

250g unsalted buttercream

2 x generous tbsp. of sifted coco powder

Splash of bailey or Mil

Small amount of soft Chocolate ganache

1. Cream the butter in a stand mixer until it is soft and fluffy.
2. Add the icing sugar and mix. I like to do this a third at a time
3. Add the Cocoa power and mix again
4. Finally add a splash of milk or baileys and for extra yumminess some soft Chocolate ganache.

Making the Chocolate log

1. Cut the Swiss roll to size and secure it to the festive cake card with a little butter cream.
2. Using a pallet knife roughly cover the Swiss roll with butter cream. Remember the ends.
3. Make a bark effect in the buttercream using the palette knife
4. Use a fork to mark trunk rings on the ends,
5. Add the plastic robin and holly
6. Use the flour dredger to lightly sprinkle snow on your chocolate log.