Gingerbread yule log recipe (2024)

Vegan, quick & easy.

Even though it’s only October, I am already starting to see advent calenders in the supermarkets, Christmas recipes on social media and presents in the shops. I wanted to create a delicious gingerbread recipe, as gingerbread is one of my favourite festive flavours.

This is a gingerbread sponge with a ginger & cinnamon buttercream filling, coated in a dairy-free white chocolate ganache, dusted in ground ginger and snow (Icing sugar).

I also made some of my mini gingerbread men to go alongside this delicious yule log.

Get the gingerbread men recipe here.

The sponge is super quick & easy to make and is light, full of spice flavour and bakes within 20 minutes!!!

This cake looks absolutely stunning, tastes exquisite and is perfect for sharing.

The roll itself is perfectly moist and light with a creamy filling, just how you want a yule log!

It’s packed full of moorish, spicy flavour, you’ll want another slice of cake…I’m sure!

To view a step-by-step guide of the recipe (including photos), how to roll the sponge etc… check out my previous yule log recipe here.

Preparation:10 minutes

Baking time:18-20 minutes

Serves:8-10

Level:Medium

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Ingredients for the sponge

-240ml of dairy-free milk (I use unsweetened almond milk)

-1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar

-210g of self-raising flour

-100g of golden caster sugar

-1 teaspoon of ground ginger

-1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

-1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

-1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

-60g of coconut oil (Melted)

Ingredients for the filling

-100g of dairy-free butter

-160g of icing sugar

-1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

-1 teaspoon of ground ginger

-1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

-1 teaspoon of dairy-free milk (optional)

Ingredients for the chocolate ganache (coating)

-50g of dairy-free white chocolate (melted & cooled)

-100g of dairy-free butter

-115g of icing sugar

-1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract

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Method (sponge)

Step 1- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees c and line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper.

Step 2- In a small bowl, combine the almond milk with the apple cider vinegar and whisk until fully combined.

Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle. This creates a vegan ‘buttermilk’.

Step 3- In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, sugar, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.

Mix well to combine.

Step 4- Add the melted coconut oil to the ‘buttermilk’ and whisk to combine.

Step 5- Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until a smooth batter.

Step 6- Pour into the lined tray and level with an offset spatula, making sure to spread it in-to the corners.

Tap the tray on the worktop to remove any air bubbles.

Step 7- Pop the tray into the preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes.

You will know its done when you put a knife or skewer in and it comes out clean and it is springy to the touch.

Step 8- Lay a large piece of greasepaper on your work surface, sprinkle over icing sugar and invert the sponge onto the paper, peel away the original baking paper.

Step 9- Trim the edges of the sponge with a sharp knife.

Step 10- Roll up (from the longer edge) using the paper, rolling it up with the paper inside. Set aside to cool.

Rolling it up with the paper inside helps the cake not to stick to itself.

Set aside.

Method (filling)

Step 1- Cream the butter in a bowl, on a high speed until creamy. I use my stand mixer with the balloon whisk attachment.

Step 2- When your butter/margarine is creamy & light in colour, add in the icing sugar, vanilla extract, ground ginger and ground cinnamon,

Whizz together until fluffy & fully combined.

Add a splash of milk if the buttercream is too thick.

Step 3- Once the sponge is cool, unroll the sponge and spread a thin layer of the filling then re-roll tightly without the paper inside.

Pop into the fridge while you make the ganache (coating).

Method (ganache)

Step 1- Melt the dairy-free white chocolate, then set aside to cool.

Step 2- Cream the butter in a bowl, on a high speed until creamy. I use my stand mixer with the balloon whisk attachment.

Step 3- When your butter/margarine is creamy & light in colour, add in the icing sugar, vanilla extract & melted white chocolate.

Whizz together until fluffy & fully combined.

Add a splash of milk if the buttercream is too thick.

Step 4- Transfer the yule log onto a serving plate or tray and using a offset spatula or knife, spread the ganache all over the yule log.

I used my spatula to create bark texture by creating lines. It looks really realistic and effective.

I decorated my yule log with a sprinkling of snow (icing sugar), ground ginger, homemade white chocolate trees (which I made tempering some white chocolate and piping them onto greaseproof paper), and added on some homemade gingerbread cookies decorated with vegan royal icing- Get my recipe here.

Go all out and serve with some sparklers for a special occasion!

Store in a sealed container in the fridge and best eaten within a few days.

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