Dubai Chocolate Yule Log

This Dubai chocolate yule log is a delicious twist of a traditional yule log. It has a chocolate layer that is rolled up with pistachio kataifi filling inside. A whipped chocolate ganache is spread all over the log, and it's decorated with pistachios and raspberries for a pop of colour!

Course Dessert

Cuisine middle eastern, North American

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 15

Servings servings

Calories 331kcal

Author Nina

Ingredients

Chocolate Roll Cake

¾ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
4 large eggs yolk and whites divided
¾ granulated sugar divided
¼ cup unsalted butter melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup buttermilk

Pistachio Cream

½ cup pistachios shelled
6 tablespoons milk divided
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ cup white baking chocolate
1¼ teaspoons powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt

Pistachio Kataifi Filling

¾ cup puff pastry cut into thin lines, or store bought kataifi
1 tablespoon butter
1¼ cups pistachio cream from recipe above, or store bought

Whipped Chocolate Ganache

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or baking chocolate
½ cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons pistachios shelled, for decoration
10 fresh raspberries for decoration

Instructions

Chocolate Roll Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 12 x 17 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Let some parchment paper hang off the sides, to make it easier to lift the cake out once baked. Set aside.
Using a fine mesh sieve, sift four, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
Use a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat egg whites and ¼ cup of sugar until medium peaks form. Transfer egg whites into another bowl. Set aside.
Using the same bowl you had the egg whites in (no need to clean it), add egg yolks and remaining sugar. Beat until egg yolks are lightened in colour, about 1 minute beating on high.
Add in melted butter, vanilla, and buttermilk. Mix to combine.
Add ⅓ egg whites to the egg yolk mixture. Use a rubber spatula to gently mix the egg whites in.
Add in ½ of the dry ingredients, mix to combine. Add in another ⅓ egg whites and gently mix to combine. Then add the remaining ½ of the dry ingredients, followed by the remaining ⅓ of egg whites. Mix gently to combine.
Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Use an offset spatula to get batter to all corners.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly touched with your finger.
While cake is baking, lay out a kitchen towel and sprinkle with cocoa powder.
Once the cake comes out of the oven, run a knife down the sides to loosen it, and immediately turn out onto the kitchen towel. Carefully peel off the parchment that was at the bottom of the cake.
Start at the narrow end and tightly roll the cake with the towel. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Pistachio Cream

Place a small saucepan with 2 cups of water in it over medium heat. Shell the pistachios. When the water is boiling, place the shelled pistachios in it. Boil for 3 minutes to soften their skins.
Lay out a clean kitchen towel out. Drain the softened pistachios and set them on the kitchen towel. Rub the pistachios with the kitchen towel to remove the skins. This takes some time, but your pistachio cream will be vibrant green after removing the skins.
Discard the pistachio skins add the skinned pistachios into a small food processor or a blender. Add 2 tablespoons of milk to the blender. Blend the pistachios until they are broken up, about 5 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides.
Meanwhile, add remaining 4 tablespoons milk, butter, and chocolate to a medium bowl. Place over a small pot of boiling water (I used the same pot I boiled the pistachios in), or heat in the microwave. Stir every so often, until everything is melted.
Once melted, pour ingredients into the blender with the pistachios. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Blend until smooth.
Remove pistachio cream to a small bowl. Set aside.

Pistachio Kataifi Filling

Place frozen puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Use a pastry cutter or knife to slice very thin strips out of the puff pastry. Cut the strips into small pieces, about an inch long.
Heat butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add puff pastry pieces once the butter is melted. Fry the puff pastry pieces until lightly browned.
Remove from heat to cool to room temperature, then add puff pastry pieces to the pistachio cream. Set aside.

Whipped Chocolate Ganache

Place chocolate in a small bowl. Heat whipping cream in the microwave until it starts to boil.
Pour boiling whipping cream over chocolate. Leave it for 3 minutes, then stir to combine. If chocolate isn't fully melted, heat it gently in the microwave.
Place melted chocolate/whipping cream (ganache) into a large bowl. Whip until if forms stiff peaks, about 10 minutes. You can also cool it in the refrigerator prior to whipping it, and it will get to stiff peaks way faster.

Assembly

Carefully unroll chocolate cake. Spread prepared pistachio kataifi filling onto the unrolled cake. Roll it back up, and cut off a bit of the ends of the cake roll. Place the cake on a serving plate.
Spread the prepared whipped chocolate ganache over the cake roll. Decorate with more pistachios and raspberries.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Video

Notes

Instead of making pistachio cream and kataifi from scratch, use store bought to save time.
Mix the egg whites into the cake batter carefully so that they do not inflate.
You can make this ahead of time - make the pistachio cream the day before or make the chocolate cake the day before and leave it rolled up overnight.
If your cake cracks, don't worry. The frosting will cover it!
I like the look of whipped chocolate ganache in this recipe, but you can substitute for a chocolate ganache

Nutrition