Anne’s Bûche de Noël

Line a 32x23 cm tin with parchment paper, and pre-heat the oven to 160°C fan/325°F/gas mark 3.

Whisk the egg yolks then add the sugar and whisk again until thick and pale in colour. Fold in the cocoa powder.

Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until they form soft peaks but are not over-dry. Fold one spoon of the egg whites into the chocolate mix and stir gently to slacken the mixture. Gently fold in the rest of the whites but be careful not to overmix.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 15-18 minutes until springy to the touch. Leave to cool.

Whip the cream until it just holds its shape.

Turn the roulade out onto another piece of parchment paper dusted with icing sugar.

Carefully peel away the top sheet of paper, then spoon over the cream leaving a 2cm border around the edges.

To roll up the roulade, lift the paper along the short edge gently rolling the roulade over and pulling the paper away as it rolls. Don’t panic when it cracks; this is perfectly normal and adds to the overall appearance.

Refrigerate the Bûche de Noël until needed. Dust with icing sugar and cocoa powder and serve.