Recipes of the tradition: Christmas Stump Cake

It's not easy to end the Christmas lunch on a high note after tasting the most delicious family recipes. However, if you are looking for a dessert that is both tasty and beautiful to look at, you can’t go wrong with a great classic: Tronchetto di Natale (Christmas Stump).
This dessert made of rolled sponge cake and decorated as if it were a tree trunk recalls the ancient tradition of the Christmas Stump, widespread in many European countries and also in Tuscany. In Florence, on Christmas Eve families used to lit a big log in the fireplace and let it burn all night, even beyond Boxing Day.
The Christmas Stump cake therefore wants to resemble that log, it is usually covered in chocolate ganache and can have different fillings, such as marmalade, custard, cream or chocolate cream.
Today we offer you the recipe you absolutely must try this Christmas!

CHRISTMAS STUMP RECIPE

Ingredients for sponge cake:
• 120 g of 00 flour
• 140 g of granulated sugar
• 5 medium eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of yeast (optional)
• 1 pinch of salt

Separate the yolks from the whites. Whip the egg yolks with sugar and vanilla extract for about 10 minutes, until the mixture becomes frothy.
Separately, whip the egg whites until stiff, but not too much.
Incorporate the two mixtures carefully, mixing from bottom to top with a spoon, trying not to cause the dough to fall apart.
In a bowl, mix sifted flour, yeast and salt and gradually add these dry ingredients to the whipped dough, continuing to mix.
Pour the mixture into a flat pan covered with baking paper and level it.
Bake for 8 minutes at 200°C (preheated static oven). The sponge cake will be ready when the surface is slightly golden.
Remove the sponge cake from the oven, place it on a clean damp cloth and roll it up inside, being careful not to break it.
Leave to cool in the fridge and in the meantime prepare the ganache.

Ingredients for the chocolate ganache:
• 250 g of dark chocolate
• 250 g of fresh cream

Chop the dark chocolate into small pieces.
Bring the cream to the boil in a saucepan and then add the chopped chocolate into small pieces. Stir until it’s all melted and uniform. Let it cool.

Assemble the log:
Unroll the sponge cake and fill it with marmalade, custard or any other filling of your choice.
Roll it up again, cut a piece (about ⅓) by making a bias cut and reposition the cut piece as if it were a branch of the log.
Now cover the entire cake with the chocolate ganache, leaving the sides of the cuts uncovered to show the "rings" of the trunk.
Using a fork, create streaks on the ganache that resemble bark.
Now you can have fun decorating your log!

Enjoy your meal!