Delia Smith Chocolate Chestnut Log Recipe

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If you want a Christmas centrepiece that looks the part without a heavy buttercream, the Delia Smith Chocolate Chestnut Log is a very good place to start. A light, flourless cocoa sponge is rolled around sweet chestnut cream and chopped candied chestnuts, then covered in softly whipped cream and swirled with melted dark chocolate to look like a snowy, barked log.

Delia describes it as a lighter take on the classic French Bûche de Noël. She has never liked the sickly-sweet buttercream often used to ice a Yule log, so here the sponge is coated with whipped cream instead.

Delia’s chocolate chestnut log comes from The Delia Collection: Chocolate.

Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Chestnut Log

• Feeds 12 from one log: No juggling several desserts on a busy day.
• Cream, not buttercream: The topping is light and fresh-tasting, not sugary.
• A flourless sponge: Just eggs, sugar and cocoa, with a deep chocolate flavour and a soft, springy crumb.
• A proper festive look: The branches, cream “snow” and forked chocolate bark do the decorating for you.
• Forgiving to roll: If it cracks, you simply pat it back into shape. The cream hides the evidence.
• Freezer-friendly: The rolled log can be frozen before the cream topping goes on.

Ingredients (Serves 12)

For the chocolate sponge

• 9 large eggs, separated
• 225g (8 oz) caster sugar
• 75g (2¾ oz) cocoa powder, sifted
• Icing sugar, for dusting the parchment

For the chestnut filling

• 360g crème de marrons (sweetened chestnut purée), which is 1½ x 240g tins
• 6 whole candied chestnuts (marrons glacés), roughly chopped
• 1½ tablespoons double cream

For the Christmas snow decoration

• 75g (2¾ oz) dark chocolate (75% cocoa solids)
• 425ml (15 fl oz) double cream in total, including the 1½ tablespoons used in the filling

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Notes on the ingredients

Crème de marrons: This is sweetened chestnut purée, normally sold in a tin in the baking aisle or near the jams. The recipe is written for the sweetened kind. You need 1½ tins, so spoon the rest of the second tin into a small dish and keep it for toast or yoghurt. If you find a larger tin, weigh out 360g.

Candied chestnuts (marrons glacés): Chopped and scattered over the purée, these add sweetness and a soft chew.

How to Make Delia Smith Chocolate Chestnut Log

1. Get the oven and tin ready

Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F, gas mark 4). For a fan oven, reduce the temperature; around 160°C is typical. Grease the tin and line it with one piece of baking parchment, letting it rise about 2.5cm above the rim.

2. Whisk the yolks, sugar and cocoa

Separate the eggs, putting the whites into a very large bowl and the yolks into a smaller one.

Whisk the yolks with an electric hand whisk until they start to turn pale and thicken. Add the sugar and keep whisking until the mixture is thicker still. Stop before it becomes stiff, as an overwhisked base is much harder to fold. Whisk in the cocoa until fully blended.

3. Whisk the whites

Wash the whisk heads in warm soapy water and dry them thoroughly so they are clean and free of grease. Whisk the whites until they form soft peaks.

4. Fold and bake

Stir one spoonful of the whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen it. Then gently fold the chocolate mixture into the rest of the whites, cutting and folding until no streaks remain.

Spread the mixture into the tin and tap it a few times to level it. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 20 minutes, until risen, puffy and springy in the middle. Because the tin is larger, check it at 20 minutes and go by feel. Overcooking is the thing to avoid.

The sponge will sink quite a lot as it comes out of the oven. That is completely normal.

5. Cool and turn out

Let the sponge cool completely. Lay out a sheet of baking parchment about 2.5cm larger than the tin all the way round and sprinkle it with icing sugar.

Loosen the sponge around the edges, turn it onto the sugared paper, and peel away the lining paper.

6. Fill with chestnut cream

Tip the crème de marrons into a bowl, add the 1½ tablespoons of cream and mix well. Spread it over the sponge with a small palette knife, then scatter over the chopped candied chestnuts.

7. Roll the log

Set out your long board or tray. Using the edge of the parchment to guide you, roll the sponge over lengthways into a long roll, staying on the paper’s edge. Slide the log onto the board and pull away the last of the paper.

If it cracks or loses its shape, pat it back into a log with your hands. It will all be covered.

8. Add the branches

Cut two diagonal pieces from the ends of the log, each about 5cm across at the widest point. Press one against one side, cut side to the log. Press the other against the opposite side, a little nearer the top. The sticky chestnut cream helps them stay put.

9. Snow and bark

Melt the chocolate in a bowl over hot water. Beat the remaining cream until it is spreadable, taking care not to overbeat it.

Cover the whole log, branches included, with the cream. Drizzle thin lines of melted chocolate along the length of it. Then, drawing a fork only lengthways, blend the chocolate lightly into the cream to create a bark effect. Swirl it around at the branch ends and the ends of the log.

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Tips for Success

• Use the biggest bowl you have for the whites. Nine whites need room to expand and be folded.
• Stop whisking the yolks once they thicken. Stiff yolks make folding difficult.
• Keep everything grease-free. Wash and thoroughly dry the whisk heads before the whites.
• Loosen before folding. One spoonful of white into the chocolate base makes the rest much easier to combine.
• Check the sponge early. You want it risen and springy, and not baked until firm.
• Don’t panic when it sinks. That is how this sponge behaves.
• Roll with the paper. Lift the parchment rather than the sponge.
• Trust the topping. Cracks and uneven edges disappear under cream and chocolate.
• Fork lengthways only, except at the ends and branches, for the best bark effect.

Storage and Freezing

Keep the finished log covered in the refrigerator, because the topping is whipped cream.

To freeze, wrap the rolled log (before it has its cream and chocolate) in foil, keeping it in its paper. Defrost it fully in the fridge before decorating. The base can also be frozen and filled on the day, as long as it is fully defrosted before you fill it.

Variations and Substitutions

These are optional adaptations, not part of Delia’s original.

A splash of spirit: A little brandy or rum in the chestnut purée complements the flavour. Add it a teaspoon at a time so the filling stays spreadable.

Extra candied chestnuts: Scatter a few more, chopped, over the finished log for a more generous look.

Unsweetened purée: The recipe uses sweetened crème de marrons. If you use unsweetened purée, you’ll need to sweeten it yourself to taste.

Milder chocolate: A lower-percentage dark chocolate will taste sweeter on the bark, so keep the overall balance in mind.

Keep the eggs and cocoa exactly as they are. They give the sponge its structure and there is no easy substitute. If you would rather have a chocolate-and-cream roulade without the chestnuts, try our Chocolate Roulade Recipe.

What to Serve With It

Because the log is rich and sweet, keep accompaniments simple. Fresh raspberries or pomegranate seeds add a sharp, bright note. Strong coffee balances the sweetness of the chestnuts.

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For a larger dessert table, pair it with something fruity and light, such as our Pavlova, or offer a smaller chocolate option like our Chocolate Mousse.

Nutrition Information

Approximate estimates per serving, based on 12 servings from the scaled recipe:

Nutrient	Approximate amount
Calories	445 kcal
Protein	8g
Carbohydrates	51g
Fat	24g
Fibre	4g
Sugar	44g
Sodium	75mg

These are estimates, not lab measurements. Different brands of chestnut purée, chocolate and cream will change the numbers. Cutting thinner slices will lower the per-serving figures.

Is It Gluten-Free, Vegetarian or Vegan?

Gluten-free? The sponge contains no flour, so the recipe has no gluten-containing ingredients. If you are serving someone with coeliac disease, check the labels on the cocoa, chocolate, chestnut purée and candied chestnuts.

Vegetarian? Yes. It contains eggs and dairy but no meat or fish.

Dairy-free? No. Cream is used in the filling and the topping, and dark chocolate can contain milk traces.

Vegan? Not with simple swaps. The sponge relies on whisked eggs for its structure, so a vegan version would need a different recipe.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Overbaking. A dry sponge cracks heavily when rolled. Take it out when it is puffy and springy.

Using too small a tin. A deeper layer of batter bakes differently and is harder to roll. Match the tin to the scaled quantity.

Overwhisking the yolk mixture. It becomes stiff and hard to fold.

Whisking whites in a greasy bowl. Even a trace of fat stops them reaching soft peaks.

Overbeating the cream. Stop as soon as it spreads easily.

Working the fork in all directions. Draw it lengthways, and swirl only at the ends and branches.

Worrying about cracks. The topping is there to cover them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I scale the recipe to a different size? Yes, but scale the eggs, sugar, cocoa, filling and cream together, and choose a tin whose area grows by the same amount so the sponge stays the same depth.

Can I make it ahead? Yes. Roll the log in advance and keep it wrapped and chilled, or freeze it before the cream topping. Decorate close to serving.

Why did the sponge sink? It is meant to. The flourless sponge rises in the oven and settles as it cools.

What if it cracks when I roll it? Pat it back into shape. The cream topping will cover any cracks.

How do I know it’s baked? The sponge should be risen, puffy and springy in the centre after about 20 minutes. Don’t wait until it is firm.

What is crème de marrons? It’s sweetened chestnut purée, often lightly flavoured with vanilla, sold in tins. Look in the baking aisle or near the jams.

Can I use unsweetened chestnut purée? You can, but you’ll need to sweeten it to taste, as the recipe is designed around the sweetened kind.

What are the branches for? They’re two diagonal pieces cut from the ends and attached to the sides, to make the log look more authentic.

Final Thoughts

The Delia Smith Chocolate Chestnut Log proves that a flourless sponge, a tin of chestnut purée and a bowl of cream can make a real showpiece.

Focus on the three things that count: clean whisks and a big bowl, gentle folding, and a sponge that is not overbaked. Everything else is rolling, cutting and a few strokes with a fork.