Who says log cakes have to be boring sponge cake frosted with chocolate buttercream and decorated with plastic ornaments? Our feature of creative Christmas log cakes is anything but! From crunchy peanut feuillentine to boozy lychee martini, patissiers pull out the stops to create a delicious and unforgettable statement piece for your Christmas party table.
If you’re stressing over where to get that extra special log cake to impress your boss/client/future in-laws, well, you can stop fretting. There’s something in our highlight of eclectic log cakes that’s sure to catch your fancy!
Canele Patisserie Chocolaterie: Mon Cheri Log
Price: $43 (serves 4–6)
Rating: 4.5/5
Chic and scrumptious – our tasting panel’s unanimous choice was Canele’s Mon Cheri. A “block” rather than a “log”, this rectangular cake was super easy to slice. We were impressed with its unconventional minimalist look, and how all the decorative pieces – made of white chocolate – were edible.
But we were even more impressed with how addictive it tasted! Together, layers of creamy white vanilla chocolate mousse, tangy morello cherry compote, fragrant pistachio genoise (sponge cake) and pistachio cream with kirsch, form a gorgeous medley of flavours and textures that explode in your mouth. A delightful change from run-of-the-mill, log cakes that leave you stuffed. Canele’s Mon Cheri is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
Pine Garden’s Cake: Lychee martini log cake
Price: $28.80 (800 gm), $42.80 (1.2 kg)
Rating: 4/5
Pine Garden offers a variety of Christmas log cakes flavours, but our vote went to its best-selling lychee martini. Don’t be fooled by its pretty pink exterior, under the sweet-looking facet concealed wickedly potent contents.
First, lychees were pre-soaked in martini. Then, they were sandwiched between sponge layers lightly flavoured with lychee flavoring. When assembling the cake, the sponge layers were brushed with martini to give it more kick. It certainly tasted as decadent as it sounds! Every bite of juicy lychee was bursting with martini. Although the lychee flavouring in the sponge felt slightly artificial, we liked how moist and fluffy the cake was.
DeSté: Christmas Log
Price: $85 (available in limited quantities)
Rating: 4/5
An extraordinary work of art, DeSté’s stunning creation literally took our breath away. This is one log cake that’s sure to wow. Crafted out of rock chocolate, the chocolate tree trunks around the cake were amazingly life-like. So were the intricate tree branches and leaves. We nearly couldn’t bring ourselves to cut this beautiful piece of edible art.
Beneath the chocolate trees was a sinful combination of dark chocolate mousse, yuzu sabayon, mascarpone and raspberry. We loved the addition of the zesty yuzu to the rich sabayon (custard). The fruity raspberry coulis also helped to cut through the rich mousse, mascarpone, and sabayon. Despite its richness, it didn’t feel overly dense or heavy. Just a note: Cutting this cake can be a messy challenge!
Cova Pasticceria-Confetteria: Peanut Feuillentine Log Cake
Price: $45 (1kg)
Rating: 3.5/5
Adorned with a generous topping of luscious berries and an adorable Santa, Cova’s nutty creation was absolutely fun to munch on! It comprised a chocolate sponge base, chocolate feuillentine (chocolate cream mixed with cereal), and peanut butter cream mixed with chopped peanuts. On its own, the chocolate base was rather dry, but the moist peanut butter cream evened everything out.
Even though it was quite dense and heavy, we couldn’t stop nibbling at it. It’s probably the intriguing chocolate feuillentine that made it so irresistibly more-ish. Those who like their desserts nutty and crunchy will adore Cova’s peanut feuillentine log cake.
The Line Shop: Strawberry and Lychee Yule Log Cake
Price: $45 (1kg)
Rating: 3/5
Resembling a dreamy, snow-covered log, The Line’s creation was closer to panna cotta than cake. The gelatin-set vanilla mousse had specks of vanilla bean, and there was a layer of strawberry jelly in the centre.
This cake drew mixed reactions. Those who preferred their desserts less sweet liked its light, refreshing taste. Others thought that it was too bland. The strong milk taste of the mousse overwhelmed the delicate flavours of lychee and strawberry, for they were hardly discernible. We would have enjoyed this more if it had more distinct flavours.
