If you’ve had enough of classic Yule logs and you’re looking to surprise your guests, this exotic Yule log is exactly what you need! With its flavours of mango, passion fruit, vanilla and coconut, it brings a breath of freshness and lightness that is sure to delight everyone at the end of a hearty meal.
This Yule log is made up of a coconut crunchy layer, a coconut and lime dacquoise, a coconut panna cotta, a mango passion fruit confit, a mango passion fruit mousse and to finish, a vanilla whipped ganache, prettily piped on top.
How to make a coconut praline?
For this recipe, the crunchy layer is made from a coconut praline. I borrowed the recipe from Nour Kandler, who shares her sublime creations on Instagram. This praline is prepared in the same way as a traditional praline: you just need to roast the almonds and the desiccated coconut, then make a dry caramel. Once cooled, you need to use a powerful blender to obtain a smooth and creamy texture.
If you’re not a coconut lover, you can opt for a more classic crunchy layer, made with white chocolate and crêpes dentelle. As for the panna cotta, the coconut cream can easily be replaced with whole liquid cream, without losing the delicate coconut flavour.
How to get this piping right?
One of the most aesthetic steps of this Yule log is the piping of the vanilla whipped ganache, which gives an elegant finish. For this, I was inspired by the work of Chiara Serpaggi. I recommend using the P125 nozzle. Not having one, I used the basketweave nozzle, but the piping is thicker.
For this step, the idea is to start piping the cream from the bottom of the log and to work your way up little by little, without completely covering the surface each time. With each new band of ganache, make sure the layer “overlaps” the previous one to create a harmonious layered effect. As well as being visually superb, this piping adds a textural contrast with the mousse and the panna cotta, and it really gives a “wow” effect to the presentation!
Can this Yule log be prepared in advance?
Like any entremets, this Yule log lends itself perfectly to being prepared ahead, which you can spread over several days. For example, you can prepare the panna cotta and the confit in advance since they need to be frozen. Then you can make the sponge, the crunchy layer and the mousse on another day. Once the assembly is finished, you can keep the log in the freezer for several weeks (so you can get started right now). All that will be left is to prepare the whipped ganache. The final decoration can be done on the morning of Christmas Eve, for example.
So, if you’re looking to add a touch of the exotic to your Christmas meal, this Yule log is the perfect dessert. With its fruity flavours and light texture, it will bring freshness to your table for the festive season!
Ingredients & method
9 components · Full recipe
Coconut praline (can be made in advance)
Ingredients
- 100 g (3.5 oz) shredded coconut
- 140 g (4.9 oz) whole almonds
- 120 g (4.2 oz) sugar
- a pinch of fleur de sel
- a very small amount of grape seed oil (if needed)
Method
1
Toast the almonds and shredded coconut in the oven for about 10 minutes at 150°C / 300°F.
2
Make a dry caramel by adding the sugar little by little to the saucepan, which allows it to melt properly. Hold the handle of the saucepan firmly and swirl the caramel in all directions without ever stirring it.
3
When the caramel is golden, remove from the heat and pour onto a sheet of baking paper. Leave to cool completely.
4
When completely cold, break the caramel slab and place in a food processor with the almonds and shredded coconut. Process until you get a smooth praline. Don’t forget the fleur de sel.
Vanilla whipped ganache (to make the day before)
Ingredients
- 75 g (2.6 oz) Valrhona Ivoire 35% white chocolate
- 80 g (2.8 oz) heavy cream
- 1 Norohy Madagascar vanilla pod
- 170 g (6 oz) very cold heavy cream
- 2 g (0.1 oz) powdered gelatine (= one sheet)
- 12 g (0.4 oz) water (to rehydrate the gelatine)
Method
1
Rehydrate the gelatine in water.
2
Break the white chocolate into pieces in a container (you can melt it slightly in a bain-marie or microwave).
3
Heat the 80 g (2.8 oz) of cream with the split and scraped vanilla pod in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Then cover and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.
4
Remove the vanilla pod then heat the cream again.
5
Off the heat, add the rehydrated gelatine and mix.
6
Pour one third of the cream over the white chocolate and mix with a spatula to create an emulsion. Then pour in a second third then a third to obtain a well-homogeneous mixture.
7
Add the 170 g (6 oz) of very cold cream, mix again. Blend for a few seconds with a stick blender to thoroughly homogenise the mixture.
Mango passion compote (to make the day before)
Ingredients
- 75 g (2.6 oz) passion fruit purée
- 150 g (5.3 oz) mango purée
- 30 g (1.1 oz) sugar
- 4.5 g (0.2 oz) NH pectin
- a little lime juice
Method
1
In a small saucepan, heat the fruit purées until just boiling.
2
Add the pre-mixed sugar and pectin and maintain the boil for 1 minute.
3
Pour the compote directly into the yule log mould to a depth of about 1.5 cm (0.6 in). Keep the remaining compote for the final decoration (covered with clingfilm and refrigerated). For decoration, I also placed small compote cubes. For information, these came from another compote recipe I had made for another dessert (in the photos, you can see the colour difference between the 2 compotes). If you want to do the same, you will need to add a little more pectin so that the cube shape holds. Then simply pour a little compote into a small mould, whatever you have, but you’ll need to be able to cut cubes from it.
Coconut panna cotta (to make the day before)
Ingredients
- 125 g (4.4 oz) coconut milk
- 125 g (4.4 oz) coconut cream (or heavy cream)
- 25 g (0.9 oz) sugar
- 2.5 g (0.1 oz) powdered gelatine (knowing that one sheet = 2 g (0.1 oz))
- 15 g (0.5 oz) water (to rehydrate the gelatine)
Method
1
Rehydrate the gelatine in water.
2
Put the milk, cream and sugar in a saucepan to heat. Bring gently to the boil.
3
Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the rehydrated gelatine. Mix and leave to cool slightly.
Coconut and lime dacquoise
Ingredients
- 75 g (2.6 oz) icing sugar
- 75 g (2.6 oz) shredded coconut
- 15 g (0.5 oz) cornstarch
- 100 g (3.5 oz) egg whites
- 30 g (1.1 oz) sugar
- the zest of one lime
Method
1
Raise the oven temperature to 180°C / 350°F.
2
Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks, adding the sugar in 3 additions, until they reach a meringue consistency.
3
Sift together the icing sugar, cornstarch and coconut.
4
Fold the dry ingredients into the egg whites, mixing gently.
5
Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a 10 mm plain nozzle. Pipe a large 18 cm (7.1 in) square.
6
Dust the surface with icing sugar using a sieve.
7
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. The dacquoise should be dry to the touch and lightly golden.
Coconut and lime crispy layer
Ingredients
- 60 g (2.1 oz) Valrhona Ivoire 35% white chocolate
- 30 g (1.1 oz) coconut praline (recipe above)
- 30 g (1.1 oz) crêpes dentelle
- the zest of half a lime
Method
1
Melt the white chocolate in the microwave.
2
Add the coconut praline and mix well to incorporate it into the melted chocolate.
3
Add the crumbled crêpes dentelle and the lime zest and mix carefully with a spatula.
Mango passion mousse
Ingredients
- 100 g (3.5 oz) mango purée
- 80 g (2.8 oz) passion fruit purée
- 18 g (0.6 oz) sugar
- 3 g (0.1 oz) gelatine (= 1½ sheets)
- 180 g (6.3 oz) heavy cream
Method
1
Soak the gelatine in water.
2
In a saucepan, heat the fruit purées with the sugar. Off the heat, add the well-squeezed gelatine.
3
Whip the heavy cream but do not over-whip — it should be light and foamy.
Assembly
Ingredients
Method
1
Unmould the insert (exotic compote and panna cotta) and trim the sides slightly along the entire length so the insert can fit into the mould.
2
Pour the exotic mousse into the silicone mould (up to 3/4 full).
3
Gently press the insert into the mousse (compote side against the mousse). Press gently to push up the mousse then cover again with a layer of mousse.
4
Finish with the dacquoise and crispy layer together (dacquoise against the mousse). Press gently to push in the biscuit. Smooth the surface with a spatula.
Decoration
Ingredients
Method
1
Unmould the yule log and place it on a yule log board or a serving dish.
2
Whip the whipped ganache, but be careful not to make it too stiff. It is ready as soon as it holds on the whisk.
3
Transfer the whipped ganache to a piping bag fitted with a P125 nozzle (I didn’t have this nozzle, I used a chemin de fer nozzle, smooth side, but the piping is a little thicker…)
4
Pipe the whipped ganache starting from the bottom and working up to the top of the log (but without covering it completely). Each time you pipe a new band of cream, make sure it overlaps with the previous one.
5
If needed, smooth the top of the log with the back of a small spoon to create a small channel to hold the compote.
6
Dust with a little vanilla powder.
7
Loosen the remaining exotic compote and put it in a piping bag without a nozzle. Pipe the compote on top of the log, in the space you created.
8
Zest a lime then decorate with a few cubes of exotic compote (if you prepared some) and coconut shavings.
Gallery
