Cake:

• Preheat oven to Gas 6/ 200°C/180°C fan.
• In a bowl, combine the eggs and sugar with an electric whisk for a few minutes, until they go pale and creamy (stop once they are pale, do not overwhisk, as this will lead to a very tough cake).
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder, and then sift over the egg mixture. Fold in until combined.
• Line a deep rectangular tin (or a swiss roll tin) with baking paper, and pour the cake mixture in, using a spatula to ensure all the mixture is used. Shake the tin and use the spatula to make the cake mixture level in the tin.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes. Once done, flip out onto a large sheet of baking paper and remove the paper used in the oven (on top).
• Roll the cake with the baking paper while still hot from the long edge and leave to cool rolled up (I secured it with a little bit of tape)
• For the ganache, melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over hot water, on the hob, stirring well.
• Mix in the double cream and golden syrup.
• Mix in the icing sugar (transfer to a larger bowl if needed).
• For the filling, add the rest of the cream and the tablespoon of cocoa powder to a bowl, and whip with an electric whisk until it hold its shape. It should still be spreadable, but hold its shape and not slide away.
• Gently unroll the (now cool) cake in the baking paper, and spread the cocoa cream filling over the surface.
• Gently roll up, using the baking paper to help get you started.
• Diagonally cut the log about 1/3 from the end and place on the side of the branch to create a Y-shaped log.
• Cover with the ganache (if it is too runny, allow it to set for a few more minutes, if too thick, add a tiny bit of water to it first). Add detail lines with a fork or a cake scraper. Sprinkle icing sugar over the log to look like snow. Decorate as you please (I scraped a white chocolate bar with a knife to get white chocolate flakes, and I also used some Christmas sugar cake decorations).