🎄🦐 Savory Christmas Yule Log with Shrimp & Smoked Salmon
A festive, fresh, and elegant appetizer perfect for winter gatherings and Christmas celebrations.
🧾 Recipe Overview
👥 Servings: 6–8 people
⏱ Prep Time: 30 minutes
🔥 Baking Time: 10–12 minutes
🧊 Chilling Time: 1½–2 hours
🕒 Total Time: About 2 hours
🎯 Difficulty: Easy to Medium
✨ Introduction
🎄 Christmas is the perfect time to impress your guests with a dish that is both beautiful and delicious. This Savory Christmas Yule Log with Shrimp and Smoked Salmon is a refreshing alternative to heavy holiday meals.
🦐 With its light sponge base, creamy seafood filling, and elegant decoration, this recipe is ideal as a cold starter or festive appetizer.
🥂 Not only does it look stunning on the table, but it is also easy to prepare in advance, allowing you to enjoy the celebration stress-free.
🥚 Ingredients
🧁 For the Savory Sponge Cake
🥚 4 eggs
🌾 80 g all-purpose flour
🧂 1 teaspoon baking powder
🧂 A pinch of salt
🫒 1 tablespoon olive oil
🌶 Freshly ground black pepper
🧀 For the Creamy Seafood Filling
🧀 200 g cream cheese (Philadelphia or similar)
🐟 100 g smoked salmon, finely diced
🦐 150 g cooked shrimp, peeled and roughly chopped
🌿 1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped
🍋 Juice of ½ lemon
🍋 Lemon zest (optional, for extra aroma)
🧂 Salt and pepper to taste
🎨 For Decoration
🐟 100 g smoked salmon slices
🦐 10–12 whole large shrimp
🍋 Lemon slices
🌿 Fresh dill sprigs
🎄 Edible Christmas decorations or cocktail picks (optional)
👩🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions
1️⃣ Prepare the Savory Sponge Cake
🔥 Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
🥚 Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Whisk the yolks with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
🌾 Sift the flour with baking powder and gently fold into the yolk mixture.
☁️ Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then carefully fold them into the batter using a spatula.
📏 Spread the mixture evenly onto a lined baking tray (about 20×30 cm).
⏲ Bake for 10–12 minutes, until lightly golden and elastic to the touch.
🧻 Once baked, turn the sponge onto a clean, slightly damp kitchen towel. Roll it gently while warm and let it cool completely — this prevents cracking later.
2️⃣ Prepare the Creamy Seafood Filling
🧀 In a bowl, soften the cream cheese until smooth.
🐟 Add smoked salmon, chopped shrimp, dill, lemon juice, and zest.
🧂 Season lightly with pepper and only a little salt. Mix until creamy and well combined.
3️⃣ Assemble the Yule Log
🔄 Carefully unroll the cooled sponge cake.
🥄 Spread the filling evenly, leaving about 1 cm free at one edge.
📦 Roll the sponge tightly but gently using the towel as support.
🧊 Wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for 1½–2 hours until firm.
4️⃣ Decoration & Finishing Touches
🎨 Cover the chilled log with thin slices of smoked salmon, slightly overlapping.
🦐 Arrange whole shrimp on top, add lemon slices and fresh dill.
✂️ Trim the ends for a clean presentation and slice into 2–3 cm portions.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
🥖 Serve chilled as a festive starter or elegant appetizer.
🫓 Pair with toasted rye bread, blinis, or crackers.
🍋 A light drizzle of lemon juice or high-quality olive oil enhances the flavors.
🍾 Best enjoyed with a dry white wine, Champagne, or sparkling wine.
💡 Tips & Variations
🌱 Vegetarian option: Replace seafood with roasted beet cubes, herbed cream cheese, and lemon zest.
☁️ Lighter texture: Fold a little whipped cream into the filling for extra softness.
🔧 Perfect roll tip: Any cracks can be hidden under salmon slices.
🕒 Make ahead: Prepare the log the day before — flavors improve overnight.
✅ Conclusion
🎄🦐 This Savory Christmas Yule Log with Shrimp & Smoked Salmon is the perfect balance of elegance, freshness, and simplicity.
✨ Whether you serve it for Christmas Eve, a winter party, or a festive buffet, it will surely impress your guests while keeping your preparation effortless.