Sweeten up your festive table with these alternatives to log cakes

You may have noticed that a log cake is nothing more than a gussied-up Swiss roll. So why bend to this symbol of life amid a dark winter when the temperature is a steady 30 degrees Celsius outside, with UV index 100?

Arise and rebel, dear comrades, because there is much cake to yield to this holiday season. Here are but a few:

Alice Boulangerie's Christmas Cake

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We're never too old for a whimsical holiday confection. This Christmas Cake ($108) from Alice Boulangerie is shaped like a train and layered with orange-spiked Guanaja 70 per cent chocolate mousse, crispy chocolate hazelnut biscuits and crunchy caramelised praline.

Crowning this pretty dessert are hazelnut praline-filled eclairs and milk cookie crumble. What a delight!

Ami Patisserie's Pistachio Panettone

Not everyone's a fan of panettone (me included), that domed Italian Christmas confection typically studded with dried citrus fruit. But after sampling a chocolate panettone last year, I realised panettone can be exceptional, especially if it's well-made and doesn't contain dried citrus fruit.

Case in point: Ami Patisserie's Pistachio Panettone ($76), a beautifully domed treat made with Sicilian pistachio powder and paste that are worked into the dough, as well as a luscious, melty pistachio ganache at its core.

If you'd still prefer a cake, try the Tochiotome Strawberry Shortcake (from $89). Tochiotome strawberries are in season in Japan at the moment, and they are known for their lovely sweet-tart balance and rich fragrance.

Fruit & Nut Baneles

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Is it banana cake, or brownie, or canele? It's a bit of each, and it's delicious! For Christmas, Banele is making limited edition Fruit and Nut Baneles sold in a box of four with the Original flavour ($15). Order as a bundle with a tin of custom-blended Gingerbread Rooibos Tea ($20) to make a great gift.

Nutcracker Chocolate Pistachio Tart from Goodwood Park Hotel

If you can't get enough of the now-viral pistachio-chocolate combo, try Goodwood Park Hotel's Nutcracker Chocolate Pistachio Tart ($92).

The buttery shell holds a satiny layer of pistachio praline topped with a delicate layer of pistachio cremeux nestled between an airy almond sponge and Araguani chocolate mousse. To finish, a layer of silky pistachio ganache on top.

Nesuto Tarts

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There are tarts galore at Nesuto, with flavours like a rum-lashed Pecan and Maple Tart ($55) and a refreshing Blueberry and Yoghurt Tart ($58.50) layered with yoghurt and white chocolate mousse, coconut and cashew streusel and lime almond sponge.

Chocolate lovers will enjoy the Hazelnut Hukambi Tart ($60.50). Hukambi is a 53 per cent milk chocolate from Valrhona that pairs perfectly with the tart's layers of hazelnut cremeux and salted caramel.

Swensen's

When you're a fan of ice cream and cake, nothing's better than an ice cream cake, especially if it's from Swensen's.

This year, our favourite childhood ice cream parlour has a winsome Winter Mont Blanc ($51) made of chestnut ice cream crowned with chestnut paste and fluffy marshmallows. There's also an elegant William Pear Charlotte ($51) comprising a base of spiced pear ice cream topped with sliced pears.

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