British Airways is serving up a feast over the festive period with at least 38,000 Christmas dinners in the air.

As well as traditional turkey and all the trimmings, 60,000 helpings of Christmas cake will be offered and 8,500 servings of rich chocolate log.

The Christmas cake, which comes from Ogmore Vale Bakery in South Wales, is a recipe from the 1930s which has been passed on through three generations. The same family still hand-make the rich fruit mixture with nuts and spices, which, baked and delicately topped with marzipan and icing, will be served in World Traveller and World Traveller Plus cabins in December.

Edward Burt, managing director of Ogmore Vale Bakery, said: “When my grandfather Reginald founded his bakery over 70 years ago, he could never have imagined that one day his Christmas cakes would be served to passengers flying around the world. We’ve played a small but significant part in people’s Christmas celebrations, and now thanks to British Airways the sky’s the limit!”

The chocolate log will be served in Club World for Christmas travellers between 22nd and 26th December. Hand-made in three parts and then carefully assembled, this sweet treat comes served with a festive cranberry compote.

Carol Conway, Catering Innovations manager, comments: “We try to make Christmas as special as we can for our customers. The Christmas cake and Christmas log are traditional favourites, designed to bring a taste of home for travellers making special journeys this season.”

Recipe for BA Christmas chocolate log:

The Christmas log has to be made in parts and then assembled.

Chocolate Sponge 8 portions

Ingredients: 100g margarine 100g caster sugar 2 medium eggs 100g soft flour 30g vegetable oil 20g cocoa

Method:

. Cream the egg and sugar until soft and fluffy.

. Lightly mix in the sieved flour, and cocoa, then add the melted margarine and vegetable oil.

. Spread evenly 1cm thick over a greased baking tray.

. Bake at 190-200 C for 12-15 mins.

. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool, ready for use.

Chocolate Mousse 8 portions Ingredients: 250g whipping cream 150g dark chocolate 25g glucose 50g water 5g cocoa Method:

. Melt the chocolate, glucose, cocoa and water in a microwave.

. In a bowl semi-whip the 250g of cream.

. Fold into the semi-whipped cream 1/3 chocolate mix.

. Then add the remainder of the chocolate mix to the cream, and fold in carefully

. Refrigerate, ready for use

Glassage 8 portions Ingredients: 100g double cream 100g good quality dark chocolate 10g glucose Method:

. Boil cream and glucose remove from the heat

. Add chocolate to hot mixture and mix in until melted.

. Glassage is ready for use.

Chocolate Biscuit Base Yields 8 portions Ingredients: 10g margarine 20g crushed digestive biscuits 10g demerara sugar 3g cocoa Method:

. Melt the butter in a heavy bottom pan

. Mix in the sugar, cocoa and crushed digestives.

. Biscuit base ready for use.

Method of Assembly for the Christmas Log

. Cut/shape and line a tunnel-shaped terrine mould (38cm/4.5cm) with the chocolate sponge.

. Divide one-third of the chocolate mousse onto the top of the sponge and allow to set.

. Place the ganache into a piping bag and pipe a line of ganache lengthways along the middle of the mousse.

. With other two-thirds of the chocolate mousse fill the terrine mould until full, and smooth over evenly with a palette knife.

. Sprinkle evenly with the biscuit base mix.

. Place in the freezer until set and semi-frozen.

. Turn the log out of the terrine mould onto a wire rack, so the biscuit base is at the bottom.

. Nap the log evenly with the ready-made glassage by using a small ladle, be careful that the whole log has been covered.

. Refrigerate and when ready to use cut the log on slight bias into 8 portions.

. Recommend served with a Cranberry compote and a spoon of crème fraîche.