Christmas is a time rich with tradition. Christmas cookies for Santa, ornaments and decorations, jingle bells and hot cocoa by the fire. For some and in European regions, it’s making a yule log cake, also known as a Bûche De Noël in French. I’ve tasted plenty during the holiday seasons, but hadn’t attempted a from-scratch recipe until this year. Initially overwhelmed by the process, I learned that it’s just like other at-home baking projects: fun quality time in the kitchen. Made even better with an extra dose of chocolate! By the way, here’s another at-home baking project: a homemade gingerbread house with a free printable template for constructing it.
Tell Me About This Yule Log Cake
Texture: Underneath all this festive decor, we have a soft and airy sponge cake. If you’ve tasted angel food cake before, you’ve had sponge cake. What’s interesting about sponge cake is that, unlike most cake recipes, it’s (usually) made without butter or oil. All of the magic happens with the eggs, a crucial ingredient in any sponge cake recipe. Note: I include a touch of oil in this cake for added moisture. Flavor: My Bûche De Noël includes a light cocoa cake, cocoa hazelnut whipped cream spiked with Frangelico (can definitely skip the booze if you want), and is topped with smooth chocolate ganache. Since ganache is incredibly rich, the other elements have lighter cocoa flavors. In fact, the cake tastes like a mug of hot cocoa. Ease: Advanced, but it’s a fun project to do by yourself or with your family. If you watch the video tutorial and read through the very detailed recipe prior to beginning, you’ll be set up for success. Assembly: If you’ve ever made pumpkin roll, chocolate cake roll, or any other jelly roll cake before, you’re familiar with this assembly. If you haven’t, it’s nothing to be nervous about as long as you have a solid recipe and the right equipment. (Tools list below.) Have fun with the garnishes and watch my video tutorial before beginning. Time: Yule log cakes aren’t anything you can rush; this recipe will take you all day. My advice is to concentrate on one element/step at a time. Make sure you’re following the cooling and chilling times closely. I don’t want you to ruin all your efforts by not letting portions of this recipe cool/thicken/set up properly.
Yule Log Christmas Cake Video Tutorial
4 Parts to This Yule Log Cake:
Let’s review each part with step-by-step photos to guide us along.
Cocoa Sponge Cake
Start by whisking a few of the ingredients together. In terms of volume, there isn’t much: cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder for added lift, and a little salt. Eggs are the cake’s main ingredients. Separate the eggs, then whip the egg whites with sugar into stiff peaks. Set those aside. Then whip the egg yolks with the remaining sugar, a little oil for moisture, and vanilla extract until thickened. You get more volume with room temperature eggs than cold eggs. Before beginning, set the eggs in a cup of warm water for 10 minutes to warm them up. Below left: whipped egg whites + sugar. And below right: thickened egg yolk mixture. Below left: In 2 additions, fold the fluffy egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. And below right: In 2 additions, fold in the dry ingredients. Like the finished cake, the cake batter is very light and airy. Bake the cake roll in a 12×17-inch pan. So there’s plenty of cake for sectioning off and decorating, this a larger roll cake than my champagne cake roll and red velvet cake roll, both of which are baked in a 10×15-inch pan. Feel free to use any of my roll cake recipes as the base of your bûche de Noël, but know that if they’re baked in a smaller pan, you’ll have a smaller cake.
How to Shape a Yule Log
Shaping a cake roll is easier than it looks. There are two tricks: These two tricks help guarantee no rips, no cracks, and no sticking.
Cocoa Hazelnut Whipped Cream
As the warm rolled cake cools down, make your whipped filling. Heavy cream is the base and we’ll sweeten it with a little confectioners’ sugar and flavor it with cocoa powder and hazelnut liqueur. Feel free to swap with the same amount of another flavored liqueur such as amaretto, Baileys Irish Cream, Kahlua, Grand Marnier, or other. You can also replace the alcohol with strong (cold or room temperature) coffee or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Or if you want to skip the cocoa and liqueur in the filling completely, make this whipped frosting instead. Feel free to add finely chopped hazelnuts on top of the whipped filling. As you roll the cake, if it appears sticky and moist, dust with more cocoa powder.
Assembling the Yule Log
One end of the yule log cake is traditionally cut off and placed on the side or on top of the roll to resemble a branch. You can cut it at a diagonal angle as pictured below:
Chocolate Ganache
I have a separate and very detailed post showing you how to make chocolate ganache. Feel free to review it if you’re a beginner. You need 2 ingredients: pure chocolate and warmed heavy cream. The ganache is very thin right after you make it, so it’s imperative you let it cool down before using. Ganache thickens as it cools. Spread the thickened ganache all over your shaped cake. This next part is easy—lightly drag a fork through the ganache so that it resembles tree bark.
Decorating Your Bûche De Noël/Yule Log
Your cake is nearly complete! Some garnish suggestions include:
meringue mushrooms (recipe below) sugared cranberries & rosemary (recipe below) pinecones set on your platter herbs & edible flowers shaped marzipan chocolate shavings a dusting of confectioners’ sugar to resemble snow
I’m extremely detailed in these recipe directions, so don’t be overwhelmed. If I can do this, you can do this. See my make ahead instructions if you want to get prepared—there’s plenty of ways you can prep this yule log cake in advance. Take your time and enjoy the festive process. Wishing you a season of good cheer. We all need it!
Tools You Need:
Electric Mixer (handheld or stand) for cake batter, meringues, and filling. An egg separator is very helpful for the eggs. 12×17-inch baking pan for the cake. Parchment paper for lining the pan. I love these sheets. Offset spatula for spreading the whipped cream filling and ganache. Fine mesh strainer for dusting cocoa powder and confectioners’ sugar. Wilton 2A piping tip or any tip with around a 1/2 inch opening (plus a disposable or reusable piping bag) for meringue mushrooms. Thin kitchen/tea towel or parchment paper. You need either for rolling the cake, but I strongly recommend a towel because it’s better at helping to prevent cake cracks. It will get pretty dirty from the cocoa powder and cake, but stains should come right out in the wash especially if you rinse it with warm water first. Plus the usuals: mixing bowls, whisk, silicone spatula, cutting board, saucepan, etc. Pictured: large white platter from Juliska’s Whitewash Berry & Thread line and square appetizer Christmas plates from Pottery Barn
These baking tools would be great to add to your holiday wish list. And while you’re at it, be sure to check out my Holiday Gifts for Bakers guide. Lots of fun ideas in there, either for yourself or other baker friends! Have you made it down this far? Let me show you how to make the optional garnishes.
Meringue Mushrooms
I taught you how to make chocolate swirled meringue cookies before. Meringues require precision, so feel free to visit that post if you need a little refresher. As instructed in step 7 above, pipe mushroom tops and stems using a round piping tip. Moisten your finger with water to smooth down any peaks. Bake in a relatively cool oven, then adhere the cooled pieces with melted chocolate. These mushrooms look adorable on top of homemade dirt pudding too!
Sugared Cranberries & Rosemary
You need sugar, water, fresh cranberries, and rosemary. Frozen cranberries are not recommended here (although they’ll work for cranberry sauce, if you have a bag that needs using!) and feel free to skip the rosemary if you’d like. As instructed in step 1 above, make your sugar syrup on the stove. Pour over cranberries and rosemary and let it all soak for several hours. (Great to make these in advance.) Drain, then toss in sugar. Let it all dry out for about 2 hours before using as decor. You can also use this glitzy garnish on pumpkin pie, gingerbread cake, and cranberry orange Bundt cake, too. I love the pop of color that cranberries
