Bûche de Noël (Yule Log Cake)

The Bûche de Noël , is a French Christmas cake that represents the yule log that families burn on Christmas Eve to symbolized the new year to come and to bring the family good luck. The most fun of making this cake is shaping it to look like a log, which requires some decorating skill. The good news is that even bad logs taste amazing and tradition demands you give it a try.

Ingredients

  • Sponge
    • 5 Eggs – at room temperature
    • 2/3 cup Sugar
    • 1/2 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 2 TBL Flour
    • 2 TBL Butter – melted
    • 2 TBL Powdered sugar
    • 1/2 tsp vanilla powder
    • 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
  • Filling
    • 1 2/3 cups Powdered sugar
    • 1/2 cup Butter – at room temperature
    • 1 1/2 TBL Unsweetened cocoa powder
    • 2 TBL Coffee liqueur
    • 1/3 cup Mascarpone Cheese
    • Pinch of salt
  • Ganache Frosting
    • 8 oz. Heavy cream – boiling hot
    • 8 oz. Dark chocolate chips

Process

  1. Mise en Place – measure and prepare your ingredients prior to starting.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 F (205 C).
  3. Butter 13″x18″ sheet pan, line with paper and brush top with butter.
  4. Sift together cocoa powder, vanilla, and flour.
  5. Crack eggs into mixer bowl and add sugar. Whip until thick and fluffy (speed 10).
  6. Turn mixer down to low speed (speed 1), and add half of the cocoa powder mix and mix until integrated.
  7. Add other half the cocoa powder mix and turn mixer speed up to 10 and mix until fully integrated.
  8. Pour batter onto sheet pan, leaving some room on the edges. Tap to knock out air bubbles.
  9. Bake until dry (~8 mins). Want it cooked but not brittle.
  10. While baking, dust a dish towel with powdered sugar and spread out on counter.
  11. Remove sponge from oven and dust top with powdered sugar. Immediately flip over sponge over onto dusted dish towel and remove the parchment paper and dust the top.
  12. While sponge is still warm, gently roll it lenght-wise (along long side) in towel and let rest 15 mins.
  13. While cooling, make the filling
    1. Whip powdered sugar, soft butter, cocoa powder, sugar, and coffee liqueur until smooth. (start mixer speed slow and ramp up to speed 10).
    2. Lower speed to 1, add Mascarpone cheese and pinch of salt and mix until well combined.
  14. Unroll sponge and dollop filling on top (keep some filling for later).
  15. Roll cake back up, but without using the towel.
  16. Wrap cake in film to hold roll in place and chill for 2 hours.
  17. Make the Ganache Frosting
    1. Heat cream slowly to a boil (don’t want to scald the cream).
    2. Remove from heat and add the dark chocolate chips.
    3. Let sit until chocolate melts then mix and let cool.
  18. Build the Yule Log
    1. Make an angled cut (30-45 degrees) 3″ from one end of the rolled up sponge.
    2. Place remaining log on a serving tray of dish.
    3. Scrape frosting on the cut end of the 3″ piece and attach it to the longer log to form an angle.
    4. Spread frosting around the entire to piece Yule log and chill for 15 mins or longer.
    5. Carve lines in the frosting to create the appearance of tree bark.
    6. Dust with cocoa powder and then powdered sugar (to look like snow on the logs).
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