Bûche de Noël / Yule Log Cake
Servings 12 people
Buche de Noel is a showstopping French Christmas Cake that’s delicious, chocolaty, and much easier to make than it looks!
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
Buttercream Filling
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder can be increased to 2 tablespoon for more chocolate flavor
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Garnish
- ½ cup granulated sugar for simple syrup
- ½ cup water for simple syrup
- fresh rosemary
- fresh cranberries
- powdered sugar
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 13x18-inch jelly roll pan or half baking sheet with parchment paper (allowing a few inches to hang over the edge), spray with cooking spray, and set aside.
- For the chocolate sponge cake layer, sift together 1 cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a large mixing bowl.
- Add in the 2 large eggs and ½ cup whole milk and beat on medium speed with a hand mixer until well combined.
- Pour the cake mixture onto the prepared baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread into an even layer. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 3 to 4 minutes.
- While the cake is baking in the oven, make the buttercream filling layer. In a large mixing bowl, cream ½ cup unsalted butter on low speed until pale, about 1 minute.
- Slowly add in half of the 2 cups powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons heavy cream, 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and ¼ teaspoon salt while mixing on low for about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in the remaining sugar and cream, medium-high for about 2 to 3 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add cream in small amounts at a time. If your frosting needs to be thicker, add more powdered sugar in small amounts at a time. Set aside.
- Make the simple syrup while the cake is in the oven and/or cooling. Pour ½ cup water and ½ cup granulated sugar into a small saucepan and stir. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Once your cake has cooled for a few minutes, fold the edge of the parchment paper over the short edge and roll it up. Allow it to cool for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.
- Unroll the cake and cut away any hard edges. With an offset spatula, spread the buttercream filling in an even layer all over the cake, reserving a few tablespoons (to later attach the offshoot branch). Roll the cake, loosely cover with foil, and chill in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.
- While the cake is chilling, make garnishes. Dip sprigs of fresh rosemary and fresh cranberries in simple syrup and then in granulated sugar until well coated. Set aside.
- Remove chilled cake from the refrigerator and slice on a diagonal, about 3 to 4 inches from the end for your log. Slice any rough ends off of the log to make them straight. Transfer the cake to a serving platter and attach the log on the side with the reserved buttercream.
- Next, make the chocolate ganache. Place 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips in a heat-safe glass bowl. Pour ½ cup heavy cream into a microwave-safe bowl or coffee mug and heat for 50 seconds (watch this closely so it doesn’t overflow). Pour over chocolate chips and set aside for 4 to 5 minutes to allow the chips to melt. Whisk slowly into a ganache.
- With an offset spatula, spread ganache onto the yule log cake. Use the spatula to create texture in the ganache to make it look like bark on a tree.
- Add sugared cranberries and rosemary on top of and around the cake. Lightly dust with powdered sugar.
- Loosely cover with foil and chill for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Chilling in the refrigerator allows the ganache to harden and makes the cake easier to cut.
- The garnishes are optional, but really give that wow factor and make the log look a bit more realistic and festive.
- Bûche de Noël is another name for Yule Log cake.
- To add more texture to the ganache, you could also use a fork.
- If you don’t have a baker’s half sheet, you could also use a jelly roll pan. The half sheet is slightly larger than a jelly roll pan.
- It is okay if your cake doesn’t spread all the way to the sides. You will be cutting away any hard pieces along the edges.
- If you don’t have an offset spatula, you could use a butter knife instead.
- Your sponge cake may get indentations on it from the parchment paper. This is totally fine since it will be covered anyway.
- You may eliminate cocoa powder in the buttercream if you like.
- You could also dust your yule log with cocoa powder instead of powdered sugar.
Nutrition
Calories: 421kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 72mg | Potassium: 177mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 482IU | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg
Find it online: www.sugarandsoul.co/buche-de-noel-yule-log-cake/