This Bûche de Noël, or Yule Log Cake, is a French Christmas tradition. This cake consists of a chocolate sponge filled with whipped cream and decorated with chocolate ganache. For an even more realistic cake, decorate with meringue mushrooms and sugared cranberries.
This cake is the perfect centerpiece for your Christmas dinner! For more showstoppers, also check out this Cranberry Orange Cheesecake or this Coconut Bundt Cake.
![This Bûche de Noël, or Yule Log Cake, is a French Christmas tradition. This cake consists of a chocolate sponge filled with whipped cream and decorated with chocolate ganache. For an even more realistic cake, decorate with meringue mushrooms and sugared cranberries. Bûche de Noël (Yule Log Cake) decorated with cranberries, rosemary, and meringue mushrooms.](https://www.tasteandtellblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Buche-de-Noel-Yule-Log-Cake-1.jpg)
I made my first yule log cake back in 2007, and I was totally overwhelmed when I first saw the recipe. I was trying to stretch myself in the kitchen, and I knew that recipe would be a stretch.
But guess what? Once I actually made the cake, I realized that it’s really not that complicated or hard. Yes, there are a few components, and yes, it does require some decorating. But I’m pretty sure someone of all skill levels could make this cake!
After re-testing the original bûche de Noël that I made here for the blog, I decided it needed some changing. And after many tests, my family declared this version the winner.
I mean – what’s not to love? A tender chocolate cake, whipped cream filling, and a dreamy, creamy ganache. Throw in those meringue mushrooms and sugared cranberries and my family declared this cake one of their favorites!
Ingredients
Flour: You only need 3 tablespoons of flour for this cake. It is a sponge cake, so eggs give it most of its structure.
Cornstarch: The cornstarch makes this cake nice and tender – and perfect for rolling!
Cocoa Powder: The chocolate flavor in this cake comes from the cocoa powder. I used regular unsweetened cocoa powder.
Salt: This is to balance the flavors.
Eggs: This cake has 5 eggs, but you’ll add the yolks and the whites at different times. The whites are whipped to add volume to the cake.
Sugar: You’ll need granulated sugar for the cake.
Vanilla: There is vanilla in both the cake and the filling. I always like to use real vanilla extract.
Cream: You’ll want heavy whipping cream. You want the filling nice and thick.
Powdered Sugar: The filling is sweetened with powdered sugar.
Marshmallow Fluff: This is a secret I recently learned – add in a bit of marshmallow fluff (or marshmallow creme) to help stabilize the whipped cream.
Chocolate: You’ll want a good chocolate for the ganache.
How to Make a Bûche de Noël
This recipe can look a little overwhelming at first glance. But as long as you cut it into parts, it’s actually quite easy! I’ve got lots of photos here to help walk you through each step of the way.
MAKE THE CAKE:
Start by mixing together your dry ingredients. Set this aside so that it is ready when you need it.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, the sugar, and the vanilla.
Beat these together until the mixture is smooth and thick.
Sift half of the dry ingredients into the bowl. Use a spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the mixture.
Sift the remaining dry ingredients in and fold until there are no dry patches.
In another bowl, whip the egg whites until they are stiff.
Gently fold the egg whites into the cake. You want to make sure no white streaks remain, but you don’t want to overmix.
Pour the batter into a sheet pan that has been lined with parchment paper and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
Bake the cake just until it is set. You don’t want to overbake the cake, because it will crack when you roll it. Let the cake cool for just a couple of minutes, then sprinkle generously with powdered sugar.
Turn the cake over onto a tea towel or a piece of parchment paper. Remove the parchment from what is now the top of the cake.
Sprinkle this side of the cake with powdered sugar.
Roll the cake with the towel or the parchment paper and let it sit until the cake is cool.
MAKE THE FILLING:
While the cake is cooling, make the filling. Whip the cream in a bowl until it is thick, then start adding in the sugar and the vanilla. Beat until soft peaks form.
Melt the marshmallow fluff just until you can stir it, then let it cool slightly. Add it to the cream mixture. Continue to beat until you have stiff peaks.
Once the cake is cool, unroll the cake and remove the towel (or the parchment paper). Spread the whipped cream on top, then re-roll the cake. Roll gently, so that the cream doesn’t squeeze out of the cake.
Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. I like to refrigerate the cake overnight at this point.
MAKE THE WHIPPED CHOCOLATE GANACHE:
Place the chocolate in a medium sized bowl. Heat the cream until just before boiling, then pour over the chocolate.
Let the mixture sit for about an minute, then start stirring. Continue to stir until the chocolate has all melted. Let this mixture cool to room temperature.
Once at room temperature, transfer to a stand mixer (you can also do this with a hand mixer) and whip until the mixture is thick.
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:
Cut the ends off of the cake, if needed, then cut a portion off of one end on a diagonal. This can be any size you want, but typically about 1/4 of the cake. (Mine in the photos is more than that, so I ended up with more of a stubby cake.)
Place the cut end on the side of the longer piece. Use the whipped chocolate ganache to frost the cake, leaving the swirled ends uncovered to show the roll.
I chose to just run a spatula across the frosting to resemble bark, but you can also use a fork.
Decorate with meringue mushrooms and sugared cranberries, if desired. I also like to use a bit of rosemary.
Make Ahead Instructions
This cake is easy to make in advance, but I do recommend not frosting the cake until you are ready to serve it.
To make ahead, you can assemble the cake up to the point of filling the roll with the whipped cream up to 2 days in advance. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
The whipped ganache is best made fresh. If you do make it ahead of time, it will harden up some, so you will need to re-whip it.
Make it Your Own
This cake is easy to customize! Here are a few ways to change things up:
- Leave the cake in one long log – you don’t have to cut off a piece to resemble the branch!
- Use your favorite buttercream instead of the whipped chocolate ganache.
- Make a chocolate whipped cream by adding a bit of cocoa powder.
- Use a buttercream filling instead of the whipped cream.
- Roll the cake the long way for a thinner, longer log.
More Christmas Recipes
Cranberry Orange Cookies
Peppermint Popcorn with Cookies
Eggnog Quick Bread with Eggnog Glaze
Cherry Nut Chocolates
The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe with Sugar Cookie Icing
Bûche de Noël (Yule Log Cake)
Ingredients
Cake:
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 eggs separated
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Filling:
- 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons marshmallow fluff
Chocolate Ganache:
- 8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chopped
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spray a 17x12-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with the nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt.
- Add the egg yolks, the sugar, and the vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on high until the mixture increases in volume and is thick and pale, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer. Sift half of the dry ingredients into the bowl and fold in gently with a spatula. Once incorporated, sift in the second half and fold in.
- In another bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
- Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter, only stirring until no white streaks remain.
- Pour the cake into the prepared baking pan. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any large air pockets.
- Bake in the preheated oven just until the cake is set, about 8-10 minutes. (Do not overbake the cake or it will crack when you roll it.)
- Remove from the oven and run a knife around the edge of the pan. Let it coo for about 2-3 minutes, then sift powdered sugar over the top of the cake. Turn the cake over onto a tea towel or a piece of parchment paper. Remove the parchment paper from the bottom of the cake (which is now the top) and sprinkle this second side with powdered sugar.
- Starting on the short end, roll the cake gently. You don’t need to roll it to tight. Let the cake sit until room temperature, about 30 minutes to an hour.
Make the filling:
- Add the cream to a mixer bowl and whip until thick. Sift the sugar into the cream and add the vanilla. Continue to beat until soft peaks form.
- Melt the marshmallow fluff in the microwave until just melted. Stir and let it cool slightly.
- Add the marshmallow fluff to the whipped cream and continue to beat until you have stiff peaks.
Fill the cake:
- Once the cake is cool, gently unroll it. Spread the whipped cream filling over the cake, then re-roll, rolling gently to keep the filling from squishing out. Wrap the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, but preferably overnight.
Make the ganache:
- Place the chocolate in a medium sized bowl.
- In the microwave or in a saucepan on the stove, heat the cream until just before boiling. Pour over the chocolate and let it sit for about a minute, then stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Let the mixture cool until room temperature.
- Transfer the chocolate to a mixer bowl and whip until it is thick.
Decorate the cake:
- Remove the cake from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap. Cut about 1/4 to 1/3 of the cake on a diagonal from one of the end. Place the larger portion on a serving plate, then place the cut end of the smaller section along the side of the larger section.
- Spread the ganache over the top, leaving the ends exposed to show the swirl. You can run a spatula down the sides to resemble bark, or run a fork across the cake to make a bark texture.
- Garnish the cake and serve.
Dolores says
Well I think it’s gorgeous. I’m only sorry it’s taken me almost a month to get here. And thanks for the caramel buttercream recipe.
Lynnylu says
A very lovely “buche”.
linda says
You should be proud, it’s a very pretty log! The caramel buttercream sounds delicious!
BC says
I love the sugared cranberries. It’s a nice touch.
Katie says
Your log looks beautiful. Well done for not letting fear of decoration stop you from making it. It looks very festive with the berries.
Lynnylu says
A great looking buche-love it!
Andrea says
Caramel is my favorite flavor, with chocolate a close second. Now I wish that I had thought of that! It must have tasted decadent! Great job!
Jen Yu says
Oh, I love all of you DBers who used caramel filling. Why wasn’t I at your house? 😉 Your yule log is absolutely gorgeous. Great job and happy new year!
skrockodile says
wow – I am definitely going to try those cranberries – very nice touch!
The Baker & The Curry Maker says
Deb! Your Yule looks fantastic!! It defintely is one of the prettiest I have seen on my look around today. I assume your view on decorating has changed now? Happy New Year x
The Baker & The Curry Maker says
Deb! Your Yule looks fantastic!! It defintely is one of the prettiest I have seen on my look around today. I assume your view on decorating has changed now? Happy New Year x
lina says
I think your log is looking great. Don’t let your own high expectation put you down and make you not dare to try!
Best wishes for the New Year!
Carla says
I love your mushrooms! They look so real. And caramel buttercream…I’m drooling. Have a great new year!
wmpe says
Great job on your yule log. I am glad you overcame your fear of decorating. I like the berries and mushrooms. Wendy
Glenna says
Deborah, your yule log came out so well! It really is beautiful. Love the mushrooms.