Best Bûche De Noël Recipe

Parker Feierbach

• Yields: 8 serving(s)
• Prep Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 3 hrs
• Cal/Serv: 544

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Also known as a yule log cake, the Bûche De Noël is a classic Christmas centerpiece. If you’re looking to impress this holiday, this is the dessert to do it. This traditional French dessert rolls a filled chocolate sponge cake into a showstopping holiday dessert that is sure to become a staple tradition. You can decorate your yule log cake however you please—this frosted, swirled cake is a stunning winter dessert all on its own with just a dusting of sugary snow.

Don’t get intimidated by this rolled cake, but do take your time! If this is your first time making this classic Christmas tradition, read on for our top tips to perfect this festive cake.

What People Are Saying:
“This is a perfect recipe for a chocolate yule log cake. The delish video gave me confidence to make this and it turned out perfect.I have made this 3 times and love this recipe. Thank you!!” – RedPopcorn

“I have never ever made a Yule log before (I don’t even think I’ve tasted one before) and this recipe and video made it super easy and straightforward. I was apprehensive at first (meringues intimidate me lol) but the log turned out even better than expected.” – taylorjkrebs

What Is A Bûche De Noël?

The Bûche De Noël—or yule log cake—is a sponge cake filled and covered with frosting, and rolled to look like a log. A French Christmas tradition that dates back to the 19th century, the cake represents the yule log that families would burn starting on Christmas Eve, symbolizing the new year to come and good luck ahead.

How To Make A Bûche De Noël

INGREDIENTS

• Eggs: I always use large eggs when baking; the size is important for the final product. Separating is as simple as cracking the shells and passing the egg back and forth through the shells, or you can crack into one hand and let the whites drip through your fingers.
• All-Purpose Flour: No need to get a specialty type of flour here. You’d be surprised that this fancy-looking cake uses mostly pantry ingredients you most likely have on hand.
• Cocoa Powder: This is needed to make the chocolate cake, well, chocolate. We call for unsweetened, preferably Dutch-processed, but you can use what you had on hand.
• Sugars: I call for granulated in the cake, then confectioners’ for the filling and frosting. Confectioners’ sugar also helps in aiding with the rolling up of the cake.
• Salt: I test with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, but go for a bit less than called for if you use table or Morton.
• Gelatin: This is optional, but highly recommended. It’s a thickening agent that helps keep the filling in place while creating the perfect texture. But if you don’t have time to get your hands on some, feel free to skip.
• Chocolate Curls, Cranberries & Rosemary: I like to keep the decorations simple and festive, but you can go all out with whatever festive toppings you’ve got or feel like making.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

After preheating the oven and prepping a jelly roll pan, first thing you gotta do is sift the dry ingredients—flour, cocoa powder, and salt—into a medium bowl. It may seem fussy, but it’s the best way to guarantee the best texture for the cake.

PHOTO: CHELSEA LUPKIN

Time to whip out the stand mixer. Beat the egg yolks until smooth and thickened, then beat in granualted sugar until pale and fluffy. After that, slowly add the sifted ingredients and beat until just combined.

PHOTO: CHELSEA LUPKIN

After whipping the egg whites until peaks form, gradually add some more sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Working in 2 batches, gently fold the fluffy egg whites into the batter until no white streaks remain.

PHOTO: CHELSEA LUPKIN

Spread the batter in the greased pan in an even layer. Bake until the top springs back when you poke it with your finger, which should take about 12 minutes. After inverting the pan onto a confectioners’ sugar-dusted towel, peel off the parchment.

PHOTO: CHELSEA LUPKIN

PHOTO: CHELSEA LUPKIN

Using your helpful, dusted towel, starting at the short end of the cake, tightly roll it up into that iconic log. Let it cool while you make the filling and frosting.

PHOTO: CHELSEA LUPKIN

Time for the filling! Like mentioned before, I highly recommend using gelatin to keep the filling stabilized, but if you’re all out, you don’t have to do this step.

PHOTO: CHELSEA LUPKIN

Using the stand mixer yet again, beat some cream, more confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt until medium peaks form. Strain the gelatin and stream it into the cream mixture while the motor is running. Stick the bowl in the refrigerator until the filling is cold.

PHOTO: CHELSEA LUPKIN

After everything has cooled off, carefully unroll the cake and spread the filling all over the surface. Using the towel, tightly roll back into a log. Arrange seam side down so none of the filling leaks out and continue to refrigerate until cold, which should take about 1 hour.

PHOTO: CHELSEA LUPKIN

Almost there! For the frosting, beat butter in the handy stand mixer until it’s nice and smooth. Beat in confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, cream, and salt until combined and nice and tasty.

PHOTO: CHELSEA LUPKIN

When you’re ready to get this on the dessert table, trim ends to make them even. Frost whole cake with the buttercream, using long, smooth strokes to look like bark. Dust the top with confectioners’ sugar to look like snow. Then decorate however you please! You’re done, congratulations!

PHOTO: CHELSEA LUPKIN

Recipe Tips

• The mixer: We prefer to use a stand mixer in this recipe for the tallest, fluffiest cake, but if you only have a hand mixer, you can use that!
• The best way to roll your yule log cake: We have a few tips. First, roll your cake in a towel—it makes the process so much easier. Secondly: Roll your cake while it’s still warm; warm cakes are more pliable and less likely to crack. Let cool just for a few minutes and then invert it onto the kitchen towel. The towel will protect your hands while rolling during the first roll, and will help to get a tighter swirl.
• Don’t overbake: An overbaked cake will be dry and crack as it rolls. This thin cake bakes quickly—keep an eye on it.
• How to decorate: Traditionally, this cake is made to represent a life-like tree log, but you can decorate it however you please! Mix and match the frostings and fillings to get your ideal version of this classic cake. Try a fluffy cheese frosting, spiked whipped cream, or fresh cream with cherries. Garnish with sugared cranberries, chocolate curls, and rosemary for a classic look, or simply dust with confectioners’ sugar to resemble a snowy scene if you’re looking to stay simple.

Storage

If you want to do some prep before the holidays, this cake can be made around 3 to 4 days ahead of time covered in the fridge.

If you have any leftovers, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you’re looking to freeze it, wrap the cake—without the confectioners’ sugar and other decorations—with storage wrap and foil before freezing up to 3 months.

Parker Feierbach

Ingredients

Cake

• Cooking spray
• 1/2 c. (60 g.) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 3/4 c. (150 g.) granulated sugar, divided
• Confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling

Filling

• 2 tsp. gelatin (optional)
• 1 1/4 c. heavy cream
• 1/4 c. confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of kosher salt

Frosting & Decorating

• 1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 c. (175 g.) confectioners’ sugar, plus more for sprinkling
• 5 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 Tbsp. heavy cream
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of kosher salt
• Chocolate curls, cranberries, and fresh rosemary sprigs, for decorating

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Directions

• Cake
  1. Step 1 Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 15″ x 10″ jelly roll pan with parchment. Grease parchment with cooking spray. Into a medium bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
  2. Step 2 In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg yolks on medium-high speed until thickened. Slowly add 1/2 c. granulated sugar and beat until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add dry ingredients and beat on medium-low speed until combined.
  3. Step 3 In another large bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium-high speed or a whisk, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add remaining 1/4 c. granulated sugar a little at a time and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Working in batches, gently fold egg whites into batter with a spatula until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread in an even layer.
  4. Step 4 Bake cake until top springs back when lightly pressed, about 12 minutes.
  5. Step 5 Dust a clean kitchen towel with confectioners’ sugar. Invert warm cake onto a towel. Peel off parchment.
  6. Step 6 Starting at the short end and using the towel, tightly roll cake into a log. Let cool.
• Filling
  1. Step 1 If you’re using gelatin, in a small heatproof bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 2 Tbsp. cold water. Let bloom 5 to 10 minutes. Microwave until gelatin is runny, about 10 seconds—do not overheat!
  2. Step 2 In the large bowl of stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt until medium peaks form. Strain gelatin through a fine-mesh sieve. With the motor running, stream gelatin into whipped cream and beat until combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  3. Step 3 When cake is cool, unroll and evenly spread filling over cake. Using towel, tightly roll cake back into a log. Arrange seam side down on a baking sheet and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
• Frosting & Decorating
  1. Step 1 In the large bowl of stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth. Add confectioners’ sugar and cocoa powder and beat until no lumps remain. Beat in cream, vanilla, and salt.
  2. Step 2 When ready to serve, trim ends and frost cake with buttercream. Lightly dust with confectioners’ sugar. Top with chocolate curls. Place cranberries and rosemary on log to create mistletoe.

Parker feierbach

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