Buche Noel – Christmas Yule Log

The French call this classic dessert Buche Noel.  The English call it a Yule Log.  We just call it DELICIOUS!

If you’ve never made one of these, this might be the year to try one.  It is pretty, festive, and a whole lot easier than you might think.

This is a combination of a very light chocolate genoise cake, a chocolate whipped cream filling, and a light chocolate buttercream frosting.  Decorate it with some holly and berries and some meringue mushrooms and your dessert can double as your centerpiece on your holiday buffet table 🙂

This is actually a fairly simple recipe and assembly and the result is a very yummy dessert that everyone will enjoy.  Give it a try and let us know what you think.  Will this make an appearance at your Christmas feast?

Buche Noel

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for parchment and pan
2/3 cup sifted cake flour (do not use self-rising)
1/3 cup sifted cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
Pinch of baking soda
Pinch of salt
6 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

The genoise cake:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10 1/2-by-15 1/2-by-1-inch jelly-roll pan. Line with parchment; butter and flour paper, tapping out the excess flour.

Sift flour, cocoa, and baking soda together twice into a medium bowl. Set aside. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter.

Whisk together eggs and sugar. Beat on high speed until mixture is thick and pale and has tripled in bulk. Reduce speed to medium, add vanilla, and beat 2 to 3 minutes more.

In three additions, sift flour mixture over egg mixture, folding in gently with a spatula. While folding in last addition, dribble melted butter over batter and fold in.

Spread batter evenly in pan, leaving behind any unincorporated butter in the bottom of the bowl. Tap pan on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake until cake springs back when touched in center, 15 to 20 minutes. Don’t overbake or cake will crack. Let sit in pan on a wire rack until cool enough to handle.

Dust surface with cocoa powder. To make rolling easier, trim edges of cake, and cover with a damp dish towel. Invert onto a work surface, and peel off parchment; dust with cocoa. Starting from one long end, carefully roll up cake in towel. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate until ready to use.

The chocolate whipped cream filling:

Pour 2 cups of heavy cream into the bowl of an electric mixer.  Add 3/4 cup powdered sugar and 1/3 cup cocoa along with 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Beat together, increasing the speed of the mixer, as the cream begins to thicken.  Beat until the cream is stiff being careful not to beat it too long as it will begin to separate and turn to butter.

Cake frosting:

1 stick of butter (at room temp)
Approximately 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla
Approximately  1 cup of heavy cream

Beat the butter until completely smooth and creamy.  Add in 2 cups of powdered sugar and the cocoa powder and beat together.  Add in vanilla and about 1/2 the cream.  Beat well then add remaining sugar and cream alternately until the icing is a nice light but spreadable consistency.  If necessary, add more cream if it is too stiff or more sugar if it is to loose.

Assembly:

Unroll the cake.  Spread the whipped cream filling to within about 1 inch of the edges.  Starting on the long side roll the cake up again being careful not to let the whipped cream ooze out of the rolled cake.  If some cream does squish out simply use your icing spatula or knife and wipe it away.

Once the cake is rolled up, cut away a piece that is about 1/3 the length of the cake.  You will use this to form “branches” of your yule log.  Place the remaining longer piece of your yule log on the cake plate or serving platter you are using.

Now cut that 1/3 piece of the yule log in half making a diagonal cut.  Place the flat side of one piece on top of the rolled cake, and the other piece on the side with the flat side against the main cake roll.

Spread the icing carefully over the whole cake making it as even as possible.  Using a fork drag it through the icing to create the effect of “bark” on your log.  Make a circular motion on the ends of each piece of the log to simulate wood.

If you like use green icing to make small holly leaves and red icing to make holly berries.  Add some meringue mushrooms as garnish. (We’ll give you the recipe and technique for the meringue mushrooms tomorrow.)

Perfect as a centerpiece and even better as dessert 🙂