Yule Log | Bûche de Noël | Christmas Baking

Chocolate Yule Logs just remind me of Christmas! I think the chocolate yule log originates in France, where they are known as “Bûche de Noël”, literally translating to “log of Christmas”. A Christmas Yule Log is basically a chocolate swiss roll cake filled with whipped cream and decorated with buttercream to resemble a log!
Yule Logs are extremely easy to make, but look amazing and are the perfect dessert to serve after Christmas dinner!

How do you make a Yule Log?

This Christmas Yule Log is extremely easy to make and only requires a few simple ingredients! To make the sponge, you only need three ingredients: eggs, caster sugar and chocolate! Make sure you use good-quality dark chocolate for baking (I use Dr Oetker´s) for the best results! The eggs are the only raising agents in this cake, so you need to make sure you whisk the egg yolks/sugar and egg whites thoroughly to maximise their volume! This is fundamental for cakes made using the whisked method! If you want to read more about the different cake baking methods, check out this baking basics post here!

In the pictures, you may see that I have not achieved a perfect swirl and that my cake cracked slightly. I followed the advice that for a “classic” Yule Log, cracking was all part of the cake´s charm and made it look more log-like. But if I´m honest, the perfectionist in my would have preferred a better swirl. If you are the same, I would recommend rolling the sponge while it is still hot and leaving it to cool once rolled up, rather than rolling it once fully cooled. Follow the instructions in my Swiss Roll recipe for more information on creating the perfect swirl!

The Yule Log is then filled with some lightly whipped cream and re-rolled. You can then cut a quarter of the Yule Log off and attach it to the side of the log to create a branch, if you like. Finally, the cake is smothered in some chocolate buttercream and decorated. Make sure you check out my baking basics post on How To Make Buttercream for the best results!

Some Suggestions for Recipe Alterations

Ahhhh, I do like playing around with recipes and adding bits here and there to create a little extra twist! This Christmas Yule Log can be altered in a few different ways, so I´ll let you into some of the other ideas I have had:

For one, you could add some flavouring to your cream. While I added a little bit of vanilla extract, you could opt for a different type of extract or essence! Coffee, orange or mint could be good options if you like those flavour combinations! The cream is also perfect for adding a little booze… Bailey´s would be my first choice and is really easy to add to cream (as it is basically cream itself) which you can see if you look at my Chocolate Pavlova topped with Bailey´s Whipped Cream recipe. A splash of Cointreau, rum, or Kirsch liqueur would also go nicely with this dessert, however, you´ll need to be more careful when adding those to make sure the cream doesn´t split. Add a tablespoon of your alcohol of choice before whipping the cream. If you want it a little stronger, carefully fold in a little more booze at the end.

Finally, scattering some fruit over the cream before rolling up the Yule Log would also be a nice addition! Some fresh or frozen raspberries would be a nice addition, or you could add some cherries (which alongside some Kirsch liqueur would add a lovely Black Forest Gâteau twist!).

More Christmas Baking and Dessert Recipes

• Meringue Roulade with Strawberries and Cream
• No-Bake Easy British Trifle
• “Vanillekipferl” | Vanilla Crescent Biscuits
• Chocolate Pavlova with Bailey´s Irish Cream
• Gingerbread Men
• German “Baumkuchenspitzen” with Rum
• Chocolate Orange Trifle with Bailey´s

Chocolate Yule Log | Bûche de Noël

Recipe

Ingredients:

FOR THE CAKE:

• 6 large eggs, separated
• Pinch of salt
• 150g caster sugar
• 250g good-quality dark chocolate, broken into small pieces or roughly chopped

FOR THE FILLING:

• 300ml double cream (or whipping cream)
• 20g icing sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

FOR THE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM:

• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 225gicing sugar
• 30g cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 tbsp milk
• Christmas sprinkles, for decorating (optional)
• A little extra icing sugar, for dusting

YOU WILL ALSO NEED:

• 23x33cm swiss roll tin
• Electric hand mixer
• Heat-proof glass bowl

Method:

1. Start by lining the swiss roll tin with baking paper and preheat the oven to 220°C.
2. Place the chocolate into a heat-proof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl isn´t touching the chocolate. Gently melt the chocolate until smooth. Remove from the heat and leave to cool a little.
3. Separate the eggs, putting the yolks into one, and the whites into another bowl. Make sure the one with the whites is spotlessly clean (a glass bowl is best) to ensure the egg whites whip up properly to their full volume.
4. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form stiff peaks.
5. Next, add the caster sugar to the bowl with the yolks and whisk until thick and pale in colour. Stir the egg-sugar-mix into the melted chocolate once it has cooled slightly (you don´t want it cooking the eggs).
6. Stir a spoonful of the stiff egg whites into the chocolate mix, then carefully fold in the remaining egg whites using a large metal spoon or spatula.
7. Carefully pour the batter into tin and bake in the preheated oven for 10-14 minutes until springy to the touch and starting to shrink away from the edges of the tin.
8. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out onto a piece of baking paper sprinkled with caster sugar. Roll the cake up while it is still warm, starting from one of the long edges, to create a tight roll. Leave to cool completely.
9. Whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla until it forms soft peaks. This works best if the cream is cold from the fridge, and I would also recommend chilling your bowl and whisk-attachment in the fridge beforehand, too (more tips here)!
10. Carefully unroll the cake and spread the cream over the cake. Carefully re-roll the cake. Cut about ¼ of the yule log off at a slight angle, and place at the side of the log to create a “branch”. Then carefully transfer to your serving plate.
11. To make the buttercream, beat the butter for about 3-5 minutes until creamy, fluffy and lighter in colour. Add in about half the icing sugar and whisk, then add the remaining icing sugar and cocoa powder. Beat in a tablespoon of milk to create a spreadable consistency (add a little more if the buttercream is still to thick).
12. Spread the chocolate buttercream all over the sides of the yule log to cover completely. Use a fork to create a log effect. If you want, you can decorate the yule log with some Christmas sprinkles.
13. Chill in the fridge until needed and dust with a little icing sugar just before serving.