How to Make a Yule Log

Guide Note: How to Make a Yule Log offers tips, tricks and advice on how to bake Bûche de Noël, the traditional French holiday dessert.

Table of Contents:

Introduction

  • Christmas is coming, which means it's time to start baking cakes shaped like logs! The Yule Log or Bûche de Noël is a traditional French dessert served during the holiday season. The log typically consists of a yellow sponge cake filled with chocolate buttercream. There are several popular variations, but you can feel confident knowing that whichever you choose, your cake will be nothing but delicious.

Step 1: Make the Sponge Cake

(Creative Commons photo by Cara Fealy Choate)
(Creative Commons photo by Cara Fealy Choate)
  • The cake part of the yule log is typically made from either a sponge or genoise cake. Both require the use of a shallow jelly roll pan.

Ingredients You'll Need

Equipment You'll Need

Sponge Cake Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Grease the bottom of the jelly roll pan.
  3. Line the pan with wax or parchment paper.
  4. Grease the paper.
  5. Using the electric mixer, beat the egg whites at a high speed until soft peaks form.
  6. Add 1/4 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time. Beat until stiff beaks form. Set aside bowl.
  7. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks at a high speed while adding 1/2 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time. Beat until mixture is very thick. Approximately 4 minutes.
  8. At a low speed, beat the cocoa, vanilla and salt into the egg yolk mixture. Mix until smooth.
  9. With a wire whisk or rubber spatula, gently fold the cocoa mixture into egg whites until blended.
  10. Spread mixture evenly into the pan.
  11. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or just until the surface springs back when pressed gently.
  12. Sift confectioners' sugar in a 15 x 10 inch rectangle on a clean tea or linen towel.
  13. Turn cake out of the pan and onto the sugar-covered towel.
  14. Peel the wax or parchment paper off the cake.
  15. Starting with the short end, roll the cake with the towel up like a jelly roll.
    • The towel is used to prevent the cake from sticking to itself while it cools. You will unroll the cake later to insert the filling.
  16. Let the rolled-up cake cool completely seam side down on a cooling rack.

Step 2: Make the Filling

Whip cream until thick. (Creative Commons photo by Brian Teutsch)
Whip cream until thick. (Creative Commons photo by Brian Teutsch)
  • The filling is the easy part. Usually a butter or whipped cream, it can be made before or after the cake has been put in the oven. Just be sure that your cake has had time to cool before coating it with the filling.

Ingredients You'll Need

  • 1 1/2 Cups of Chilled Heavy Cream
  • 1/2 Cups of Confectioners' Sugar
  • 1/4 Cup of Unsweetened Cocoa
  • 2 Teaspoons of Instant Coffee
  • 1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

Equipment You'll Need

  • Electric Mixer
  • Mixing Bowl

Filling Directions

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
  2. Beat with mixer until thick.
  3. Chill until ready for use.

Step 3: Assemble the Yule Log

  • Your cake is cooled. Your filling is chilled. Now, it's time to assemble the log!
  1. Unroll the cake.
  2. Spread the filling over the cake stopping 1 inch from each edge.
  3. Re-roll the cake. (No towel this time!)
  4. Place seam side down on a plate.
  5. Cover loosely with foil or plastic wrap.
  6. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
    • You can make and freeze your yule log for up to one week before serving. Wrap tightly in foil before freezing, and allow to thaw for at least 1 hour before serving.

How To Make A Yule Log

Step 4: Decorate the Cake

(Creative Commons photo by Tracy Hunter)
(Creative Commons photo by Tracy Hunter)
  • There are a number of ways to decorate your yule log. Some recipes simply call for a light dusting of confectioners' sugar. Others suggest creating a chocolate icing, which more closely resembles bark, or making marzipan mushrooms to dot along the side of your log. Here are a few decorating suggestions from the experts:

How to Make Chocolate Icing

  • If you do decide to frost your cake, here's a simple chocolate icing recipe you can use:

Ingredients You'll Need

  • 1/3 Cup of Butter
  • 2 Cups of Confectioners' Sugar
  • 1/4 Cup of Cocoa
  • 2 Tablespoons of Milk
  • 1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract

Equipment You'll Need
  1. Allow butter to soften by sitting out.
  2. Once the butter has softened, combine all ingredients.
  3. Beat until smooth.

Yule Log Variations

  • Since all a yule log really requires is a thin, sponge-like cake and some kind of filling, folks have run wild creating variations on the dessert. Check out some of these innovative alternatives to the traditional log:

Resources for How to Make a Yule Log

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Yule Log | How to Bake Christmas Cookies | How to Build a Gingerbread House | Christmas Cookies | Christmas Cupcakes



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