Yule Log Cake | Bûche de Noël (French) | Traditional Christmas Special Cake Recipe - Nitha Kitchen (2024)

The traditional Yule Log Cake/bûche is made from Sponge cake, usually baked in a Large Swiss roll pan, frosted and rolled to form a cylinder. Again frosted on the outside, Bûches are often served with a portion of one end of the cake cut off and set on top of the cake or protruding from its side to resemble a chopped off branch, and bark-like texture is often produced in the buttercream frosting for further realism. This is often done by dragging a fork through the frosting/icing. The most common combination is a basic yellow sponge cake, frosted and filled with chocolate buttercream. Today’s recipe is very similar to traditional yule log except mushroom meringues, sugar snow and cherries, here i used non edible berries just for decoration and removed it immediately after the photo session. Before making the cake, First prepare the frosing and allow to set in refrigerator one day or atleast 2 hours before.Thanks Swathi and Tanu Shree for this beautiful challenge for Baking Partners Group, really loved it 🙂

Ingredients for Frosting
Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips/Bittersweet Chocolate – 8 Oz finely chopped
Heavy Cream – 1 n 3/4 Cup

Method

• Combine the chocolate and cream in the sauce pan (Pic 3).
• In simmer/low flame whisk until chocolate melts and well blended (Pic 4).
• Keep stirring in low flame till attains rolling consistency (Pic 5).

• Remove the pan/bowl from the heat and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until cold, about 2 hours (Stepwise Pic 9, below).

Recipe Source for Cake and Syrup –Williams-Sonoma

Ingredients for the cake

All Purpose Flour – 1 Cup plus more for dusting
Eggs – 4 Number, at room temperature
Granulated Sugar – 2/3 cup
Baking powder – 3/4tsp
Salt – 1/4tsp
Vanilla extract – 1tsp
Unsalted butter for greasing
Confectioners sugar for dusting

For the Syrup

Water – 1/4 Cup
Sugar – 1/4 Cup
Dark Rum/Coffee Flavored Liquor(Or)Instant Strong Coffee Powder – 2 to 3 Tbsp (Or)1n1/2 Tbsp

Method

• Preheat an oven to 350°F.
• Grease a 15 1/2-by-10 1/2-inch rimmed baking/cookie sheet and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• Grease the sides of pan and parchment paper with butter and flour.
• To make the cake, in a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt until blended.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the eggs until pale and thick (Pic 1), about 3 minutes.
• Add the granulated sugar(Pic 1) and vanilla and continue beating until tripled in volume, about 3 minutes more(Pic 2).
• Sprinkle the flour mixture over the eggs and, using a spatula, fold gently until just blended (Pic 3).
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly(Pic 4).
• Bake until the cake springs back when lightly touched, 13 to 15 minutes (Pic 5).

• Meanwhile, lay a parchment paper/clean kitchen towel on the counter and sift confectioners sugar generously onto it, covering it evenly.
• When the cake is ready, remove it from the oven and immediately run a bread slicer/knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake.
• Holding the cake in place, invert the pan onto the prepared towel (Pic 6 above).
• Lift off the pan and carefully peel off the paper.
• Beginning on a long edge, roll up the cake and towel together, Set on a wire rack and let cool completely(Pic 7).
• To make the syrup, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the water and granulated sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves.
• Bring to a boil and remove from the heat.

• Stir in the rum/coffee powder and set aside to cool to room temperature.
• To assemble the bûche, unroll the cake and brush it liberally with the cooled syrup.
• Make sure the botom layer of cake gets the syrup soaking so that it becomes soft later.
• Using an icing spatula, spread one-third of the frosting over the cake (Pic 8).
• Gently reroll the cake(seam side down), make a cross cut (3 inch length,Pic 10) and place on the side of log to look like branch(Pic 11), keep this on a cutting board.
• Frost the top and sides of the roll with the remaining frosting, using long, rough strokes (Pic 12).
• Refrigerate for a while and drag using fork over icing to get the perfect effect.

• Using a serrated knife, trim each end on a sharp angle.
• Transfer the cake to a serving plate and garnish with the chocolate curls, cherries as you wish.

Tips

1. When frosting turns hard and stiff, you can add some milk and apply it for inner cake/roll.
2. Taste the cake after few hours so the syrup gets well absorbed by the cake and becomes super soft.
3. Also the corner edges, when not leveled properly(before baking) they turn out bit crisp, but nothing to worry if happened so.