Bûche de Noël – French Christmas Yule Log Cake

Ingredients:

Preparation mode:

👉 Bûche de Noël is the cake every French family puts on the Christmas table: a light chocolate sponge rolled around whipped cream and covered in glossy chocolate ganache, scored with a fork so it looks like a log of wood. It goes back to the old tradition of burning a large Yule log in the hearth through Christmas Eve. Today the log is edible – dusted with powdered-sugar snow, often decorated with meringue mushrooms or holly – and it is easier to make at home than it looks.

How to Make Bûche de Noël

1. Prepare the pan. Heat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Line a 30 × 40 cm baking tray with baking paper.
2. Whisk the yolks. Beat the egg yolks with two thirds of the sugar for 3–4 minutes until pale and thick.
3. Whisk the whites. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with the salt to soft peaks, then add the remaining sugar and whisk to firm, glossy peaks.
4. Fold the sponge. Sift the flour and cocoa over the yolks, add a third of the whites and fold gently, then fold in the rest without knocking out the air.
5. Bake. Spread evenly on the tray and bake for 8–10 minutes, until the sponge springs back when touched.
6. Roll while warm. Turn the sponge out onto a clean towel dusted with powdered sugar, peel off the paper and roll it up with the towel from the short side. Leave to cool rolled.
7. Make the ganache. Heat the cream until steaming, pour over the chocolate, wait 2 minutes, stir until smooth and add the butter. Let it cool until thick and spreadable.
8. Fill and roll. Whip the cold cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla. Unroll the sponge, spread the cream, and roll it up again without the towel.
9. Decorate. Cut a short piece off one end at an angle and place it on the side as a branch. Cover with ganache, drag a fork along it to make bark, chill 1 hour and dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Tips for the Best Bûche de Noël

• Don’t overbake the sponge – a dry sponge cracks when you roll it.
• Roll the sponge while it is still warm; it ‘remembers’ the shape and won’t crack later.
• Let the ganache cool enough to hold the fork marks, but not so much that it sets hard.

FAQ

What is a bûche de Noël?
It is the traditional French Christmas cake: a rolled sponge cake filled with cream and covered in chocolate to look like a Yule log.

Is bûche de Noël the same as a Yule log?
Yes – ‘bûche de Noël’ is French for ‘Christmas log’, and in English it is usually called a Yule log cake.

Can I make it a day ahead?
Yes. Fill and roll the sponge the day before, keep it wrapped in the fridge and cover it with ganache on the day.

👉 More Christmas desserts from around the world: Polish makowiec, British Christmas pudding, Greek kourabiedes and Russian medovik. See the full list in Christmas foods around the world.

Footnotes:

Make ahead: the filled, unfrosted roll keeps 1 day in the fridge wrapped in plastic; frost it a few hours before serving.
No time for whipped cream? Fill the roll with chestnut cream (crème de marrons) – a classic French option.