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The Yule Log (Bûche de Noël) is a traditional holiday dessert. The dish consists of a cake that is rolled and filled with cream, then decorated to resemble a log. The cake is usually served with a chocolate ganache and may be garnished with edible mushrooms, pinecones, and holly leaves. While the exact origin of the Yule Log is uncertain, it is thought to date back to medieval times. Today, the dish remains a popular Christmas treat in many parts of Europe, as well as in North America. If you’re looking to add a festive touch to your holiday table, consider preparing a Yule Log for your next holiday gathering.
Yule Log (Bûche De Noël): A Delicious Dessert for the Holiday Table!
There are many different ways to make a Yule Log, but the most important part is the sponge cake. The sponge cake should be light and airy, so that it will roll up easily. There are many different recipes for sponge cake, so feel free to experiment until you find one that you like. Once you have the perfect sponge cake recipe, you can move on to the buttercream.
The buttercream is what gives the Yule Log its flavor. You can use any flavor of buttercream that you like, but chocolate is traditional. To make the buttercream, simply combine your chosen flavor of butter with powdered sugar and an electric mixer. If you want a thinner consistency, you can add milk or cream to the mixture until it reaches the desired consistency. Once the buttercream is finished, spread it over the surface of the sponge cake and roll it up into a log shape.
Now comes the fun part: decorating your Yule Log! You can use chocolate shavings, edible glitter, candied fruit, or anything else you can think of to decorate your log. Be creative and have fun with it! once your log is decorated, slice it into pieces and serve. Your guests will be impressed by your culinary skills and they’ll love this delicious holiday dessert!
Is it Christmas yet? Can’t wait to make this!
Best Baking tips; Ingredient Tips!
When it comes to making a traditional Yule Log, also known as a Bûche De Noël, there are a few key ingredients that you’ll need. Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need, along with some tips on how to choose the best ingredients for your holiday cake!
Cake: For the cake itself, you’ll want to choose a light and airy cake. A chocolate sponge cake is a classic choice, but you could also go with a marble cake or even a fruit cake. Just make sure to avoid any cakes that are too crumbly or dry – they won’t stand up well to the filling and decorating process.
Buttercream Filling: The filling for your Yule Log (Bûche De Noël) should be creamy and flavorful. A classic buttercream recipe is always a good choice, but feel free to get creative – you could try using a flavored buttercream, or even adding in some shredded coconut or chopped nuts for extra texture.
Chocolate Ganache: For the chocolate ganache that covers the outside of the Yule Log (Bûche De Noël), you’ll want to use a bar of high-quality dark chocolate. This will give your ganache a rich flavor and beautiful color. If you’re feeling really adventurous, you could even try using white chocolate or flavored chocolate for your ganache – just be sure to taste it as you go so it doesn’t end up too sweet.
The fun part: Decorating the Yule Log (Bûche De Noël)
Yule Log (Bûche De Noël):
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Yule Log (Bûche De Noël)
Ingredients
Let's gather the ingredients!
Cake
- 1 ⅓ cups cake flour sifted
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder natural or dutch-process
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 6 large eggs separated, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar divided
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Filling
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup confectioners' sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder natural or dutch-process
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- 6 ounces bitter-sweet chocolate finely chopped
- ¾ cup heavy cream
Instructions
Let's Begin!
Filling
- In a large bowl, whip butter and cream, then add ½ cup confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until thick and stiff. Refrigerate.
Ganache
- Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it begins to simmer. (not boiling)
- In a medium bowl, place chopped chocolate, pour the warm cream, then let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate.
- Slowly stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour to thicken.
Cake
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Then, set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and ½ cup sugar together on high speed for 4-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Transfer to another bowl.
- Using the same mixing bowl you just had the egg whites in (no need to clean it), add the egg yolks, remaining sugar, oil, and vanilla extract. Beat together on high speed until thickened and light in color.
- Fold in 1/3 whipped egg whites into the egg yolk mixture until well combined, then repeat with remaining egg whites.
- Add half of the flour mixture and beat on low or fold with a rubber spatula until combined. Repeat with remaining flour mixture. Avoid over-mixing and deflating those egg whites. Batter will be very light.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Gently bang the pan on the counter a couple times to pop any air bubbles.
- Bake for 18-19 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly poked with your finger. Cake will look a little bubbly on top when it’s done.
Prepare to Roll
- As the cake bakes, place a piece of parchment paper or a thin kitchen/tea towel flat on the counter.
- Using a fine mesh sieve, dust parchment/towel with 3 Tablespoons of cocoa powder.
- Once the cake comes out of the oven, quickly run a knife around the edges to loosen it. Immediately invert it onto the parchment/towel. Peel off the parchment paper that was on the bottom of the cake as it baked.
- Starting with the narrow end, begin tightly rolling the hot cake up with the parchment/towel. Do this slowly and gently.
- Allow the cake to cool completely rolled up in the parchment/towel. Feel free to place it in the refrigerator to speed it up, about 3 hours and up to 1 day.
Let's Assemble!
- Gently and very slowly unroll the cake. Spread filling evenly on top, leaving about a ½-inch border around the cake.
- Gently roll the cake back up, without the parchment/towel this time. Roll it slowly.
- Carefully place it on a cutting board. If the exterior of the cake looks moist, dust it with a little cocoa powder. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove rolled cake from the refrigerator. Diagonally slice a 3-4 inch section off one end. Slowly pour and spread the thickened ganache all over the top and sides of the cake. Feel free to leave the cut ends exposed.
- Use a fork to make textured lines resembling tree bark. Dust with powdered sugar.
- Serve and enjoy with family and friends!
Nutrition
For More Holiday Baking Recipes
The baking holiday recipes below are easy to make and are also versatile that you can substitute the ingredients into a healthy one. I’m sure you might fall in love with these holiday delicious treats; perfect for the fall season, Thanksgiving day, and for all occasions. They are must-try holiday recipes so why not give the recipes below a try?
- Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Bread
- Caramel Apple Puff Pastry Tarts
- German Spice Cookies
- Strawberry Peanut Butter and Jelly Thumbprint Cookies
- Vegan Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies
To Wrap It All Up
Although the history of the Yule Log is uncertain, it has become a popular Christmas tradition in many countries. The delicious cake can be made with different flavors and ingredients, and it’s sure to bring smiles to your family and friends during the holiday season. We hope you will give this recipe a try!
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