This complete guide and recipe for Perfect Bûche de Noël (Yule Log Cake) features a light and delicious chocolate swiss roll cake filled with white chocolate, covered with ganache and adored with edible decorations.
What is a Bûche de Noël?
A Bûche de Noël is a festive yule log cake originating from France.
Traditionally, it is made from a genoise or sponge swiss roll cake, which is frosted with a chocolate ganache on the exterior, and decorated to look like a yule log.
This elevated sponge cake is commonly served at Christmas time as a dessert.
Why you'll love this recipe
This complete recipe for the Perfect Bûche de Noël is based on the ultimate Perfect Swiss Roll Cake.
Fit for a crowd, this long yule log cake is a showstopping dessert, and includes all-edible decorations.
The chocolate sponge cake is not too sweet and rolls up easily.
There's no need to pre-roll the cake and it is made in a half sheet (18" by 13") baking tray (no need for a jelly roll pan).
Decorate the cake with festive ornaments such as meringue mushrooms, sugared cranberries, and edible almond pine cones.
This cake has been a Christmas tradition in our home for many years, so you'll know it's a time-tested and well-loved recipe.
Equipment you'll need
- baking sheet: 13" by 18" half sheet size
- electric stand mixer: or hand-held mixer
- spatulas: offset and regular
- mixing bowls
- sieve
Ingredients you'll need
For the chocolate cake
- eggs: egg whites and egg yolks, separated while cold, and left at room temperature for optimal results
- vegetable oil: any neutral vegetable oil will work; adds moisture to the cake, which lends to its flexibility
- cocoa powder: you can use Dutch or natural process
- whole milk: cold
- vanilla extract
- sea salt: a pinch of salt balances the flavor
- cake flour: is a low-protein flour which keeps the cake tender; do not use self-raising flour or bread flour; to make your own cake flour you can add swap 2 tablespoon of all purpose flour for cornstarch
- granulated sugar: adds sweetness to the cake
- espresso/coffee powder: optional, enhances the chocolate flavor
- cream of tartar: which is an acid; or lemon juice, to stabilize the whipped egg whites
White chocolate filling
- heavy whipping cream: at least 36% milkfat (MF)
- white chocolate: chopped
- peppermint extract: optional; use a high-quality peppermint extract for the best flavor; depending on the brand, the intensity can vary -- start with ¼ teaspoon and adjust accordingly; peppermint oil is the oil extracted from peppermint leaves which is much more concentrated, if using peppermint oil, use less
Chocolate ganache (tree bark)
- dark chocolate: chopped
- heavy whipping cream: at least 36% milkfat (MF)
Garnishes
You can use real or artificial garnishes to decorate the yule log:
- meringue mushrooms
- almond pine cones
- sugared cranberries & rosemary
- holly/berries
- matcha: for moss
How to make a chocolate yule log cake
For key visual steps, refer to the process photos below.
Make the white chocolate peppermint filling
In the meantime, combine the chopped white chocolate and heavy cream into a small saucepan and bring it to medium heat.
Stir until all the chocolate is melted.
Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.
Stir in peppermint extract (if using).
Chill the mixture in the fridge at least 4 hours.
Make the chocolate cake
Preheat oven to 375F.
Line and lightly grease an 18" by 13" baking sheet with parchment paper.
Pour 60ml of vegetable oil into a heat-safe large bowl and microwave on high power for 1 minute, or until very hot.
Add cocoa powder to the hot oil and stir to dissolve with a whisk or spatula.
Next, add in espresso/coffee powder (if using), sea salt and give it a stir.
Pour in milk and vanilla extract. Let the mixture cool down slightly.
Next, add in egg yolks all at once into the chocolate mixture and mix well.
Sift in the cake flour and combine with a spatula. Set aside.
In a clean stand mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment, whip egg whites on medium speed until foamy, and add in cream of tartar.
Gradually add in sugar, increase to high speed, whipping the meringue to soft peaks.
Use a spatula to fold the whipped egg whites (in one-third additions) into the egg yolk + chocolate cake flour mixture, taking care not to deflate the batter.
Pour the cake batter into the baking sheet, and smooth the surface with an offset spatula.
Tap the pan a few times to release any trapped air bubbles.
Bake at 375F for 15-16 minutes, or until the top is dry and springy to the touch.
Remove from oven and carefully bang the cake pan on the counter.
Let the cake cool for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, place the white chocolate mixture into a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip until lightened, but not overwhipped.
Roll the cake
Flip the cake and transfer to a large piece of parchment paper, skin side down.
Use an offset spatula to spread the white chocolate filling over the surface of the entire cake.
Starting lengthwise, carefully roll the cake up with the parchment paper, ending with the seam side down.
Seal ends of the parchment paper and place cake onto a tray and place into the fridge to chill.
Make the chocolate ganache (tree bark)
Place dark chocolate in a heat-safe medium bowl.
Add heavy cream to a small saucepan and heat to a simmer.
Remove from heat, and pour the hot cream into the dark chocolate.
Let the mixture sit for 5 mins.
Whisk the chocolate ganache for 15-30 seconds, until slightly thickened, but don't overwhip.
Decorate the yule log cake
Remove rolled cake from the fridge.
Trim both ends of the cake (and enjoy as a snack!).
Cut a 3" length from one side of the cake.
From that 3" length, make another cut at a 45 degree angle, splitting it in half (to make the branches).
Add a little chocolate ganache to the cake board/serving platter to help the cake from moving.
Place the cake onto the cake board.
Use toothpicks to secure the branches to the main cake.
Work quickly to spread the chocolate ganache frosting on the surface of the cake with a spatula or offset spatula; reserve some ganache for additional decorations.
Use a fork to drag/draw lines over the cake to resemble an actual tree log bark.
Use remaining ganache as "glue" to stick pine cones, meringue mushrooms and sugared cranberries and rosemary on the surface of the cake.
Dust with matcha powder and powdered sugar to emulate moss and snow.
Lightly cover yule log with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge, for the ganache/bark to set.
To serve, cut cake slices with a sharp serrated knife.
How to serve
Cut the yule log cake into 1"-1.5" slices using a sharp serrated knife.
Serve with the festive garnishes of meringue mushrooms, almond pine cones, and sugared cranberries & rosemary.
How to store
Store the assembled yule log cake in the fridge, lightly covered with plastic wrap for up to 3 days.
You can freeze individual slices of cake, well wrapped in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Optional flavorings
To change up the flavor of the filling, you can add:
- orange liqueur/extract
- coffee powder/liqueur
Expert tips, FAQs & troubleshooting
Note: This yule log cake has many components and does take quite a considerable amount of time.
It's best to give yourself extra time and make the garnishes and white chocolate filling ahead of time.
For clean cake cuts, use a sharp serrated knife. Dip the knife into a glass of warm water and wipe clean with a cloth/paper towel before making the next slice.
The cake cracked.
It's possible that the egg whites were overwhipped past soft peaks.
Check the egg white meringue mixture to see if it forms a soft peak (like a bird's beak).
Adding too much cocoa powder and not enough oil can also lead to cracking.
Baking the cake at too high of a temperature could also be a possibility.
The skin of the cake peeled off.
Every oven is different. Give a few extra minutes of baking time to ensure that the top of the cake is dry and springy to the touch. It should not be moist or wet.
The cake puffed up unevenly.
This may be due to uneven heating in your oven. You can rotate the cake halfway through the bake time.
Why bang the cake on the counter after removing it from the oven?
This helps to prevent the cake from shrinking.
Other delicious dessert recipes you may like
Be sure to check out these recipes:
Sugared Cranberries & Rosemary
Almond Pine Cones for Yule Log Cake (Bûche De Noël)
Meringue Mushrooms for Yule Log Cake (Bûche De Noël)
Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!
Perfect Bûche de Noël (Yule Log)
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
White chocolate peppermint filling:
- 150 g white chocolate chopped
- 250 ml heavy whipping cream 36% milkfat
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract optional
Chocolate chiffon cake:
- 60 ml vegetable oil
- 20 g cocoa powder sifted
- 1 teaspoon espresso/coffee powder
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
- 60 ml whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 egg yolks
- 100 g cake flour sifted
- 6 egg whites
- 80 g granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
Chocolate ganache (tree bark):
- 150 g dark chocolate chopped
- 160 ml heavy whipping cream 36% milkfat
Instructions
For key visual step-by-step photos, refer to the body of the post.
Make the white chocolate peppermint filling:
- Combine the chopped white chocolate and heavy cream into a small saucepan and bring it to medium heat.
- Stir until all the chocolate is melted.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Stir in peppermint extract (if using).
- Chill the mixture in the fridge at least 4 hours.
Make the chocolate cake:
- Preheat oven to 375°F/191°C.
- Line and lightly grease an 18" by 13" baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Pour 60ml of vegetable oil into a heat-safe large bowl and microwave on high power for 1 minute, or until very hot.
- Add cocoa powder to the hot oil and stir to dissolve with a whisk or spatula.
- Next, add in espresso/coffee powder (if using), sea salt and give it a stir.
- Pour in milk and vanilla extract. Let the mixture cool down slightly.
- Next, add in egg yolks all at once into the chocolate mixture and mix well.
- Sift in the cake flour and combine with a spatula. Set aside.
- In a clean stand mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment, whip egg whites on medium speed until foamy, and add in cream of tartar.
- Gradually add in sugar and increase to high speed, whipping the meringue to soft peaks.
- Use a spatula to fold the whipped egg whites (in one-third additions) into the egg yolk + chocolate cake flour mixture, taking care not to deflate the batter.
- Pour the cake batter into the baking sheet, and smooth the surface with an offset spatula.
- Tap the pan a few times to release any trapped air bubbles.
- Bake at 375°F/191°C for 15-16 minutes, or until the top is dry and springy to the touch.
- Remove from oven and carefully bang the cake pan on the counter.
- Let the cake cool for 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, place the white chocolate mixture into a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip until lightened, but not overwhipped.
Roll the cake:
- Flip the cake and transfer to a large piece of parchment paper, skin side down.
- Use an offset spatula to spread the white chocolate filling over the surface of the entire cake.
- Starting lengthwise, carefully roll the cake up with the parchment paper, ending with the seam side down.
- Seal ends of the parchment paper and place cake onto a tray and place into the fridge to chill.
Make the chocolate ganache (tree bark):
- Place dark chocolate in a medium heat-safe bowl.
- Add heavy cream to a small saucepan and heat to a simmer.
- Remove from heat, and pour the hot cream into the dark chocolate.
- Let the mixture sit for 5 mins.
- Whisk the chocolate ganache for 15-30 seconds, until slightly thickened, but don't overwhip.
Decorate:
- Remove rolled cake from the fridge.
- Trim both ends of the cake (enjoy as a snack!)
- Cut a 3" length from one side of the cake.
- From that 3" length, make another cut at a 45 degree angle, splitting it in half (to make the branches).
- Add a little chocolate ganache to the cake board/plate to help the cake from moving.
- Place the cake onto the cake board.
- Use toothpicks to secure the branches to the main cake.
- Work quickly to spread the chocolate ganache frosting on the surface of the cake with a spatula or offset spatula; reserve some ganache for additional decorations.
- Use a fork to drag/draw lines over the cake to resemble an actual tree log bark.
- Use remaining ganache as "glue" to stick pine cones, meringue mushrooms and sugared cranberries and rosemary on the surface of the cake.
- Dust with matcha powder and powdered sugar to emulate moss and snow.
- Lightly cover yule log with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge, for the ganache/bark to set.
- To serve, cut cake slices with a sharp serrated knife.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
anna sangl
I wish this recipe had a link to convert it into US measurements rather than metric. It takes so much time to look up each measurement. Thanks.
Michelle
Hi Anna, there is a link "US Customary" under the Ingredients to convert the measurements. As this recipe was originally tested in metric (weight) measurements for accuracy and consistency, the conversion may include cups and tablespoon/teaspoons. Hope that helps.