Bûche de Noël or Yule log is a traditional chocolate dessert served at Christmas in Francophone countries and in my house. Though in the latter it is better known as ‘Noel Bush’.
The best Christmas dessert
Stuff the Christmas pudding, forget the fruit cake: this is definitely the best dessert on Christmas Day.
It comes onto the table when everyone is in overfed slumber after third helpings of turkey and just one more last spoonful of stuffing. But hello! see what happens: they suddenly perk up saying ‘I might have room for the thinnest slice’.
From the fire pit to the table
Yule log used to mean an actual enormous log burned in the hearth for days, to repel evil spirits and to bring luck. Ashes from the fire were kept for good fortune, and sometimes a chunk of log was saved for the following year, symbolising continuity.
And then in the 19th century the French decided to take the idea of a log into the kitchen, and lo! behold, they cleverly invented Bûche de Noël, literally meaning ‘a Christmas log’: a sponge roulade, chocolate-brown coloured, rolled up to resemble a branch of a tree, sprinkled with icing sugar to mimic snow.
It’s easier than it looks
I make it nearly every Christmas, as a tradition, and it does disappear rather quickly. It’s not difficult to make though the rolling it up might seem daunting. The parchment the sponge bakes on helps roll it up, and if it cracks it looks even more authentic, like a gnarly bark.
The recipe comes from Joy of Baking and it’s the best Yule log recipe in the world. I have scaled it down to fit a standard Swiss roll tin commonly available in Britain.
How to make the sponge roulade base
This is a gorgeous, flourless chocolate sponge so it’s also naturally gluten free if that’s a factor. Electric mixer is definitely needed since the better the batter is beaten (what a lovely alliteration), the airier and fluffier the sponge will be.
Chocolate can be melted in a microwave, in bursts of ten-fifteen seconds followed by stirring. Do that first, so the chocolate cools before it’s added to the batter.
Eggs need to be perfectly separated, and yolks are beaten with sugar until thick, pale and fall in ribbons onto the surface. The chocolate is then beaten in.
Egg whites must be tackled separately and if you’re using a hand mixer, make sure to wash the beaters. They should form stiff peaks and cling to the bowl when it’s turned over.
To combine the two, it’s best to add a small amount of the meringue to the chocolate mix to loosen it, then add the rest and combine by folding very gently with a spatula. The air bubbles must stay in there!
The tin for this cake is a Swiss roll flat one, 23 x 30 cm (9 x 12 inch), lined with parchment. When you’ve poured the batter in, smooth it as much as you can with a palette knife: it’s pretty much ‘comes out as goes in’.
Baking takes about fifteen minutes. When ready, if pressed with a finger the sponge springs back. It should now cool under a damp tea towel tented over the cake.
How to make the cream filling
The cream should be cold, and you could actually stir the sugar and cocoa into it and chill for an hour together with the mixer beaters, for best results.
Whip it to firm peaks, not too stiff but so it’s not runny: it will have to roll up with the sponge without oozing sideways.
Rolling the log
Take the sponge out of the tin but keep it on the parchment. Spread the cream filling evenly over it, reserving a couple of spoonfuls.
Roll it up along the long edge, holding it by the parchment and gradually peeling it off as you go. Don’t worry if it cracks, it will add character: it’s a tree log after all.
Sit it on a serving platter with the seam underneath, and cut off a quarter at an angle. Stick it to a side using the reserved cream. Then all it needs is a generous sprinkling of snow – I mean, icing sugar.
More Christmas dessert recipes
Easy Christmas pudding recipe, for a pudding baked in the oven. Traditional Christmas pudding but lighter, with grated carrots and apple in the mix.
Malva pudding is a South African baked dessert, traditionally served at Christmas. It’s a soft cake flavoured with apricot jam and drenched in vanilla cream sauce, usually served warm with ice cream or custard.
Raspberry meringue roulade: the perfect dessert recipe by Ottolenghi, with raspberries and whipped mascarpone cream filling, decorated with rose petals and pistachios. The meringue base can be baked a day ahead.
More chocolate desserts
Andalusia, lemon and chocolate torte or entrement is the ultimate chocolate experience. A challenging, but possible to replicate at home Parisian confection from La Maison Du Chocolat.
Triple chocolate profiteroles made with choux pastry filled with Chantilly and chocolate mousse, glazed with white and dark chocolate sauce.
Easy chocolate mousse recipe with no eggs is a simple two-ingredient, eggless chocolate dessert ready in minutes. It is a whipped ganache served as dessert.