Create this classic French dessert “Bûche de Noël” also known as yule log or holiday cake for your upcoming Christmas celebrations. A showstopper, it will impress your family, friends and guests. I was blown away when they taught us this swiss roll at home science college. Though I have faint memories of the practical class, I recollect being wowed and always wanted to make this masterpiece.
Basically, a thin layered sponge cake referred to as genoise in French is baked in a shallow pan, rolled into a cylinder when warm, filled when cooled and covered with chocolate icing that is "combed" with a fork to give the cake an appearance of a bark. Before frosting, a part of the log is cut and placed atop the cake or protruding from the side to resemble a branch that is chopped off. Embellished with edible decorations and finally, sprinkled with icing sugar for a snowy effect.
The recipe for the jelly roll, filling and frosting is from my favourite Better Homes and Garden cookbook, gifted to me by my oldest son. Tried and tested before, the chocolate sponge bakes in 10 minutes. It is light, spongy and delicious. Layered with whipping cream and frosted with chocolate cream cheese icing. Mushrooms were prepared with meringue to adorn the log that was covered with icing sugar. Served as a Christmas dessert, it is elegant, stunning, memorable and sure to delight your loved ones.
Basically, a thin layered sponge cake referred to as genoise in French is baked in a shallow pan, rolled into a cylinder when warm, filled when cooled and covered with chocolate icing that is "combed" with a fork to give the cake an appearance of a bark. Before frosting, a part of the log is cut and placed atop the cake or protruding from the side to resemble a branch that is chopped off. Embellished with edible decorations and finally, sprinkled with icing sugar for a snowy effect.
The recipe for the jelly roll, filling and frosting is from my favourite Better Homes and Garden cookbook, gifted to me by my oldest son. Tried and tested before, the chocolate sponge bakes in 10 minutes. It is light, spongy and delicious. Layered with whipping cream and frosted with chocolate cream cheese icing. Mushrooms were prepared with meringue to adorn the log that was covered with icing sugar. Served as a Christmas dessert, it is elegant, stunning, memorable and sure to delight your loved ones.
Bûche de Noël
(Serves 10)
Cake
Ingredients:
4 eggs (at room temperature)
1/2 cup + 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1/3 all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sifted powdered sugar (for dusting)
Method:
Grease a 15 x 10 x 1-inch pan and line with parchment paper.
Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking soda together. Set aside.
Separate the yolks and whites in two bowls.
Beat egg yolks and vanilla with an electric beater on high speed for 5 minutes or until thick and lemon coloured. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and beat until completely dissolved.
Thoroughly wash the beaters, dry and then beat egg whites until soft peaks form (tips curl). Add 1/2 cup sugar gradually and beat until stiff peaks form (tips standing straight).
With a spatula, fold egg yolk mixture into beaten egg whites. Sprinkle flour mixture and fold gently until combined. Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan.
Preheat oven to 375 F or 190 C.
Bake for 10 minutes until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately loosen edges of cake from pan and turn cake onto a towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Remove the parchment paper. Roll up towel and cake into a spiral starting from one of the cakes short sides. Cool on a wire rack. Unroll cake, remove towel. Spread cake with whipping cream within 1-inch of edges.
Note:
Filling
Ingredients:
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:
Chill a mixing bowl and the beaters of an electric mixer.
Beat the cream, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until soft peaks form (tips curl).
Note:
Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
1/2 of an 8-ounce package cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup butter (softened)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 teaspoons fat-free milk
Method:
Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add the cocoa powder and then sugar. If necessary, gradually beat in milk to reach spreading consistency.
Note:
Assembling
Place the filled log onto a serving platter. For a protruding branch, cut a part of the roll at a slant and fix to one side or on top with some icing. Tuck overlapping pieces of parchment paper under the edges of the cake to keep the platter clean as you frost.
With an offset spatula, spread the frosting all over the log to form ridges that resemble a bark. Alternatively, you can use the tines of a fork.
Remove the parchment paper and garnish with meringue mushrooms dusted with some cocoa powder.
Finally, sprinkle the log with powdered sugar through a tea strainer.
Note:
Meringue Mushrooms
Ingredients:
1 egg white
1/4 cup fine granulated white sugar
two drops of vanilla extract
a pinch of cream of tartar
Method:
Ensure that the egg white has no traces of yolk.
In a dry clean bowl, beat the egg white with cream of tartar until foamy. Add spoonful of sugar at a time and continue whipping to obtain stiff peaks (tips standing straight). Using a spatula, scrape the sides of the bowl frequently. Whisk in the vanilla extract. The meringue should be smooth, glossy and very stiff.
Heat oven to 300 F or 150 C.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Spoon mixture in a ziploc bag placed over a tall cup, with the edges folded over the outside of the cup.
Snip off one corner of the bag and pipe onto parchment paper, round mounds to resemble mushroom caps and stems 2-inches long. Moisten finger and smoothen tips of caps.
Bake for 10 minutes, shut off the oven and leave caps and stems in the oven for an hour to crisp.
To assemble: On the flat underside of the mushroom cap, make a small hollow with the tip of a knife. Spread some frosting and insert the narrow end of the stem.
Note:
(Serves 10)
Cake
Ingredients:
4 eggs (at room temperature)
1/2 cup + 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1/3 all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sifted powdered sugar (for dusting)
Method:
Grease a 15 x 10 x 1-inch pan and line with parchment paper.
Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking soda together. Set aside.
Separate the yolks and whites in two bowls.
Beat egg yolks and vanilla with an electric beater on high speed for 5 minutes or until thick and lemon coloured. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and beat until completely dissolved.
Thoroughly wash the beaters, dry and then beat egg whites until soft peaks form (tips curl). Add 1/2 cup sugar gradually and beat until stiff peaks form (tips standing straight).
With a spatula, fold egg yolk mixture into beaten egg whites. Sprinkle flour mixture and fold gently until combined. Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan.
Preheat oven to 375 F or 190 C.
Bake for 10 minutes until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately loosen edges of cake from pan and turn cake onto a towel sprinkled with powdered sugar. Remove the parchment paper. Roll up towel and cake into a spiral starting from one of the cakes short sides. Cool on a wire rack. Unroll cake, remove towel. Spread cake with whipping cream within 1-inch of edges.
Note:
- I used a 12 x 10 x 1-inch pan with little batter baked in a loaf pan for the protruding branches.
- Parchment paper was used to roll the cake instead of a towel.
- Cake is rolled up while it is still warm so that it holds its shape and does not crack when unrolled to be filled.
- Do not bake the cake for more than 10 minutes, it will dry out and crack when rolling.
- Recipe for jelly roll: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/cake-rolls/jelly-roll/
- Vanilla roll filled with jelly prepared some years back (picture below). Recipe at the above link.
- The chocolate cake roll filled with chocolate mousse (pictures below) made few years back for my sons.
Filling
Ingredients:
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:
Chill a mixing bowl and the beaters of an electric mixer.
Beat the cream, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until soft peaks form (tips curl).
Note:
- Recipe for whipped cream: http://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/cooking-basics/anyone-can-cook-whipped-cream/
Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
1/2 of an 8-ounce package cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup butter (softened)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 teaspoons fat-free milk
Method:
Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a medium bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually add the cocoa powder and then sugar. If necessary, gradually beat in milk to reach spreading consistency.
Note:
- Recipe for frosting: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/frosting/cream-cheese-frosting/
- Chocolate variation in the recipe book, as indicated above.
Assembling
Place the filled log onto a serving platter. For a protruding branch, cut a part of the roll at a slant and fix to one side or on top with some icing. Tuck overlapping pieces of parchment paper under the edges of the cake to keep the platter clean as you frost.
With an offset spatula, spread the frosting all over the log to form ridges that resemble a bark. Alternatively, you can use the tines of a fork.
Remove the parchment paper and garnish with meringue mushrooms dusted with some cocoa powder.
Finally, sprinkle the log with powdered sugar through a tea strainer.
Note:
- Refrigerate the log until ready to serve.
Meringue Mushrooms
Ingredients:
1 egg white
1/4 cup fine granulated white sugar
two drops of vanilla extract
a pinch of cream of tartar
Method:
Ensure that the egg white has no traces of yolk.
In a dry clean bowl, beat the egg white with cream of tartar until foamy. Add spoonful of sugar at a time and continue whipping to obtain stiff peaks (tips standing straight). Using a spatula, scrape the sides of the bowl frequently. Whisk in the vanilla extract. The meringue should be smooth, glossy and very stiff.
Heat oven to 300 F or 150 C.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Spoon mixture in a ziploc bag placed over a tall cup, with the edges folded over the outside of the cup.
Snip off one corner of the bag and pipe onto parchment paper, round mounds to resemble mushroom caps and stems 2-inches long. Moisten finger and smoothen tips of caps.
Bake for 10 minutes, shut off the oven and leave caps and stems in the oven for an hour to crisp.
To assemble: On the flat underside of the mushroom cap, make a small hollow with the tip of a knife. Spread some frosting and insert the narrow end of the stem.
Note:
- The meringue yields 12 mushroom caps and 12 stems. I used only two of each to decorate.
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