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Bûche de Noel - Chocolate Christmas Yule Log

A light chocolate sponge filled with chocolate cream and frosted with a rich chocolate buttercream.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time10 minutes
Chilling Time4 hours
Total Time5 hours 10 minutes
Course: Dessert, Holiday
Cuisine: American, French
Servings: 8

Ingredients

Chocolate Sponge Cake

  • 6 large eggs, separated
  • 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar
  • 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup of all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup of natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
  • 4 tablespoons of butter, melted and cooled
  • 1/4 cup of strongly brewed coffee, cooled
  • 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar (for rolling)

Chocolate Cream Filling

  • 4 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup of confectioners sugar
  • 1 tablespoon of natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of espresso powder
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 1 cup of heavy cream

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • 1/2 cup of butter, room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons of natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 2 - 2 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar
  • 2-4 tablespoons of heavy cream

Garnished

  • rosemary sprigs
  • cranberries
  • non-stick spray
  • granulated sugar

Instructions

Make the cake...

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
  • Prepare a 12”x17” baking sheet by spraying the sheet with non-stick spray, lining with parchment paper and then spraying the parchment paper with more non-stick spray
  • In a large bowl, whip 6 egg whites with 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy and then add 1/4 cup of granulated sugar and whip on high speed until you have stiff, glossy peaks
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar with 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup of natural unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt 
  • Add the 6 egg yolks, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 4 tablespoons of melted butter and 1/4 cup of strong brewed and cooled coffee into the dry ingredients and mix until fully incorporated
  • Gently fold the whipped egg whites a little at a time into the cake batter being careful not to deflate them
  • Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet and gently smooth it out evenly throughout the pan and into all 4 corners
  • Bake the cake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until it just begins to spring back to a light touch. Do not over bake the cake or it will crack when you roll it
  • While the cake is baking, place a large kitchen towel on a cutting board or cooling rack and dust it with several tablespoons of confectioners sugar
  • As soon as the cake is baked, transfer it onto a flat heat proof surface and carefully invert the dusted towel and cooling rack over the cake pan so that the dusted side of the towel is against the top of the cake
  • Carefully flip the cake and cooling rack together so that the cooling rack is now on the bottom and the cake pan is on the top
  • Use the parchment paper to hold the cake steady as you carefully remove the baking pan and then unpeeled the parchment paper from the underside of the cake
  • Dust the underside of the cake with several tablespoons of confectioners sugar and then fold the towel over one of the long sides of the cake and gently roll the cake (photos above)
  • Allow the towel rolled cake to cool for about an hour at room temperature

Make the chocolate cream filling...

  • In a mixing bowl, combine 4 ounces of room temperature cream cheese, 1/3 cup of powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of unsweetened natural cocoa powder, 1/2 teaspoon of espresso powder and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and beat on medium speed until combined
  • Slowly pour in 1 cup of heavy cream while beating on medium speed
  • Once the heavy cream is fully incorporated, increase the speed to medium high and beat until stiff peaks have formed
  • As soon as the towel rolled cake has cooled, gently unroll the cake and spread the chocolate cream filling evenly throughout the inside of the cake up to about 1/2 inch from the edges
  • Re-roll the cake and carefully transfer it off of the towel and onto a fresh sheet of non-stick parchment paper
  • Roll the cake in the sheet of parchment paper and then tightly roll the parchment covered cake in several sheets of plastic wrap
  • Chill the cake in a refrigerator for several hours or overnight

Make the chocolate buttercream frosting...

  • In a mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup of room temperature butter, 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and about 2 cups of confectioners sugar and beat on medium speed until combined
  • Increase the speed to medium high and beat until smooth and creamy
  • If the frosting is too stiff, add additional heavy cream and if it is too loose, add a bit more confectioners sugar

Assemble and garnish the cake...

  • Remove the cake from the refrigerator, unroll it from the wrapping and transfer it onto a cutting board
  • Cut the cake into your desired shapes (see photos above) and assemble into your desired form on a serving platter
  • Use the chocolate buttercream frosting to attach the “branches” and cover the cake
  • Smooth the frosting with the edge of a butter knife or a fork to form tree bark like lines
  • Garnish with sugar dusted rosemary sprigs or cranberries and dust the entire cake with confectioner sugar
  • Enjoy or chill leftovers in an airtight container