Buche de Noel – Yule Log Cake
Buche de Noel, or Yule Log Cake, is a classic Christmas dessert for a reason. I know you'll love this chocolatey, rich, (gluten-free!) yet surprisingly light cake
servings
Ingredients
Flourless Chocolate Roulade
- 8 large eggs (separated)
- 4 oz granulated sugar (½ cup)
- 1/2 oz dutch process cocoa powder (2 tablespoons )
- 5 oz semi-sweet chocolate (melted)
Chocolate Cream
- 5 oz semi-sweet chocolate (melted)
- 12 oz heavy cream (1 ½ cups)
- 1 tablespoon rum
- 2 oz confectioner sugar (½ cup)
Assembly
- 1/2 recipe chocolate ganache (at room temperature)
- Marzipan Holly Leaves & Berries
- Meringue Mushrooms
- Dragees
Instructions
Make the chocolate roulade
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line a ½ sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk the egg yolks with 1/4 cup of the sugar and 1/2 oz dutch process cocoa powder until light and fluffy. Add 5 oz semi-sweet chocolate (melted) and whisk until combined.
- In a clean bowl whisk the egg whites to soft peak. Slowly whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and whip to full peak. Fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread to an even layer. Bake about 12-15 minutes until the cake springs back when lightly pressed in the center. As soon as the cake is removed from the oven, cover with a damp kitchen towel and set aside to cool.
Make the chocolate cream
- Melt 5 oz semi-sweet chocolate. Whip 12 oz heavy cream with 2 oz confectioner sugar and 1 tablespoon rum to soft peak. Add a big scoop of the cream to the melted chocolate and immediately whisk to combine. Whisk the chocolate back into the cream. Set aside about 1 cup of the chocolate cream and you'll use the remaining cream to fill the cake.
Assembly
- Use the parchment paper to slide the cake from the pan onto your work surface. Flip the cake over onto the towel and peel away the parchment paper. Flip the cake back over with the parchment and remove the towel.
- Spread the remaining cream onto the cake. Use the parchment paper to roll the cake from the long side. Use the paper to flip the roll, seam side down, onto a tray
- Ice with the reserved cup of chocolate cream and set it into the refrigerator for at least 1 hour until the cream is set (see note).
- Cut an angled 2" piece from each end of the log. Attach the cut pieces to either side of the log to resemble branches.
- Ice the cake with the ganache and use a fork or an icing comb to make a bark design on the surface. Decorate with holly leaves and berries and silver/gold dragees.
- Just before serving add the meringue mushrooms and sprinkle the cake with confectioner's sugar to look like snow.
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Notes
At this point the cake can be wrapped and refrigerated for several days before finishing or frozen for several weeks.
The cake can be refrigerated until 1/2 hour before serving. Do not place the meringue mushrooms on the cake while it's refrigerated.
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