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    Home » Recipes » Desserts

    Christmas Yule Log Cake

    Published: Dec 5, 2020 · Modified: Dec 5, 2020 by Daniela Apostol · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    Christmas Yule Log Cake, or Bûche De Noël, a traditional Christmas cake in the shape of a log. Moist chocolate sponge, with a mascarpone chocolate buttercream filling, and a chocolate buttercream icing that has a hint of orange - this is the very definition of indulgence.

    A yule log cake on a wooden board

    This French Christmas cake is a must-bake at Christmas, not only it looks festive, but it's heavenly scrumptious too. There are many variations out there, but mine is a well simplified version that still delivers when it comes to big flavours though.

    The chocolate sponge only uses a few ingredients, and it's out of the oven in 2 shakes on a lamb's tail. For the filling and topping I chose to go for the same delicious orange and chocolate buttercream, but the half used for the filling has added mascarpone for a richer, creamier touch.

    You can totally omit the mascarpone if you wish, and that's won't alter much the final product. But its silkiness and utter creaminess makes it impossible to resist not adding a bit of it for an ever better filling.

    It might look complicated, but it's actually very easy to get the log shape, and the beauty about it, you don't need to be extra skillful to get a super sooth topping, just spread the cream with a butter knife, and you get a beautiful presentation.

    Overhead shoot of a wooden board with a yule log on it

    HOW TO MAKE YULE LOG CAKE

    The prep itself is minimal, what takes longer is the cooling time, as the sponge has to be completely cooled before adding the cream and filling to it, otherwise it will melt and create a lot of unnecessary mess.

    For the chocolate sponge:

    • in a bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar and lemon juice until it triples its volume and has a pale yellow colour
    • sift in the flour and cocoa powder, and fold in gently using a spatula
    • line a rectangle baking tray with non-stick paper, spread the batter over, and bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 15 minutes or until golden

    For the orange chocolate buttercream

    • break the chocolate into pieces, and add it to a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of boiling water to melt
    • beat the soft butter, icing sugar, orange extract and milk to get a smooth icing
    • add the melted chocolate and beat again

    Collage of 8 photos to show how to make yule log cake for Christmas

    HOW TO ASSEMBLE THE YULE LOG CAKE

    We have the basic recipe, all that is left is to assemble the cake, which is a super easy job. Once the sponge is baked, leave it to cool slightly, then roll it starting from a long side, then leave to cool completely while rolled. This will prevent the sponge from breaking later on.

    The chocolate buttercream can now be divided into to bowls. Once half will be used for decorating, the second half will have mascarpone added for an even creamier touch.

    Unroll the sponge, spread the mascarpone cream over, and roll again. Cut about a quarter of the roll, and stick it on the side of the roll. Cover with icing using a knife to look like bark. Sprinkle caster sugar on top.

    This log is such a treat! Another yummy roll, my Chocolate Cake Roll can be another luxurious addition to your festive dessert menu. Do give them a go!

    A wooden board with a yule log cake and a slice of it, and a small wooden spoon

    If you’ve tried my CHRISTMAS YULE LOG CAKE RECIPE or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK,  INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.

    5 from 1 vote
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    Christmas Yule Log Cake
    Prep Time
    15 mins
    Cook Time
    15 mins
    Cooling Time
    1 hr
    Total Time
    1 hr 30 mins
     

    Christmas Yule Log Cake, or Bûche De Noël, a traditional Christmas cake in the shape of a log. Moist chocolate sponge, with a mascarpone chocolate buttercream filling, and a chocolate buttercream icing that has a hint of orange - this is the very definition of indulgence. My variation of the classic Christmas cake is easy to make, and uses simple ingredients. Delicious, a must-bake over the festive season.

    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: French
    Keyword: christmas desserts
    Servings: 1 log
    Calories: 3606 kcal
    Author: Daniela Apostol
    Ingredients
    For the sponge
    • 3 eggs
    • 100 g granulated sugar
    • ½ teaspoon lemon juice
    • 60 g self-raising flour
    • 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
    For the cream
    • 100 g dark chocolate
    • 150 g butter, at room temperature
    • 250 g icing sugar
    • 1 teaspoon orange extract
    • 1 tablespoon milk
    • 2 tablespoon mascarpone
    Metric - US Customary
    Instructions
    1. To make the sponge, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit).

    2. In a bowl, add the eggs, lemon juice and sugar, and beat well with an electric mixer until the mixture triples its volume, and has a pale yellow colour.

    3. Add the flour and cocoa powder, and use a spatula to combine all the ingredients into a smooth batter.

    4. Line a rectangle baking tray with non-stick paper, spread the mixture evenly, then bake for 15 minutes until the sponge springs back when pressed.

    5. Leave the sponge to cool slightly, still keeping the non-stick paper on, and roll it starting from the long side.

    6. Leave to cool completely while still rolled.

    7. To make the cream, beat the soft butter with the icing sugar, orange extract and milk to get a smooth cream.

    8. Break the chocolate into pieces and add them to a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.

    9. Leave to melt, then add the melted chocolate to the buttercream, and mix well.

    10. Divide the cream into 2 parts.

    11. Add the mascarpone to one half of the cream, and mix well.

    12. When the sponge is cooled, unroll it, and spread the mascarpone cream over it.

    13. Roll it again starting from the long side.

    14. Cut about a quarter of the cake, and attach it to one side of the roll.

    15. Spread the buttercream on top, and use a knife to spread it so that the icing looks like bark.

    16. Sprinkle icing sugar over the cake.

    Recipe Notes
    • Click on the US Customary link to see the measurements displayed in cups and ounces.
    • The servings can be adjusted by clicking the number next to Servings.
    Nutrition Facts
    Christmas Yule Log Cake
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 3606 Calories from Fat 1737
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 193g297%
    Saturated Fat 115g575%
    Cholesterol 848mg283%
    Sodium 1311mg55%
    Potassium 1146mg33%
    Carbohydrates 447g149%
    Fiber 16g64%
    Sugar 370g411%
    Protein 37g74%
    Vitamin A 4881IU98%
    Vitamin C 1mg1%
    Calcium 255mg26%
    Iron 16mg89%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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    Hi, I'm Daniela,the blogger behind My Gorgeous Recipes, welcome to my kitchen! I absolutely love cooking and baking. I love good food that is healthy (and not so healthy), delicious and nutritious.

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