Yule Log Cake Recipe (Bûche de Noël)
This festive yule log cake is chocolate cake filled with whipped cream, rolled into the shape of a log, and coated with a chocolate ganache – a classic European holiday tradition! This post walks you through how to make a yule log cake, and ideas for decorating a yule log cake for a beautiful holiday dessert centerpiece! Serve with a White Hot Chocolate or Cranberry Mimosa for an extra festive celebration.
Averie said: “This was my first time making a log cake and it was definitely much easier than I anticipated! The instructions were clear, easy to follow, and it turned out beautifully. Will definitely be adding this to my holiday baking list every year! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“
After Thanksgiving is over, I head into full Christmas mode. I'm assuming I have some sort of invisible switch that flips on at midnight after Thanksgiving that apparently indicates that Christmas mode is now activated.
- The tree and other Christmas decorations (however minimal they may be) went up the morning after Thanksgiving.
- I'm playing Christmas music in the house, almost exclusively.
- All baking involves Christmas cookies, peppermint, gingerbread, eggnog, and snowflake sprinkles.
And that means it's the perfect time for my favorite Christmas cake. Do you recall the most classic Christmas cake of aaaaaaaaaaaall? (yes, that was sung to the tune of “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer”, shush)
A Bûche de Noël!
What's a Bûche de Noël?
If you're not familiar, a Bûche de Noël (or “yule log”) is a traditional European dessert that's served during the holidays, and it's intentionally created to look like an actual yule log. It's typically chocolate cake with a whipped cream filling.
Although not the same size as a real yule log, because sweetbabyjesus that would be a really big cake. That would be a yuleOMGCAKE.
Okay, now I kinda wanna make one. Can you imagine showing up to your family's house with this log-shaped cake that's the size of an Australian Shepard? Although, that would make a good story for future Christmases.
“Hey, remember that time that Leslie showed up to Christmas Eve with that giant cake that ended up all over the front door? And Snoopy's face? And your niece?”
… good times.
Bûche de noël pronunciation
I absolutely love that I've had people message me asking how you pronounce “Bûche de noël”.
I'm sure you can find a site online that will play an audio clip of how to pronounce it, but phonetically it is: boosh day no-el.
What's the difference between a yule log cake and a cake roll?
Cake rolls have no holiday affiliation, and a yule log is a cake roll that's all dressed up for Christmas.
Just look at it, all fancy.
Swiss roll vs. yule log
Same deal! They're essentially the same thing, except the yule log is decorated in more than just a smooth chocolate ganache.
Ingredients for yule log cake
Chocolate cake
These ingredients will create a light chocolate sponge cake in a thin layer that is easy to roll into shape:
- Eggs
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Cake flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking powder
- Espresso powder – This is optional if you don't have it, but all this does is bring out the chocolate flavor of the cake. You won't taste the espresso at all!
- Salt
Chocolate ganache frosting
- Bittersweet or dark chocolate – You can use baking bars and chop them up, or chocolate chips. I prefer to use darker chocolates because if you use anything sweeter, it's going to make the whole cake overwhelmingly sweet since there's so much chocolate.
- Unsalted butter – This will give the ganache a smooth and pretty sheen!
- Vanilla extract – This rounds out the flavors
- Salt – To cut the sweetness a bit
- Heavy cream – The cream is heated in a saucepan and then poured over the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and left to melt it all. Makes it much easier to mix it all together without much work needed on your part!
Whipped cream filling
A very simple whipped cream filling that you can make as sweet as you'd like by adding additional powdered sugar:
- Heavy cream
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
How to make yule log cake
I'm going to break this down step-by-step with process photos for each section of the cake-making process: the chocolate cake layer, the whipped cream filling, the chocolate ganache, and the assembly and decoration.
Making the chocolate cake layer
Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Set aside.
Perfect! Set that bowl aside.
Step 2: In a separate large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until well combined and a pale yellow color. Add vanilla and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Step 3: In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt.
Step 4: Add the medium bowl of dry mixture to the large bowl of egg yolk mixture and stir to combine – it will be very thick!
Step 5: Add half of the egg whites to the batter mixture and stir vigorously to combine completely. Then gently fold in the other half of the egg whites. Take your time and, again, be gentle – you don’t want to eliminate all the air you whipped into them.
Step 6: Pour batter onto the prepared pan, gently using a spatula to evenly distribute the batter. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cake is spongey and bounces back when touched.
Be careful not to overbake or else it will be dry and it will crack when you try to roll it.
Step 7: While it's baking, lay out a flour sack or clean kitchen towel on the counter and sprinkle it with a layer of powdered sugar.
Tip: I like to use my flour sifter so that it's a relatively even layer and I don't miss any spots!
Step 8: Let the cake cool for a minute on the baking sheet, then carefully turn it out onto the towel and remove the parchment paper from the bottom.
Step 9: Starting from one of the short ends, roll the cake up (rolling the towel with it as you go). Lay the wrapped cake seam side down and let cool completely.
Making the chocolate ganache and whipped cream filling
Step 1: While the cake is baking, make the ganache. In a small heatproof bowl, combine chocolate, butter, vanilla and salt.
And in a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over low heat until you see the edges start to bubble. Remove from heat and pour over the bowl of chocolate mixture.
Step 2: Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir until completely combined and smooth.
Set aside to cool (or place in the fridge until you’re ready to use it – you’ll just need to give it a stir once you take it out before you can frost the cake).
Step 3: In the large bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar (to taste) and vanilla and whip until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Assembling the Christmas roll cake
Step 1: Once the cake is completely cooled, carefully unroll it. You'll notice crinkles and wrinkles, and that's completely okay and expected. You're about to cover them all up, and no one will see that part anyway!
Step 2: Using a spatula, add an even layer of the whipped cream filling to the top of the cake, leaving about 1/2″ of space on the edges.
Step 3: Gently re-roll the cake and then move it, seam side down, to a serving platter.
Step 4: At this point, you are welcome to just leave the cake roll whole and move on to decorating! But if you'd like to make it a little fancier, you can use a large serrated knife to slice off one end of the cake at an angle, and then place it on one side of the main “log”.
Step 5: Use a spatula to coat the outside of the roll with the chocolate ganache frosting, on all sides. Now it's time to make it look like a log! Here are a few suggestions:
– Use a fork to drag lines down the ends and across the top, lengthwise.
– Use a toothpick or skewer to draw lines lengthwise across the top, and in spirals on the ends.
– Use a small spatula to give it some wavy texture.
Step 6: Let that set, then garnish! My personal favorite is to top it with fresh cranberries and rosemary sprigs, then a little coating of powdered sugar just before serving to make it look like fresh snowfall.
- I like my yule log cake to be simple: a light, chocolate sponge cake, lightly sweet whipped cream filling, and coated in a dark chocolate ganache.
No crazy flavors or ingredients, and just the addition of some espresso powder to the cake to enhance the chocolate flavor. - For garnish, I like to top mine with a handful of fresh cranberries, a couple of springs of rosemary, and a dusting of powdered sugar.
- And for the ganache, I require a thick layer of ganache on the outside. I like to make enough that while I'm icing the cake, I'm thinking to myself, “Yikes, this is too much. OH GOD this is too much”, and then by the time I'm finished I remember that it's exactly the right amount.
It's kinda like when you're making spaghetti and you keep adding more pasta to the pot, and then at the end you go, “OH GOD this is too much”, except this is the opposite of that. - It doesn't need to be ornately decorated! I put very little effort into my design on the outside: I just drag a fork lengthwise across the top and down the sides.
You can do that, or use a toothpick or skewer to draw wavy lines lengthwise across the top, and in spirals on the ends.
Or you can just use a small spatula to give it some wavy texture (I never seem to get this right, but it looks beautiful when it's done right).
My top 2 tips for making yule log cake
#1: Don't overbake it!
I repeat: do not overbake the chocolate cake.
Because we're making this in the form of a very thin sheet, if it's overbaked it will be too dry and it will crack when you try to roll it. It will also just taste less awesome because it won't have enough moisture.
#2: Roll it as soon as you can
Similarly to the above, you want to avoid it getting too dry before you roll it because it will be too difficult to roll, won't hold it's shape, and could crack.
So only let the cake cool on the pan for a minute before you turn it out onto a kitchen towel and roll it into shape.
How to cut yule log cake
I highly recommend using a large, sharp serrated knife to cut each slice of your yule log. It's less likely to squish the cake, or drag crumbs as you slice as opposed to something like a chef's knife.
How to store yule log cake
Loosely cover the cake with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. I like to stick toothpicks into a few places on the cake so that the plastic wrap isn't clinging directly to the cake itself.
Freezing a yule log
It's better to store the yule log cake before it's been frosted and decorated, but if you need to store it in the freezer after you've already covered it in the chocolate icing… it can be done.
- Make sure you have enough space in your freezer to let the uncovered cake (on a baking sheet) set for at least an hour.
- At this point, the frosting should be hardened and you can wrap it in plastic wrap and store it inside an airtight container or large bag for up to 3 months.
But I highly recommend not fully decorating it until after you've thawed it and you're getting ready to slice and serve.
Thawing a yule log
Keeping it covered, transfer the cake from the freezer to the fridge and let it thaw slowly for at least a day. Then you can place it on a counter (still covered) and let it come to room temperature.
If you uncover it before it's come to room temperature, the frosting will form condensation. While it will still taste good, it wouldn't be as pretty!
Behind the scenes
This is the face of a cat who saw me pour heavy cream into a bowl, and not into his face. Needless to say, he is mad and disappointed in me:
FAQs
Check out the photos above and the video for the most detailed answer, but the short answer is that you can do a few things to decorate the chocolate ganache, such as using a fork to drag lines down the ends and across the top, lengthwise. And then after its set, you can top it with fresh cranberries and rosemary sprigs, then a coating of powdered sugar to make it look like freshly fallen snow.
Check out the photos above and the video for the most detailed answer, but the short answer is that once you've got the cake on your powdered sugar-dusted towel, you'll peel the parchment paper from the bottom. Then starting from one of the short ends, you'll use gentle but firm pressure to roll the cake up (rolling the towel with it as you go). Then lay the wrapped cake seam side down and let it cool completely.
I highly recommend using a large, sharp serrated knife to cut each slice of your yule log. It's less likely to squish the cake, or drag crumbs as you slice as opposed to something like a chef's knife.
Loosely cover the cake with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. I like to stick toothpicks into a few places on the cake so that the plastic wrap isn't clinging directly to the cake itself.
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Yule Log Cake (Bûche de Noël)
Equipment
Ingredients
Chocolate cake
- 4 large eggs, separated and room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup cake flour
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Chocolate ganache frosting
- 8 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch salt
- ¾ cup heavy cream
Whipped cream filling
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar), more or less, to taste
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, or vanilla bean paste
Instructions
Chocolate cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 10"x15" baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In the large bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer, whip egg whites until soft peaks form. Set aside.4 large (4) eggs
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until well combined and a pale yellow color. Add vanilla and whisk again to combine. Set aside.4 large (4) eggs1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt.1/2 cup (62 ½ g) cake flour1/4 cup (21 ½ g) unsweetened cocoa powder1 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon (½ teaspoon) espresso powder1/4 teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) salt
- Add the medium bowl of dry mixture to the large bowl of egg yolk mixture and stir to combine – it will be very thick!
- Add half of the egg whites to the mixture and stir vigorously to combine completely.
- Gently fold in the other half of the egg whites. Take your time and, again, be gentle – you don't want to eliminate all the air you whipped into them.
- Pour batter onto the prepared pan, gently using a spatula to evenly distribute the batter.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cake is spongey and bounces back when touched. Be careful not to overbake!
- While the cake is baking, lay out a flour sack or clean kitchen towel on the counter and sprinkle it with a layer of powdered sugar.Tip: I like to use my flour sifter so that it's a relatively even layer and I don't miss any spots!
- Let the cake cool for a minute on the baking sheet, then carefully turn it out onto the towel and remove the parchment paper from the bottom.
- Starting from one of the short ends, roll the cake up (rolling the towel with it as you go). Lay the wrapped cake seam side down and let cool completely.
Chocolate ganache frosting
- While the cake is baking, make the ganache. In a small heatproof bowl, combine chocolate, butter, vanilla and salt.8 ounces (226 ⅘ g) bittersweet or dark chocolate1 tablespoon unsalted butter1 teaspoon pure vanilla extractPinch salt
- In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over low heat until you see the edges start to bubble. Remove from heat and pour over the bowl of chocolate mixture. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir until completely combined and smooth. Set aside to cool (or place in the fridge until you're ready to use it – you'll just need to give it a stir once you take it out before you can frost the cake).3/4 cup (178 ½ g) heavy cream
Whipped cream filling
- In the large bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using an electric hand mixer, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form.1 cup (238 g) heavy cream
- Add powdered sugar (to taste) and vanilla and whip until stiff peaks form. Set aside.1/4 cup (30 g) confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Assemble the cake roll
- Once the cake is completely cooled, carefully unroll it. Using a spatula, add an even layer of the whipped cream filling to the top of the cake, leaving about 1/2" of space on the edges.
- Gently re-roll the cake and then move it, seam side down, to a serving platter.
- At this point, you are welcome to just leave the cake roll whole and move on to decorating! But if you'd like to make it a little fancier, you can use a large serrated knife to slice off one end of the cake at an angle, and then place it on one side of the main "log".
- Use a spatula to coat the outside of the roll with the chocolate ganache frosting, on all sides.
- Time to make it look like a log! Here are a few suggestions:– Use a fork to drag lines down the ends and across the top, lengthwise.– Use a toothpick or skewer to draw lines lengthwise across the top, and in spirals on the ends.– Use a small spatula to give it some wavy texture.
- Let set, then garnish! My personal favorite is to top it with fresh cranberries and rosemary sprigs, then a coating of powdered sugar. Slice, serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is generated by an automatic API and does not take variations across specific brands into account. This information is provided as a general guideline and should not be treated as official calculations. Learn more here.
Photos from 2018
If you want to see the photos from when I originally published this recipe in 2018, take a trip down memory lane with these photos!
I have made Noel logs and love them. I will try your sponge cake recipe for this years. I was wondering if any of this can be made ahead and frozen. Thanks!
Loved it! Especially the ganache! I’ve made pumpkin rolls before, but this was my first Yule log. A definite new holiday tradition
Yay, I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for coming back to share your experience and a rating, it means a lot to me.
Made today for party tomorrow. Had a 15×17 inch pan so made 1 1/2 x cake recipe. Came out perfect! Looks as pretty as yours, can’t wait to serve it. Never made a cake roll but the directions made it simple. Will be making again for New Years Day gathering! Thank you!
Gloria, you just made my day! I’m so glad that you liked it, and I thank you so much for coming back to share your experience :)
for 1.5x recipe did that make a thicker or longer log? i wanna try get a few more servings out of this but idk how to change the quantities/method because ive never made a log cake before. what did you do different?
Hi,
I’m going to try this log cake for the first time tomorrow! Super excited. Just wanted to know one thing – I have a 12×14 inches baking sheet. So do I need to make any changes in the quantities for everything or these would work just fine? If yes, then by how much % would you recommend increasing the qty by?
Hi Jennifer, I hope you like it! Hopefully 12×14 will be okay – my recommendation would be to keep an eye on it as it bakes and be prepared to pull it out of the oven a bit sooner than indicated – you want the baked cake to be thin enough it can roll and wrap, but not so thin that it will fall apart when to try to roll it.
I apologize that I don’t have images of the batter when it’s poured out to make the explanation a bit easier, I’d like to add some in the near future.
I plan on making this for upcoming Christmas party how many days in advance can I make it?
I find that it’s best the day after it’s been made (just enough time for all the flavors to settle in), but up to 2 days before serving and stored in an airtight container should be okay.
Hi,‘I’m excited to try this for the first time to and my husband loves chocolate anything and it’s his birthday this weekend, so here goes nothing also Leslie I love your recipes and your comments in between, I sometimes literally laugh at loud happy holidays
You’re so sweet, Mary – thank you for the kind words! I love to hear that I can make others laugh :)
Thank you for sharing cake looks delicious flour sack towel looks amazing.
This was the first time I ever attempted to make a Yule Log. I made it for Christmas Eve to bring to my cousin’s house. It came out perfectly, I was so amazed that the cake didn’t crack. It was so much easier than I thought it would be.
Thank you so much for coming back to share your experience and leave a rating – I’m so glad it worked out well and was easier than expected! Happy New Year :)
Hi! Can you use a regular cake recipe and roll it? Or will it not work?
Thank you!
Nope :) Cake rolls have a much different ratio of wet to dry ingredients, as you want a different, thinner, more flexible texture that can be rolled and maintain its shape without breaking.
I made this cake for the first time on Christmas Eve for a dinner party with 6 people (one woman was from France). I followed the thorough directions and it turned out perfect. It looked fabulous, tasted wonderful and won praise all around. Our French friend explained that it wasn’t easy to make (and I agree) and that sometimes they flatten or are dry, or the roll breaks. None of those disasters with this one! Success!
That’s so impressive for your first time – thank you so much for coming back to leave a comment and rating with your experience. Happy Holidays!
Good lord this website has a lot of ads. What a terrible experience. I won’t be back.
I’m sorry that you feel that way. Ad revenue is how I am able to support the costs of running this site (ingredients, equipment, hosting fees, etc.), and it’s how I’m able to provide these recipes for free, too! Please do feel free to use the “jump to recipe” button at the top of my post so you don’t have to scroll down, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you ever find an ad obstructing your ability to view the recipe card as that should never be the case and I’d want to get that fixed as soon as possible. I hope that helps, and hope your day gets better – happy holidays!
I always wanted to try a Yule log at Christmastime. We attempted this recipe today. The directions were very clear and easy to follow, and the cake turned out light and airy and delicious! My husband wasn’t a fan, but he doesn’t like chocolate cake in general (seriously!). My kids and I thought it was very good, and now are excited to try other cake rolls to see which we like the best!
Thank you so much for sharing your comment (and for leaving a rating)! I’ll never understand those no-chocolate people, ya know? ;)
My cake turned out very thin. I had no trouble rolling it up & it tasted good. I followed the recipe carefully so I don’t think I did anything wrong but it was only about 1/4 inch thick. We were able to eat it but I wouldn’t make it again
I’m not sure, but maybe your batter was spread out over a larger area than I usually do (10×15 sized pan)? I’m sorry it didn’t turn out as expected for you, but happy holidays!
Disappointing to spend so much time on this and have it taste so bland. The cake part was boring, tasteless, and chewy. The filling is good but I do not think the airy cream will hold over night. I wish I would not have strayed away from my original recipe.
I’m really disappointed to hear that as it’s a holiday favorite for myself and so many and I’ve always really loved the flavor. As for the chewiness, that usually indicates it was baked a tad too long. Regardless, I’m sorry it didn’t turn out as expected for you, but happy holidays!
Ive had a really hard job making the Ganache its very lumpy and is not melted in five minutes – made two batches now I would love some feed back !! Irritated and definitely not a 10minutes prep just saying !!
I actually note that the baking time is 10 minutes, but the prep is 20 minutes. If your ganache was lumpy, it sounds like maybe your chocolate was old, and/or it was heated too long (as it will then start to seize up and get drier and clumpy). Sorry that making this recipe made you irritated, as that’s obviously not the goal – especially during the holidays. I’m sorry it didn’t turn out as expected for you, but happy holidays!
Hi, I made the cake as per the instructions, unless everyone gets a tiny sliver of cake, the recipe as stated makes a tiny tiny cake. I called it a large Yodel. So the I made the cake again, this time doubling the recipe and then it came out perfect, enough to feed 10/12 people with some left over. The Yodel (my first try) became some twigs, which looked fine. The ganache came out delicious and the filling too. The sponge looked like it could have been a little dry but not sure since I didn’t try it yet. Overall not too difficult to make, it was rather fun!
I’ve never heard of this problem on this cake before and don’t know how that would happen, so I’m sorry to hear it. But glad it all worked out regardless, and thank you for leaving a comment and rating. Happy Holidays!
How long can the assembled cake be kept in the refrigerator? I would like to make it several days before Christmas. Thanks!
It should be fine for 2-3 days ahead of time. I would just wait to add garnish like cranberries, rosemary, powdered sugar, etc. until the day of!
I’m really surprised by some of these reviews because this was great. We got eighht slices out of ours and it was moist and just chocolately enough without being sickeningly sweet like some cakes. Everyone loved it at Christmas eve. Thanks
Thanks for your feedback and leaving a rating, it’s a favorite of ours!
The sponge cake part worked out great as far as not cracking goes. Unfortunately my ganache split, but that was my fault, not the recipe’s (keeping a 6 month old entertained while making this was challenging). The overall flavor was good, but not great. I’ve seen some recipes with a cream cheese based inner filling, which might be better. The whipped cream center made it seem a bit basic. Going to try to jazz it up a little on my second attempt. I’d give it 4 stars. It works, but not a “wow” flavor.
I appreciate your feedback! This is the “classic” recipe where the filling is quite simple, but it’s easy enough to swap out for a cream cheese filling if that’s more your preference. Check out my gingerbread cake roll (https://stressbaking.com/gingerbread-eggnog-cake-roll/), that one has a cream cheese filling that you might enjoy. Thanks again for stopping by, and happy holidays!