Using a detailed recipe, step-by-step photos, and a complete video tutorial, let me show you how to make a lovely from-scratch yule log, also known as a Bûche De Noël in French. This traditional Christmas cake is decorated to resemble a log. My recipe starts with a cocoa flavored sponge cake that we’ll fill with cocoa hazelnut whipped cream. We’ll top it with chocolate ganache and a variety of fun optional garnishes including mushroom shaped meringues plus sugared cranberries and rosemary for a shimmery finishing touch. It’s show-stopping and elaborate dessert, yet completely doable in your home kitchen!
Christmas is a time rich with tradition. Christmas cookies for Santa, ornaments and decorations, jingle bells and hot cocoa by the fire. For some and in European regions, it’s making a yule log cake, also known as a Bûche De Noël in French. I’ve tasted plenty during the holiday seasons, but hadn’t attempted a from-scratch recipe until this year. Initially overwhelmed by the process, I learned that it’s just like other at-home baking projects: fun quality time in the kitchen. Made even better with an extra dose of chocolate!
One reader, Karen, commented: “Made this for Christmas Eve. Always wanted to make one but thought it would be difficult. Thank you, Sally, for the step-by-step directions. My yule log turned out AMAZING—beautiful and very delicious. It looked so professionally done. Couldn’t have done it without Sally’s help. ★★★★★”
One reader, Amanda, commented: “My third year in a row making this recipe. I think that’s enough to consider it a tradition. I love how easy it is to execute, and it’s always fun to share with my family. ★★★★★”
One reader, Blaire, commented: “This is the second year that my daughter has made this cake for the family Christmas party. It looks fabulous and the taste is fantastic. So many neat flavors blending into each perfect bite. We plan to continue using this recipe each year—thanks! ★★★★★”
By the way, here’s another at-home baking project: a homemade gingerbread house with a free printable template for constructing it.
Tell Me About This Yule Log Cake
- Texture: Underneath all this festive decor, we have a soft and airy sponge cake. If you’ve tasted angel food cake before, you’ve had sponge cake. What’s interesting about sponge cake is that, unlike most cake recipes, it’s (usually) made without butter or oil. All of the magic happens with the eggs, a crucial ingredient in any sponge cake recipe. Note: I include a touch of oil in this cake for added moisture.
- Flavor: My Bûche De Noël includes a light cocoa cake, cocoa hazelnut whipped cream spiked with Frangelico (can definitely skip the booze if you want), and is topped with smooth chocolate ganache. Since ganache is incredibly rich, the other elements have lighter cocoa flavors. In fact, the cake tastes like a mug of hot cocoa.
- Ease: Advanced, but it’s a fun project to do by yourself or with your family. If you watch the video tutorial and read through the very detailed recipe prior to beginning, you’ll be set up for success.
- Assembly: If you’ve ever made pumpkin roll, chocolate cake roll, or any other jelly roll cake before, you’re familiar with this assembly. If you haven’t, it’s nothing to be nervous about as long as you have a solid recipe and the right equipment. (Tools list below.) Have fun with the garnishes and watch my video tutorial before beginning.
- Time: Yule log cakes aren’t anything you can rush; this recipe will take you all day. My advice is to concentrate on one element/step at a time. Make sure you’re following the cooling and chilling times closely. I don’t want you to ruin all your efforts by not letting portions of this recipe cool/thicken/set up properly.
Yule Log Christmas Cake Video Tutorial
4 Parts to This Yule Log Cake:
- Cocoa Sponge Cake
- Cocoa Hazelnut Whipped Cream
- Chocolate Ganache
- Decorations
Let’s review each part with step-by-step photos to guide us along.
Cocoa Sponge Cake
Start by whisking a few of the ingredients together. In terms of volume, there isn’t much: cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder for added lift, and a little salt. Eggs are the cake’s main ingredients. Separate the eggs, then whip the egg whites with sugar into stiff peaks. Set those aside. Then whip the egg yolks with the remaining sugar, a little oil for moisture, and vanilla extract until thickened. You get more volume with room temperature eggs than cold eggs. Before beginning, set the eggs in a cup of warm water for 10 minutes to warm them up.
Below left: whipped egg whites + sugar. And below right: thickened egg yolk mixture.
Below left: In 2 additions, fold the fluffy egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. And below right: In 2 additions, fold in the dry ingredients. Like the finished cake, the cake batter is very light and airy.
Bake the cake roll in a 12×17-inch pan. So there’s plenty of cake for sectioning off and decorating, this a larger roll cake than my champagne cake roll and red velvet cake roll, both of which are baked in a 10×15-inch pan. Feel free to use any of my roll cake recipes as the base of your bûche de Noël, but know that if they’re baked in a smaller pan, you’ll have a smaller cake.
How to Shape a Yule Log
Shaping a cake roll is easier than it looks. There are two tricks:
- The 1st trick is to roll the cake up, without filling, while it’s still hot. Why? If the cake cools in the rolled shape, it will make rolling the cake with the filling inside EASIER.
- The 2nd trick is to roll the cake up with a clean kitchen towel or piece of parchment paper. Why? The warm cake will be sticky and stick to itself otherwise. Dust the towel or parchment paper with cocoa powder to prevent any chance of sticking!
These two tricks help guarantee no rips, no cracks, and no sticking.
Cocoa Hazelnut Whipped Cream
As the warm rolled cake cools down, make your whipped filling. Heavy cream is the base and we’ll sweeten it with a little confectioners’ sugar and flavor it with cocoa powder and hazelnut liqueur. Feel free to swap with the same amount of another flavored liqueur such as amaretto, Baileys Irish Cream, Kahlua, Grand Marnier, or other. You can also replace the alcohol with strong (cold or room temperature) coffee or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
Or if you want to skip the cocoa and liqueur in the filling completely, make this whipped frosting instead.
Feel free to add finely chopped hazelnuts on top of the whipped filling. As you roll the cake, if it appears sticky and moist, dust with more cocoa powder.
Assembling the Yule Log
One end of the yule log cake is traditionally cut off and placed on the side or on top of the roll to resemble a branch. You can cut it at a diagonal angle as pictured below:
Chocolate Ganache
I have a separate and very detailed post showing you how to make chocolate ganache. Feel free to review it if you’re a beginner. You need 2 ingredients: pure chocolate and warmed heavy cream. The ganache is very thin right after you make it, so it’s imperative you let it cool down before using. Ganache thickens as it cools.
Spread the thickened ganache all over your shaped cake. This next part is easy—lightly drag a fork through the ganache so that it resembles tree bark.
Decorating Your Bûche De Noël/Yule Log
Your cake is nearly complete! Some garnish suggestions include:
- meringue mushrooms (recipe below)
- sugared cranberries & rosemary (recipe below)
- pinecones set on your platter
- herbs & edible flowers
- shaped marzipan
- chocolate shavings
- a dusting of confectioners’ sugar to resemble snow
I’m extremely detailed in these recipe directions, so don’t be overwhelmed. If I can do this, you can do this. See my make ahead instructions if you want to get prepared—there’s plenty of ways you can prep this yule log cake in advance. Take your time and enjoy the festive process. Wishing you a season of good cheer. We all need it!
Tools You Need:
- Electric Mixer (handheld or stand) for cake batter, meringues, and filling.
- An egg separator is very helpful for the eggs.
- 12×17-inch baking pan for the cake.
- Parchment paper for lining the pan. I love these sheets.
- Offset spatula for spreading the whipped cream filling and ganache.
- Fine mesh strainer for dusting cocoa powder and confectioners’ sugar.
- Wilton 2A piping tip or any tip with around a 1/2 inch opening (plus a disposable or reusable piping bag) for meringue mushrooms.
- Thin kitchen/tea towel or parchment paper. You need either for rolling the cake, but I strongly recommend a towel because it’s better at helping to prevent cake cracks. It will get pretty dirty from the cocoa powder and cake, but stains should come right out in the wash especially if you rinse it with warm water first.
- Plus the usuals: mixing bowls, whisk, silicone spatula, cutting board, saucepan, etc.
- Pictured: large white platter from Juliska’s Whitewash Berry & Thread line and square appetizer Christmas plates from Pottery Barn
These baking tools would be great to add to your holiday wish list. And while you’re at it, be sure to check out my Holiday Gifts for Bakers guide. Lots of fun ideas in there, either for yourself or other baker friends!
Print
Bûche De Noël (Yule Log)
- Prep Time: 8 hours (includes cranberries)
- Cook Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes (includes meringues)
- Total Time: 10 hours
- Yield: 10-12 slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Description
The meringue mushrooms and sugared cranberries & rosemary are completely optional garnishes. The recipe below includes both. For all make-ahead instructions, see recipe notes. I recommend watching the video tutorial above and reading the full recipe below before beginning. There’s a lot of cooling down, chilling, and other moving parts here!
Ingredients
Sugared Cranberries & Rosemary
- 1 cup (100g) fresh cranberries (do not use frozen)
- 4–5 rosemary sprigs
- 3/4 cup (180ml) water
- 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar, divided
Cake
- 1 and 1/3 cups (157g) cake flour
- 2 Tablespoons (10g) unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, divided
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil, canola oil, or melted coconut oil
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For Rolling
- 3 Tablespoons (15g) unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder
Meringue Mushrooms
- 1 large egg white, at room temperature
- less than 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar (about 1/16 teaspoon)
- pinch salt
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder (optional for dusting)
- 1 ounces (28g) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
Cocoa Hazelnut Whipped Cream
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) cold heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) Frangelico liqueur
- 1/4 cup (30g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (5g) unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup (60g) finely chopped hazelnuts (optional)
Ganache Topping
- 6 ounces (170g) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy cream
Instructions
- Make the sugared cranberries and rosemary: If you want to decorate the cake with sugared cranberries and rosemary, start them the night before because they need to sit for several hours. Place cranberries and rosemary in a large heatproof bowl. Set aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, bring the water and 3/4 cup (150g) of sugar to a simmer, whisking until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Pour the sugar syrup over the cranberries and rosemary and stir. Cover the bowl and set aside for 15 minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cranberries and rosemary from the sugar syrup and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Allow to dry, uncovered, for 1 hour. Pour remaining 1/2 cup (100g) sugar into a large bowl. Toss the cranberries and rosemary in the sugar, coating them all the way around. Place on a parchment paper—or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet and let them dry uncovered for at least 1 hour at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For more uses, see how to make sugared cranberries.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 12×17-inch baking pan with nonstick spray or grease with butter, so the parchment paper sticks. Then line it with parchment paper so the cake seamlessly releases. Spray or grease the parchment paper too. We want an extremely nonstick surface for this cake roll.
- Make the cake: Whisk the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside until the next step. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and 1/2 cup (100g) sugar together on high speed for 4-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Transfer to another bowl. Using the same mixing bowl you just had the egg whites in (no need to clean it), add the egg yolks, remaining sugar, oil, and vanilla extract. Beat together on high speed for 3-4 minutes or until thickened and light in color.
- Add half of the whipped egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Beat on low speed for 10 seconds. Repeat with remaining egg whites and beat on low for 10 seconds. Add half of the flour mixture and beat on low or fold with a silicone spatula until combined. Repeat with remaining flour mixture. Avoid over-mixing and deflating those egg whites. Batter will be very light.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Gently bang the pan on the counter a couple times to pop any air bubbles. Bake for 15-16 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly poked with your finger. Cake will look a little bubbly on top when it’s done. That’s ok. Avoid over-baking cake because it will crack if over-baked. As the cake bakes, get started on the next step.
- Prepare to roll: As the cake bakes, place a piece of parchment paper (larger than the cake) or a thin kitchen/tea towel flat on the counter. (Note: I find a kitchen towel is better to help prevent cracking.) Using a fine mesh sieve, dust parchment/towel with 3 Tablespoons (15g) of cocoa powder. Once the cake comes out of the oven, quickly run a knife around the edges to loosen it. Immediately invert it onto the parchment/towel. Peel off the parchment paper that was on the bottom of the cake as it baked. Starting with the narrow end, begin tightly rolling the hot cake up with the parchment/towel. Do this slowly and gently. The cake will be warm. Allow the cake to cool completely rolled up in the parchment/towel. Feel free to place it in the refrigerator to speed it up, about 3 hours and up to 1 day.
- During this time, make the meringue mushrooms: Preheat oven to 200°F (93°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a completely clean residue-free large glass or metal mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg white, cream of tartar, and salt together on high speed until foamy, about 2 minutes—this is a small amount and the whisk on a stand mixer might not reach it, so whisk by hand until foamy if needed. With the mixer running on high speed, slowly add the sugar and beat until stiff glossy peaks form, about 2 more minutes. Snip off the end of a plastic bag or fit a round piping tip in a piping bag. I use and recommend Wilton 2A piping tip or any tip with around a 1/2 inch opening. Pipe quarter-sized circles (these will be the round mushroom tops) and 1-inch tall cones (these will be the stems). You will have enough meringue batter for about 16 mushrooms. I usually only make 8-12 and discard leftovers, but feel free to make all 16. Using a moistened finger (just a dab of water is fine), smooth down any peaks. If desired, lightly dust mushroom tops with cocoa powder using a fine mesh sieve. Bake for 2 hours. Do not open the oven as the meringues bake. Turn off the oven after 2 hours and let the meringues sit inside the cooling oven for 20 minutes. Remove meringues from the oven and cool completely. When they’re just about cool, melt the 1 ounce of chocolate in a double boiler or use the microwave. If using the microwave, melt in 15 second increments, stopping and stirring between each until melted and smooth. Cool for 5-10 minutes. (Easier to adhere mushrooms if the melted chocolate is a bit cool.) Once meringues have cooled, use a flat spatula to remove them from the baking sheets. Dot a bit of chocolate onto the center of the bottom of a mushroom top. Adhere a mushroom stem to it. Place back on the baking sheet to set. If stems or tops still have a little peak, scrape off with a knife or your spatula, as you see me do in the video above. Leaning them against the rim is helpful if they keep toppling over. Repeat with remaining tops and stems to form mushrooms. Let chocolate cool and harden, about 1 hour.
- Remove the cake roll from the refrigerator and allow to sit on the counter for a few minutes to warm up as you prepare the whipped cream.
- Make the whipped cream: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, Frangelico, confectioners’ sugar, and cocoa powder on medium-high speed until medium to stiff peaks form, about 2-3 minutes.
- Gently and very slowly unroll the cake. Spread whipped cream evenly on top, leaving about a 1/2 inch border around the cake. I like using a large or small offset spatula to spread. Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts on top. Gently roll the cake back up, without the parchment/towel this time. Roll it slowly. This part is messy. Carefully place on a cutting board. If the exterior of the cake looks moist, dust with a little cocoa powder. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days before shaping and topping with ganache.
- Make the ganache topping: Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it begins to simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil—that’s too hot.) Pour over chocolate, then let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate. Slowly stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted. Ganache will be thin, so it has to thicken before using. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour to thicken.
- Remove rolled cake from the refrigerator. Diagonally slice a 3-4 inch section off one end. At this point, I usually place the cake on a serving platter. Place the angled side against a side of the roll, forming a branch. Slowly pour and spread thickened ganache all over the top and sides of cake. Feel free to leave the cut ends exposed (as you see in these photos) or spread ganache over the ends—there should be plenty of ganache to use. Use a fork to make textured lines resembling tree bark. Feel free to wipe the serving plate if ganache dripped all over.
- Decorate with meringue mushrooms, sugared cranberries and rosemary, and a dusting of confectioners’ sugar just before serving.
- Cover leftover cake and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can get started on the sugared cranberries and rosemary ahead of time. See step 1. You can make the meringue mushrooms in advance (step 7) as long as the weather is dry. (Humidity will ruin them.) Store at room temperature for up to 2-3 days before using. You can make the roll cake in advance (steps 2-6) because it must cool/chill completely before filling. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 1 day. You can also refrigerate the filled cake roll (steps 9-10) for up to 2 days. You can make the whipped cream (step 9) 1 day in advance too. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. You can make the chocolate ganache topping (step 11) 1 day in advance, but if you let it sit for longer than 1 hour, it will thicken too much. If refrigerating for longer than 1 hour, cover it. To thin it out when ready to use, stir and warm it in a heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water for about 1 minute. Do not microwave it. Entire cake can be made 1-2 days in advance too. (Steps 1-12.) Cover and refrigerate until ready to decorate and serve. You can also freeze the assembled cake before or after adding the ganache. (Steps 1-11 or 12.) Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before continuing with the recipe. It’s best to decorate with sugared cranberries, meringues, and a dusting of confectioners’ sugar (step 13) closest to serving.
- Special Tools – Cake, Whipped Cream, and Ganache (affiliate links): 12×17-inch Baking Pan | Parchment Paper | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Thin Kitchen/Tea Towel | Fine Mesh Sieve | Egg Separator | Small Offset Spatula | Saucepan
- Special Tools – Optional Sugared Cranberries & Rosemary (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | Saucepan | Whisk | Baking Sheet | Parchment Paper Sheets or Silicone Baking Mat | Slotted Spoon or Sieve
- Special Tools – Optional Meringue Mushrooms (affiliate links): Baking Sheet | Parchment Paper Sheets or Silicone Baking Mat | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Egg Separator | Piping Bag (Disposable or Reusable) | Wilton 2A Piping Tip (or any tip with a 1/2-inch opening) | Fine Mesh Sieve | Double Boiler (optional for melting chocolate)
- Cranberries: Use fresh cranberries, not frozen. The sugar syrup doesn’t coat evenly on the frozen berries, leaving you with plain shriveled cranberries.
- Frangelico Liqueur: This is a hazelnut liqueur. If desired, feel free to swap with the same amount of another flavored liqueur such as amaretto (almond), Baileys Irish Cream, Kahlua, Grand Marnier, or other. You can also replace the alcohol with strong (cold or room temperature) coffee or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or other flavor extract.
- Chocolate: You need 6 ounces of pure chocolate for the ganache topping and 1 ounce for the mushrooms. Pure baking chocolate is sold in 4 ounce bars, so 2 bars will be a little more than enough. I recommend Baker’s or Ghirardelli brands, both sold in 4 ounce bars in the baking aisle. You can use semi-sweet or bittersweet. If using white chocolate, reduce the amount of heavy cream in the ganache to 1/2 cup (120ml).
Have you made it down this far? Let me show you how to make the optional garnishes.
Meringue Mushrooms
I taught you how to make chocolate swirled meringue cookies before. Meringues require precision, so feel free to visit that post if you need a little refresher. As instructed in step 7 above, pipe mushroom tops and stems using a round piping tip. Moisten your finger with water to smooth down any peaks. Bake in a relatively cool oven, then adhere the cooled pieces with melted chocolate.
These mushrooms look adorable on top of homemade dirt pudding too!
Sugared Cranberries & Rosemary
You need sugar, water, fresh cranberries, and rosemary. Frozen cranberries are not recommended here (although they’ll work for cranberry sauce, if you have a bag that needs using!) and feel free to skip the rosemary if you’d like. As instructed in step 1 above, make your sugar syrup on the stove. Pour over cranberries and rosemary and let it all soak for several hours. (Great to make these in advance.) Drain, then toss in sugar. Let it all dry out for about 2 hours before using as decor. You can also use this glitzy garnish on pumpkin pie, gingerbread cake, and cranberry orange Bundt cake, too. I love the pop of color that cranberries
Reader Comments and Reviews
Came out great! The step by step instructions were a fantastic guide
A perfect Christmas dessert for visual setting on the table and taste. Yes it does take a bit of time and patience to prepare but worth every second. I did screw up in one place…I chopped the optional hazlenuts for the filling but missed them on assembly. I guess I’ll have to make it again! It still had a great taste and not very heavy after a turkey dinner.
Great recipe! Years ago I had a similar recipe for a yule log, but lost it. Tried a different recipe that I found somewhere… it wasn’t great. So searched again this year for something that sounded similar to my old standby…. and yours came pretty close! I was so glad to find it, as it turned out quite well.
The only tweak I added to your receipe was to add a bit more cocoa to the cake and a lot more to the whipped cream filling, as I like a stronger flavor. Next time I think I’d also add (as others have done) a thin layer of some sort of fruit flavor for a bit of tang.
Thanks for posting yours! It really isn’t a difficult cake to make, as long as you follow the instructions.
I’ve made this cake for Xmas since 2021. Visually, the log is stunning, and all the children love helping me decorate it. However, I think next year I’ll try a different recipe. No matter what I do (e.g. beat the egg whites longer, fold quicker, cook at lower temp) the cake is never sufficiently soft or moist. This year my family admitted they all feel the cake is too thick. I’ve tried making the cake the day before and filling it with the cream to rest overnight, which does help soften the cake, but since the cake absorbs some of the cream, the ratio still seems off and the cake too thick (and yes, I’m using the correct pan size). I’ll be looking for a lighter thinner cake to replace the base in this one.
A real crowd pleaser. I always wanted to make a Yule log and decided this Christmas to finally make one. I don’t know why I waited so long, it was so fun to make and this recipe was so delicious. I did substitute the frangelico with Baileys Irish cream. The Buche de Noel was gone in an instant with 15 people over for Christmas. I am making a second one just for my family for new years as we only had 1 piece each at Christmas
Hi Sally! I make a variation of this cake every year. I used your cake recipe this year because I love the outcomes when using your recipes. (I think I made about 20 variety of cookies this year based on your ideas!!). I did substitute pastry cream (kind of a custard with whipped cream folded in) and the taste was superb! (And I added fondant pinecones with shaved almonds and some chocolate bark for added decorations). However, when cutting the cake, it kind of squish down and wasn’t as visually pleasant on the plate. Do you think that might have been from the pastry cream? What might I do to firm it up?
Hi David, sounds absolutely delicious! The pastry cream could be the culprit for the overly squishy slices. You might try chilling the cake for a bit longer to help firm it up a bit more. A good, sharp serrated knife is also helpful for clean slices. Thank you so much for using our recipe every year!
Delicious and impressive cake. My only concern is that the cake was difficult to peel away from the towel (and I had dusted it with cocoa powder as directed). It sort of cracked in places because of the sticking, but I was still able to roll it up not-too-badly and it looked ok (the icing hides the imperfections!) I don’t think I over-baked it, as it was exactly 16 mins and didn’t look over-baked. Are they any tricks for preventing sticking to the towel? I did not top it with ganache but rather chocolate cream cheese icing which was very delicious. Thank you Sally!
Love this recipe. We’ve made it several years. Other people don’t seem to be as impressed as we are, but we think it’s beautiful and tastes great. 🙂
I do have a suggestion that others may want to use. Sally suggests dusting with confectioner’s sugar right before serving. This is correct, b/c it will visibly disappear very quickly from absorbed moisture. But I’ve found that it disappears so quickly that it’s not even worth it. (I’ll do it at home, but I decided it wasn’t worth bringing with us when bringing to someone else’s party.) Instead, I would suggest using the sugar from the cranberries and rosemary. There should be a lot of crystal sugar leftover after tossing the cranberries and rosemary. Bring that entire bowl, do the final decorating with cranberries and rosemary at the gathering, and then sprinkle the leftover sugar over the top. That sugar will not disappear and will have a snow or frost-like appearance.
I did not have hazelnuts or Frangelico but tried it anyway and added more vanilla. Unfortunately it wasn’t a wow without the hazelnut flavor. Therefore, even if you have to ask a family member or neighbor for 2T Frangelico, do it! I will make it as directed next time. The cake was otherwise lovely.
I love Sally’s bakes. I’ve made many of her recipes and they always taste delicious. Unfortunately, the sponge on this tasted like cardboard. I will make this again with a completely different base. It was absolutely stunning. I had to make a caramel sauce to cover the flavor off the dry cake.
Hi Andra, we’re so sorry you were disappointed in the cake. Was it overbaked by chance? That can dry out the sponge. And how did you measure your flour? Be sure to spoon and level (or use a kitchen scale) to ensure the flour isn’t overmeasured, which can lead to a dry and tasteless cake. Thank you for giving this one a try!
This turned out really well yesterday. Sally, your instructions were great, and that yule log is one of the things we will remember about this Christmas. Thanks.
I couldn’t find the Frangelico liqueur, so instead cooked up a raspberry jam, halving the sugar, and spread a thin layer between the sponge and the cream. It and the cranberries gave streak of tartness. I skipped the meringue mushrooms – a bridge too far. Also, I was too cheap to buy fresh rosemary for a few sprigs, so clipped a few twigs off the our Christmas tree and sugared those.
Looked absolutely stunning but tasted bland. Definitely one of those situations where it looks better than it tastes. Bummer!
I would not recommend preparing the filling in advance unless you stabilize it. I made mine only 2 hours ahead and by the time I got to it I had to rewhip. I added gelatin to stabilize and it’s kept perfectly since. I think the edition of the liqueur makes it less stable.
This is the second year I’ve made this and it just keeps getting better. Lots of steps but none of them are hard. It is an absolute showstopper on the table.
Followed everything exactly and it came out absolutely BEAUTIFUL! Tasted awesome, looked fantastic and gave me confidence to make it again. This recipe is great!
This was a real crowd pleaser for Christmas day. I’m no baker but just followed the recipe and it looked and tasted beautiful.
Phenomenal! I’m not an experienced baker but this turned out wonderfully. Instructions were perfect and the taste and texture were excellent. Fun project that my family loved.
My first Swiss roll cake and I went into it with some anxiety! It didn’t help that it was for Christmas dinner with guests. lol. But the directions were excellent and I’m so pleased with the results! It was a showstopper at dinner.
I made thIs today and it turned out great. It was much easier than I thought it would be and, although I have just about zero artistic talent, I was able to make it reasonably approximate yours thanks to clear instructions and a good video. The cranberries and rosemary add such a festive touch. My wife and kids were impressed. Thank you!
Wow! The star of our Christmas dinner! Thank you so much for sharing your talent.
Beautiful and delicious!
Instructions were exceptional. Very involved baking project. Rating is for the taste. If I were to rate how it looked or the instructions and video, it would be a five. I was disappointed in the taste. Cake was underwhelming. But it was a beautiful presentation.
Wow! This is actually doable! I thought mine was going to be an episode of ‘Nailed It’ and look terrible, but it actually looks pretty good! Thank you for the easy to follow instructions, as always!
Thanks for this recipe. My whipped cream filling got soft quickly. How do you keep it so firm ?
If I wanted to give mine a mocha flavor, how much espresso powder should I add?
Hi Lee, We would recommend adding espresso powder to the sponge. You could start with 2 tsp – let us know how it goes!
I think I might have gotten some yolk in the egg whites— they took 45 minutes to whip completely! Thankfully, the recipe was good, and the rest of the log was a breeze. It rolls really easily, the ganache was good (if you have extra it makes amazing almond bark) and it was very easy to decorate. Very tasty fluffy cake. Don’t use a tea towel you’re attached to, though. It’s very hard to clean the cake residue off.
Such an incredible recipe! Spent all day today making it and the reaction it got from my partner when he saw it… I was afraid he would have a heart attack, he was so shocked at how beautiful it ended up:)
Everything came together with such ease thanks to your clear instructions! My only note might be to dust the cutting board with cocoa or some such because my cake stuck to the cutting board. I might just chill it on the serving platter directly next time. As well, be sure to let your oven cool down before making the meringues – going from 350 to 200 degrees left my oven hot and my meringues got toasty and a little melty.
Despite these minor setbacks, everything else came out great! Thank you, and Merry Christmas!
I made this today. When i unrolled it from the towel, it broke, but that might have been partially my fault. So tip for others, if it breaks, just melt some chocolate, and after you put the filling in, roll it back up like you normally would, but then seal the crack with the chocolate, and then put it in the fridge before you cut the diagonal piece off. Just be sure when u r making that cut that you saw very carefully and dont break the chocolate. And then finish as you normally would. No one will ever know.
this recipe is so fun and so easy. And it looks so pretty!
So excited about my Buche – it’s looking great and I’m about to decorate to eat tonight…but now I have a conundrum. Once I decorate the cake with my sugared cranberries and meringue mushrooms, can I put it back in the refrigerator for a few hours or will that ruin the mushrooms?
Hi Lorraine, if you can wait to garnish the cake with mushrooms until serving, that would be best. We hope it was a hit!
I would rate it a 5 but one question, My batter is WAY too thick, how chould i change that?