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, 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!
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 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 Baking Gift Guide. Lots of fun ideas in there, either for yourself or other baker friends!
PrintBûche 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 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
I’ve made this two years in a row for Christmas and it turned out great. The best advice I can give is clear your calendar if you make this. It will take all day.
Family freaked out when I unveiled it. I’m not really a baker and it was probably beginner’s luck that I will never be able to replicate again. LOLOL I think I did reduce the bake time, as others did. But I always have to be careful with my convection oven, so I am used to watching things that tend to get done too quickly.
QUESTION!
But, I DO Have a question that I am hoping someone will answer for me before NEXT Jul… Can I make the cake batter exactly as it is except NOT use cocoa powder? (Who doesn’t like CHOCOLATE, shouts someone from the back row…) Will it bake fine to just eliminate that? I’m not a baker, so I don’t know the rules. I would rather just stick to one set of instructions for this cake and not piecemeal everything together, so if anyone knows if it is okay to just skip the cocoa powder for this recipe cake, that would be great! 🙂
We are happy this cake was such a hit, Allison! Unfortunately it’s not as easy as omitting the cocoa powder. You can use the sponge recipe from this strawberry cake roll for the vanilla cake. Just note that it is slightly smaller.
Mmmmmm… I should probably “practice” this… Maybe even a couple of times… 😉 Thanks!!
You never make me fail if I follow your recipe! And I did it for Yule log cake this Christmas! It was superhit, so yumm and whipping cream complemented sponge cake so well.I love that you mixed little bit of cocoa in cake and whipping cream to give it a look of log! Thank you again❤
Hi Vijaya, thank you for sharing. We’re so glad it was a hit! Happy baking!
I am an experienced baker but I have never made the yule log cake. Followed your instructions exactly. They were well written and easy to follow. The cake was wonderful. It was the centerpiece of the Christmas dessert table. Everyone commented on how it taste as good as it looked. Thank you so much.
SUCH a great recipe!! I swapped the filling with a peppermint whipped cream filling that I found a recipe for, but the ganache, sponge, mushrooms and all the guides here are fantastic! Thank you Sally for the highlight of Christmas!!!
I made this for Christmas! It looked and tasted amazing. Everyone enjoyed it! I will definitely use this recipe again, perhaps as a layered cake.
Sally! Your recipes never fail me and are my go to for all desserts, but like many commenters, my cake also turned out dry and bland. It wasn’t super chocolatey either. Loved the ganache and whipped cream though. Will try to bake less next time I guess.
Made this for our family celebration we had today. I made the cake and rolled in the filling last week, then froze it. Then yesterday, I did the ganache and prepared the rosemary and cranberries. I also made the meringues, but I had to seal them up in a bag with some of those silica absorber packs. lolol It all looked beautiful, and was a show stopper at the gathering. Everyone loved it. 🙂
This was a fabulous Christmas dessert. I tried to make it last year, but had issues with the cake being too dry. I watched it carefully and took it out after 10 minutes. I also made extra whipped cream for a fuller filling. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. It was amazing
This was my first attempt although I am an experienced home baker. I read directions carefully, and looked over the great videos. Then I just followed Sally’s directions carefully. The only variation is that I did not bake my cake as long, using the “touch” test after 11-12 minutes. I live in Mississippi (humid) and it has been 80 degrees lately, so I skipped the meringue mushrooms. My desert came out perfect! Just perfect! Looks just like the picture and the sugared rosemary and berries were super easy and made it look so festive. Was also DELICIOUS!
Hi Susan, We are so glad you loved this! Happy baking.
Made this recipe for Christmas and was not disappointed! The recipe was easy to follow and the cake was delicious. I subbed coffee for the liqueur in the whip cream which gave it so much depth. The cake turned out beautiful and every one was very impressed!
I made this for Christmas Day and turned out beautiful, but the sponge lacked flavor and was dry. The ganache cracked when I was sliced into the cake. Not sure what I did wrong, but I was sad.
Tip: Use a hand held mixer to make the mushroom meringues, not enough egg whites to mix in a stand mixer.
I made this for Christmas Day and turned out beautiful, but the sponge lacked flavor and was dry. The ganache cracked when I was sliced into the cake. Not sure what I did wrong, but I was sad. Wonder if I should have weighed the cake flour?
Tip: Use a hand held mixer to make the mushroom meringues, not enough egg whites to mix in a stand mixer.
Made this cake for this year’s Christmas and everyone loved it! My pan was slightly bigger so I only baked it for 15mins. Other than that, this cake was really balanced, not too sweet but very light! The crushed hazelnuts were a nice touch! Thank you so much for this recipe:)
Took a good amount of effort but it came out tasty and beautiful! Thank you for the well written and filmed instructions! It was a big Christmas hit!
I followed the directions and the Yule Log came out perfect and tasted delicious. I baked it for 17 minutes plus 1 more minute with the oven off. I don’t have Frangelico, so used 2 tablespoons of strong decaf coffee, loved this whipped cream recipe. Though I’m an experienced baker, I am slow, this project took me all day. I didn’t have time to make meringue mushrooms or sugared cranberries but that’s OK. Some piped buttercream poinsettias looked very pretty on the log. Thanks Sally for a great recipe!
This looked great but taste/texture was only ok. The ganache didn’t stick to the cake and the cake itself was dry
My first rolled cake attempt and it turned out perfectly with a little planning. Great as a dessert for my family Christmas dinner- I think it will become a new tradition- thank you!
I am no baker and even I could follow this recipe! The cake, the whip, the ganache, the garnishes turned out perfect! It was a hit with my family this Christmas– I think this will become a holiday tradition. Thank you so much for sharing this with us
Delicious and beautiful, but I echo some of the comments that the cook time on the cake was too long. I noticed as soon as I opened the oven door. Cake was a little dry. I think 10-12 mins ought to do it. But it’s such a beautiful cake and not that hard. (Be sure to use room temp eggs. Another mistake I made.)
I’ve made Swiss rolls/jelly rolls/ logs before but I don’t know what happened. I think it was the whites. This thing turned into a behemoth in the oven. I left it rolled in the fridge over night. I like the shuttle chocolate of the sponge and I filled with just whipped cream and toasted hazelnuts. I’ll try it again, but chill out on the whites. Thanks
Sally’s instructions are spot on. Since they are so detailed and since there is a good deal of planning involved, I recommend thoroughly reading everything a few days before you want to serve this. It was total perfection. Thank you for the recipe.
I’m not a big recipe comment, but this turned out beautifully on the first try! I made it over the course of three days (first cranberries & rosemary), then the cake, next day mushrooms, filling and ganache, and placement of decorations on serving day. All steps are not difficult, just a bit of planning into your schedule. Guests were bowled over by the presentation, and the cake itself tasted delightful! I subbed Kahlua for the liquor and it had a nice coffee flavor paired with the hazelnuts. Huge success!
My first attempt at making a yule log. It was tremendous fun and delicious. But, it wasn’t very chocolatey and the cake and filling were almost the same colour, so I think I would up the cocoa in the sponge next time. My cake wasn’t rubbery at all – very light and delicate – but I used a smaller tin (with reduced ingredients) and it was quite a thick cake. Rolled up a treat. We overwhipped the cream using the timing rather than stopping when it was thick. Loved the mushrooms and the frosted berries. I am not a fan of berries but I have to say they made an incredible difference to the taste of the cake. Just one per mouthful added a sublime extra layer of gastronomic experience.
I made this cake yesterday and want to commend the author of this post. It took around 7 hours, but I think it could have been faster had I had experience making this before. It was very simple to make and is so delicious! I was told that the dessert showed up the meal.
Just made this with my 6 year old daughter and 78 year old mom for our family’s Christmas dinner. We followed all the directions and timing – made the cranberries and rosemary last night and the rest today – and it was amazing!! Everyone was amazed and delighted. It was beautiful and delicious. Thanks so much for this great recipe and great instructions- even a first timer like me could make a dessert that made everyone say Wow!!!
I commented last year but did not have time to make it. I convinced my mom to make it with me this year and it turned out beautiful and delicious! Definitely a keeper! Exited for next years Yule log
Sally never fails me. After reading all the comments, I made some slight adjustments. I baked for 14 minutes, as it sprung back very slightly the first time I checked. I made a chocolate soaking syrup that I forgot to use except when the cake was already rolled. I doubled the cream (made with Bailey’s espresso cream) but I had a ton left over so not sure it was necessary. With a large tea towel, I could not believe how easy it rolled, unrolled, and rolled back up. No cracks. My meringue mushrooms did get sticky only a few hours after being added but that’s living in Georgia for ya. It was perfectly moist and delicious, with perfect texture balances. I have become an even more empowered baker! Can’t wait to try more rolled bakes.
To be fair, I had never made one of these cakes before, but was excited to try something new. My cake is in the garbage because it turned out too dry and bland tasting. I started to frost it, but stopped midway once I saw the recipe’s measurement of ganache wasn’t enough to cover the whole thing. I didn’t want to commit any further. I SO wish I had read the review from another person who adjusted the suggested 18-19min baking time to 8 minutes. I am very bummed right now. My husband baked some brownies to take to our family gathering tonight. I know there are bigger problems in this world than a flopped recipe-I’ll get over it. For the record, I 100% followed this recipe:(
I made your recipe, except I filled with a chestnut buttercream (I am french canadian, and the chestnut is tradition in my family). Not my first time making a yule log, but definitely the prettiest one I have ever made (I made the decorations as well). Very happy with the explanations and the results.
Tried this Bûche de Noël for the second straight year. Last year’s attempt had everything of a showstopper and wowed family and friends alike, however the cake was very dry and rubbery, and I figured 18 min bake time was way too much for my oven. This year I baked for 8 min only and it was so much better. The cake was soft and spongy this time!
Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
I made this for the first time this year. It came out so beautiful but was extremely dry and rubbery. Thank you for commenting on your second go-round. I’ll try it again at 8 mins instead. I was so bummed…. Almost to tears (I know a bit extreme haha)
This cake seems complicated but if you give your marks the time to make it, it is so worth it.
I took this cake to a party and it was a huge hit. Very beautiful and tastes amazing!!! Thank you for all the details!