Classic Chocolate Bûche de Noël
In France, a proper Christmas dinner wouldn’t be complete without the traditional Bûche de Noël. This wooden log look-a-like cake, traditionally made of a rolled-up Génoise cake frosted with Chocolate buttercream, is part of the official conclusion to a Christmas feast. A holiday ritual no one will pass on – even with an overfilled belly. Festive Origins The tradition of the Christmas Yule log—an actual log, not the cake—stretches back to more than 2000 years ago, before the Medieval era. People in Scandinavian, Germanic, and Celtic countries would celebrate Winter solstice…
- Prep time
- 1 hr
- Cook time
- 12 min
- Yield
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- EASY
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- For the Genoise Cake:
- 1 cup (150g) all-purpose flour 1 tsp (5g) baking powder 4 large eggs 1 cup (200g) sugar
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract 3 tbsp (40g) butter, melted and cooled
- For the Dark Chocolate Buttercream:
- 7 large egg whites ½ tsp salt 1 ¼ cup (250g) sugar 6 ounces (157g) dark chocolate, melted and cooled ½ tsp vanilla extract 1 ½ cup (355g) unsalted butter, softened
- For decorating:
- 8-10 cranberries, for garnish
- 8-10 fresh rosemary sprigs, for garnish
- Powdered sugar, for garnish
Instructions
- 1
A. The Genoise Cake: Step 1 - Pre-heat your oven to 375F (190C) with a rack in the middle. Butter a 10x15-inch (25.5cm x 38cm) rimmed baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. Butter the parchment or spray it with cooking spray. Set the pan aside.
- 2
Step 2 -In a large mixing bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour and baking powder. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until thick and foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla, and beat for 2 more minutes.
- 3
Step 3 - Gently fold the flour into the wet ingredients and stop mixing when just incorporated. Slowly pour the melted butter into the batter while still mixing, and stop again when just incorporated. Gently spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out with a spatula so it covers the whole pan.
- 4
Step 4 -Bake for 12 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake sheet comes out clean. Right out of the oven, sprinkle a clean kitchen towel with about 1 tablespoon of sugar and flip the cake onto it. Peel off the parchment paper and roll the cake in the kitchen towel, starting from the narrow (shorter width) side. Make the buttercream while the rolled cake cools to room temperature.
- 5
B. The Dark Chocolate Buttercream:Step 1 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with salt on high speed until soft peaks form. Set aside.
- 6
Step 2 - In a small saucepan, combine sugar with 2/3 cup (155ml) water over medium heat. Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid by half or until it has thickened to a thin syrup consistency.
- 7
Step 3 - Start beating the eggs whites on high speed again and slowly pour in the syrup. Continue beating and pour in the melted dark chocolate and vanilla extract. Continue beating until the mixture has completely cooled, about 5 minutes. Add the softened butter, one tablespoon at a time, beating well between each addition until the butter is fully incorporated.
- 8
Step 4 - Once all the butter is incorporated, the buttercream should be fluffy and spreadable. If too soft, refrigerate for one hour until it has chilled through.
- 9
C. Assembling: Step 1 - Unroll the cake sheet and transfer it carefully onto a working surface. Evenly spread half of the buttercream, about 2 ½ cups, onto the entire cake sheet. Re-roll the cake into a log, as it previously was.
- 10
Step 2 -Using a large serrated knife, cut a quarter of the cake off of the log on a diagonal and attach that end piece onto the center of the cake with buttercream, to resemble a branch bulging from a tree log.
- 11
Step 3 - Transfer the Bûche de Noël to a serving plate and use the remainder of the buttercream to cover the log entirely. Smooth it out with an offset spatula. Take a fork and run it through the log to leave streaks resembling tree bark. Adorn the Bûche de Noël with cranberries and rosemary sprigs.
- 12
Chill the Bûche de Noël for at least 2 hours before serving, to allow the buttercream to set. Dust with powdered sugar right before serving.