Roll Out the Ole Yule Log! You Will Have a Barrel of Fun!

Roll Out the Ole Yule Log! You Will Have a Barrel of Fun!

Burning the Yule log is one of the oldest Christmas customs. In fact, it predates Christianity in pagan rituals that eventually merged with Christian holiday traditions in the early Middle Ages.

Today, few Americans still follow the Old World tradition of placing a tree on a hearth and burning it (…do you?).

The custom of burning the Yule Log goes back to, and before, medieval times. It was originally a Nordic tradition. Yule is the name of the old Winter Solstice festivals in Scandinavia and other parts of northern Europe, such as Germany.

The Yule Log was originally an entire tree (Oh My), that was carefully chosen and brought into the house with great ceremony. The largest end of the log would be placed into the fire hearth while the rest of the tree stuck out into the room! The log would be lit from the remains of the previous year’s log which had been carefully stored away and slowly fed into the fire through the Twelve Days of Christmas. It was considered important that the re-lighting process was carried out by someone with clean hands. Nowadays, of course, most people have central heating so it is very difficult to burn a tree!

In Provence (in France), it is traditional that the whole family helps to cut the log down and that a little bit is burnt each night. If any of the log is left after Twelfth Night, it is kept safe in the house until the next Christmas to protect against lightning! In some parts of The Netherlands, this was also done, but the log had to be stored under a bed! In some eastern European countries, the log was cut down on Christmas Eve morning and lit that evening.

In Cornwall (in the UK), the log is called ‘The Mock’. The log is dried out and then the bark is taken off it before it comes into the house to be burnt. Also in the UK, barrel makers (or Coopers as barrel makers were traditionally called) gave their customers old logs that they could not use for making barrels for Yule logs. (My surname is Cooper, but I don’t make barrels! My Great Grandfather did own a walking stick factory though!)

The custom of the Yule Log spread all over Europe and different kinds of wood are used in different countries. In England, Oak is traditional; in Scotland, it is Birch; while in France, it’s Cherry. Also, in France, the log is sprinkled with wine, before it is burnt, so that it smells nice when it is lit.

In Devon and Somerset in the UK, some people have a very large bunch of Ash twigs instead of the log. This comes from a local legend that Joseph, Mary and Jesus were very cold when the shepherds found them on Christmas Night. So the shepherds got some bunches of twigs to burn to keep them warm.

In some parts of Ireland, people have a large candle instead of a log and this is only lit on New Year’s Eve and Twelfth Night.

Different chemicals can be sprinkled on the log like wine to make the log burn with different colored flames!

Potassium Nitrate = Violet

Barium Nitrate = Apple Green

Borax = Vivid Green

Copper Sulphate = Blue

Table Salt = Bright Yellow

This sounds very dangerous, so please only try this out with some adult supervision!!

The ashes of Yule logs were meant to be very good for plants. This is true, because the ash from burnt wood contains a lot of ‘potash’, which helps plant flowers. But if you throw the ashes out on Christmas day it was supposedly very unlucky!

Napoleon Bonaparte also played a role in the decline of the Yule log. During the early 1800s, Napoleon noticed that burning logs indoors made people ill, and he objected to the custom. The French responded with the Bûche de Noël, one of the heroes of this story: a pastry shaped like a Yule log.

Today, burning the Yule log is mostly an outdated custom, especially in America. Modern homes don’t all have fireplaces, and finding logs can be challenging, especially for those living in metropolitan areas. In short, we can’t just head into our backyards to fell trees anymore.

A Chocolate Yule Log or ‘Bûche de Noël’ is now a popular Christmas dessert or pudding. It’s traditionally eaten in France and Belgium, where they are known as ‘Kerststronk’ in Flemish.

They are made of a chocolate sponge roll layered with cream. The outside is covered with chocolate or chocolate icing and decorated to look like a bark-covered log. Some people like to add extra decorations such as marzipan mushrooms! YUMMMM

Yule Log Cake (Bûche de Noël)

This classic Yule Log Cake is a tender chocolate sponge cake filled with mascarpone whipped cream and covered with whipped chocolate ganache! It’s delicious, festive and made completely from scratch!

How to Make a Yule Log Cake

When making a Yule Log Cake, you’ll start by making the chocolate cake. If you’ve ever made a Pumpkin Cake Roll, it’s very similar, but uses a larger pan size. The larger size allows for you to later cut part of the log off and attach it to the side for a little branch. Be sure to line the pan with parchment paper, which will be used later to roll the cake in.

After the cake is baked and while it’s still hot, use the parchment paper to lift it out of the cake pan. Starting at one of the short ends, roll the cake up tightly using the parchment paper that it’s on. Allow the cake to cool completely. This will allow the cake to keep it’s shape and not break when you unroll and fill it.

Make the filling and spread it evenly over the cooled cake, then re-roll it. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate it until cool and firm.

Home » Recipes » Sweets and Treats » Cakes and Cupcakes » Yule Log Cake (Bûche de Noël)

Yule Log Cake (Bûche de Noël)

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Lindsay

BY: LINDSAY

PUBLISHED: NOV 22, 2019

UPDATED: DEC 24, 2021

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Table of Contents

Oreo Cheesecake

What is a Yule Log Cake?

Burning a yule log is a Christmas tradition that dates back before Medieval Times. People would carefully select a Christmas tree, bring it into their home and place the largest end into the fire. The whole tree would be burned and keep the fire going for the day.

A Yule Log Cake, also known as a Bûche de Noël, is a cake made based on that old tradition. Fortunately for us, we won’t burn it – we’ll eat it! It’s basically a chocolate sponge cake roll that’s filled with cream and covered with chocolate ganache and made to look like a log.

The version I’m sharing with you today is a wonderfully tender chocolate cake filled with mascarpone whipped cream (to jazz it up a bit and give some awesome flavor) and covered with whipped chocolate ganache. It’s decorated with sugared cranberries and rosemary for a lovely rustic and Christmas-y look!

slice of yule log cakefull Yule Log Cake

How to Make a Yule Log Cake

Make the filling and spread it evenly over the cooled cake, then re-roll it. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate it until cool and firm.

How to Decorate a Yule Log Cake

When it’s take to decorate the cake, you’ll make the chocolate ganache. I whipped the chocolate ganache to make it a little lighter (in color and texture), but you could also use it as is – without whipping it.

So while the cake is chilling, make the chocolate ganache. Allow the ganache to come to room temperature, then whip it on high speed until lightened, fluffy and spreadable.

Cut a piece of the log off (about 3 inches in length) and use a little chocolate ganache to attach it to the side of the cake to make it look like a little branch.

Spread the chocolate ganache over the cake, leaving the ends exposed. Use a fork to create bark lines in the cake, then decorate with sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs.

When you’re done, you’ll have an amazing chocolate Yule Log to serve for Christmas!

RECIPE: Yule Log Cake (Bûche de Noël)

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes, Cook Time: 12 minutes, Total Time: 1 hour 42 minutes, Yield: 8-10 servings Category: Dessert Method: Oven Cuisine: American

Ingredients for the Chocolate Cake

3/4 cup (98g) all-purpose flour

1/3 cup (38g) Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

4 large eggs, divided

3/4 cup (155g) granulated sugar

5 tbsp (72g) sour cream

1/4 cup butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

Mascarpone Whipped Cream Filling

1 1/4 cups (300ml) heavy whipping cream, cold

3/4 cups (86g) powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

8 oz (226g) mascarpone cheese, softened but still chilled*

Whipped Chocolate Ganache

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup heavy whipping cream

Sugared cranberries, optional*

Sugared rosemary, optional*

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 17×12 inch jelly roll sheet pan with parchment paper. Make sure the parchment paper sticks up at least an inch above the sides of the pan on all sides. You’ll use the parchment paper later to lift the cake out of the pan and roll it up.

2. Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar and whisk together until well combined.

4. Add the sour cream, melted butter and vanilla extract and whisk together until well combined.

5. Add the dry ingredients and gently whisk together until well combined, then set aside.

6. Add the egg whites to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.

7. Gently fold about 1/3 of the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen up the batter.

8. Add the remaining egg whites and gently fold together until well combined.

9. Spread the cake batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the top of the cake springs back when toughed and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

10. Remove the cake from the oven and immediately lift the cake out of the pan using the parchment paper and place it on the counter.

11. While the cake is hot, use the parchment paper the cake was baked in and start at the shorter end of the cake to slowly roll the cake up. Set the cake aside to cool completely.

12. When the cake has cooled and is ready to be filled, make the filling. Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until soft peaks form.

13. Add the mascarpone cheese to the whipped cream and whip until stiff peaks form. It will happen fairly quickly.

14. Unroll the cake roll very carefully, looking out for areas where it may be sticking to release it. You can use an offset spatula or something similar and run it along the parchment paper as you unroll the cake to help release it as it unrolls.

15. Spread the filling evenly onto the unrolled cake, then roll it back up without the parchment paper.

16. Wrap it up in plastic wrap with the seam side down and refrigerate for at least an hour to firm up.

17. When you’re read to decorate the cake, make the chocolate ganache. Add the chocolate to a medium sized bowl and set aside. Heat the cream in the microwave just until it begins to boil, then pour it over the chocolate.

18. Allow the chocolate and cream to sit for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. Let the ganache cool to about room temperature (or cooler, you don’t want it too warm/thin), then transfer to a large mixer bowl.

19. Whip on high speed until lightened in color and thick enough to spread.

20. To decorate the cake, use a large serrated knife to gently cut off a piece of the log about 3 inches in length. Make the cut with a slight diagonal.

21. Use some of the chocolate ganache to attache the small log to the side of the larger log.

22. Spread the remaining chocolate ganache all over the cake, then use a fork to create bark-like lines all over it. Decorate with sugared cranberries and rosemary (instructions in notes), if desired.

23. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.

Notes:

To make sugared cranberries and rosemary, add 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until sugar has melted. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Spread 1/2 cup of sugar evenly on a shallow dish. Dip cranberries and rosemary springs to the sugar water, then roll in the sugar. Let dry before adding to the cake. I also used some of the clumps of sugar left behind to add “snow” to the cake.

You may prefer to use the mascarpone cheese when still cool, but softened, so that it’ll in corporate without chunks, but not get too warm. The warmer mascarpone cheese is, the more likely it is to soften to the point that it won’t firm up well again and can make too soft of a whipped filling.

This is well worth the trouble and will amazed your family and friends. Delicious!