Bûche de Noël Recipe

Active Time:

25 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 35 mins

Servings:

8 to 10

Literally translated, the name buche de noel means "Yule log." This traditional French Christmas cake is shaped and decorated to resemble a wooden log and is often garnished with meringue "mushrooms" or "moss" made from chopped pistachio nuts. It may look impressive, but making a roulade or Swiss roll is deceptively easy if you follow the steps.

This tender chocolate buche de noel is soaked with a coffee-flavored syrup and filled with fresh whipped cream for a light and airy dessert that will be a showstopper on your holiday table. Finished with a decadent coffee-infused chocolate frosting made with unsweetened chocolate squares, and brightly-colored candied cherries, you just can't go wrong.

Learn how to make a buche de noel. If a tall layer cake has always been your go-to dessert for holiday meals, this year try your hand at this festive roulade.

What Is a Bûche de Noël?

Also known as a Yule log cake, bûche de Noël is a traditional French dessert served during the Christmas season. The dessert is named after the custom of burning a Yule log during winter solstice celebrations in Europe to symbolize the coming of the new year, and has been a traditional dessert dating back to medieval times.

Modern versions of bûche de Noël are often served as a centerpiece on holiday dessert tables, and are festively decorated to resemble a tree log with meringue mushrooms, cherries, chocolate shavings, and more.

Ingredients for Buche de Noel

A rich chocolate sponge is soaked with a coffee syrup, filled with whipped cream, and rolled up tight, to be frosted with a rich chocolate frosting before serving. Simultaneously light and rich, it's a holiday dessert that has stood the test of time for good reason. To make this chocolatey bûche de Noël, you'll need:

Cooking spray: Coats the jellyroll pan to prevent the tender cake from sticking.
Large eggs: Beaten to help give the cake structure, while also adding richness.
Baking powder: Leavening agent to give the cake its rise.
Table salt: Enhances the flavor of the cake and frosting.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cake.
All-purpose flour: Gives the cake its structure.
Unsweetened cocoa: For a rich, chocolate flavor.
Vanilla extract: Adds depth.
Powdered sugar: Sweetens and thickens the chocolate frosting.
Brewed coffee: Used to soak the cake to enhance the chocolatey flavor.
Sweetened whipped cream: Fills the cake for a contrasting white swirl and airy filling.
Boiling water: Thins the frosting for a spreadable texture.
Instant coffee granules: Dissolves into the boiling water for additional depth in the frosting.
Unsweetened chocolate squares: The chocolatey base of the frosting, balancing the sweetness of the powdered sugar.
Unsalted butter: Adds richness to the frosting.
Candied cherries: To garnish the cake for a pop of color and festive touch.

How To Make a Buche de Noel

Stay focused and set aside 25 minutes of hands-on time to complete this cake, and you'll be surprised by how easily it comes together. Full instructions are below, but here's a brief recap before you get started:

Step 1. Prepare oven and pan: Preheat oven. Spray to coat a jellyroll pan, and line with wax paper. Spray wax paper to coat.
Step 2. Make cake: Beat eggs, baking powder, and salt to combine. Gradually beat in sugar until thick and lightened in color. Fold in flour, cocoa, and vanilla. Spread evenly into pan. Bake until cake surface springs back.
Step 3. Roll cake: Sift powdered sugar over a clean linen towel. Turn cake out onto sugar-coated towel; remove wax paper and trim edges if needed. Starting on a short end, roll up jellyroll-style. Cool completely on a rack, seam side down.
Step 4. Fill and roll: Unroll cake and remove towel. Stir to combine coffee and remaining sugar; brush over cake. Top cake evenly with whipped cream and roll up again. Chill.
Step 5. Prepare frosting: Stir coffee granules into boiling water to dissolve. Melt chopped chocolate in a double boiler; stir in butter, coffee mixture, and remaining salt to combine. Set aside to cool until lukewarm, then stir in remaining powdered sugar.
Step 6. Decorate cake: Spread frosting over cake and score decoratively. Garnish with cherries and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Bûche de Noël Variations

The beauty of a bûche de Noël is that it's customizable based on your preferences. To change up this classic cake, consider these variation ideas:

Cake: If you just aren't in the mood for chocolate, check out our white Christmas bûche de Noël recipe for a vanilla chiffon cake alternative.
Cake soak: If you're serving the whole family and want to leave out the coffee, soak the cake with a simple syrup flavored with vanilla or holiday spices.
Filling: If you're storing this cake for an extended period of time, whipped cream just might not hold up as well as you'd like. Instead, fill with any buttercream frosting you prefer, including vanilla, cream cheese, spiced, brown butter, or other flavor options.
Frosting: Top the finished cake with buttercream, chocolate ganache, or any coating you love.
Garnishes: Add some flair with chocolate shavings, chopped nuts, meringue mushrooms, holiday candies, sugared cranberries, and more.

Our Tips for the Best Bûche de Noël

Don't let this cake intimidate you: With these simple tips in mind, you'll have the successful results without breaking a sweat:

Fold gently: When preparing the cake batter, fold in the flour and cocoa gently to keep the lightness of the batter intact.
Bake until cake springs back: Bake the cake just until the surface springs back to the touch so that the cake rolls up easily without cracking.
Coat the towel: To keep the cake from sticking to the towel, coat evenly with powdered sugar before turning out the cake. You'll want the sugar rectangle to be as big, if not a touch bigger, than the baking pan.
Soak the cake: Brush the cake with the mixture of hot coffee and sugar; this helps moisten the crumb and brighten the chocolate-coffee flavor profile of the cake.
Roll carefully: Roll the cake up slowly and gently to avoid cracks.
Cool seam side down: To keep the cake roll in place and lightly flatten the seam.
Don't overfill: Fill evenly as directed for the best-looking spiral once the cake is assembled.
Chill before serving: Chill before serving to give the cake time to set and firm up before slicing.
Be patient: Practice makes perfect! If your cake cracks, or doesn't turn out quite as you pictured, it will still be just as delicious.

How To Store Bûche de Noël

While this cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days before serving, the filling can be a big difference-maker in terms of how the cake holds up. If you opt for a simple homemade whipped cream, try adding mascarpone, cream cheese, or gelatin to stabilize it for longer storage.

More Festive Christmas Cake Recipes You'll Love

No matter what type of desserts your family prefers, we've got a holiday cake recipe they're guaranteed to love:

Editorial contributions by Katie Rosenhouse.

Ingredients

Cooking spray
4 large eggs
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp., plus a pinch table salt, divided
3/4 cup, plus 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar, divided
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp., plus 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (sifted), divided
1/2 cup hot strong brewed coffee
2 cups sweetened whipped cream
1/3 cup boiling water
1 Tbsp. instant coffee granules
3 (1-oz.) unsweetened chocolate squares, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter
Candied cherries

Directions

Prepare oven and jellyroll pan:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 15- x 10- x 1-inch jellyroll pan with cooking spray; line with wax paper, and coat with cooking spray.
Make cake batter:

Beat eggs, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Gradually add 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar, beating until thick and light colored, about 4 minutes. Fold in flour, cocoa, and vanilla.
Add batter to pan:

Spread batter evenly into prepared jellyroll pan.
Bake cake:

Bake in preheated oven until cake surface springs back when gently pressed, about 12 minutes.
Prepare towel:

Sift 3 tablespoons of the powdered sugar in a 15- x 10-inch rectangle on a clean linen towel.
Roll cake:

Turn cake out onto sugar-coated towel; remove wax paper from cake. Trim crisp cake edges, if needed. Starting with the short end, carefully roll up cake and towel together, jellyroll style. Let cool completely on a wire rack, seam side down, about 1 hour.
Brush syrup on cake:

Unroll cake; remove towel. Stir together hot brewed coffee and remaining 3 tablespoons granulated sugar in a small bowl until dissolved; brush mixture over cake.
Fill cake with whipped cream:

Spread with whipped cream, and reroll (without towel). Chill 30 minutes.
Make frosting:

Stir together boiling water and instant coffee granules in a small heatproof bowl until dissolved. Melt chopped chocolate in the top of a double boiler; stir in butter, dissolved instant coffee mixture, and remaining pinch of salt until smooth. Remove from heat, and let cool until lukewarm, about 30 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar until a smooth, spreadable consistency is reached.
Decorate cake:

Spread chocolate frosting evenly over chilled cake. Score frosting with a spatula or fork tines to resemble bark of a tree. Garnish cake with candied cherries. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between a Swiss roll and a bûche de Noël?

A Swiss roll is a rolled-up cake served year-round, while a bûche de Noël is a traditional Christmas dessert.
Why does a bûche de Noël look like a log?

Bûche de Noël was created to symbolize the Yule log—a wooden log burned in European households during winter solstice celebrations.
How do you keep a bûche de Noël from cracking?

While overbaking is a main cause of cracking, other ways to avoid cracks include pre-rolling the cake before filling, soaking the cake to add moisture, and handling it gently.