Christmas is around the corner, I wonder how many of you make their own Christmas cake every year. “Buche de Noel” or “Yule Log Cake” is an old Christmas confection, a perfect roll cake, that is intentially created to look like a yule log. There is no cake better than a chocolate log cake to grace your Christmas table.  It is not difficult to make, yet there are a number of steps involved.  A showstopper that will impress your family and friends! I am certain you will love this recipe if you give it  a try. Happy Holidays to all!

Buche de Noel / Yule Log Cake

I dressed mine with silky French buttercream, decorated with impressive chocolate barks, sprinkled with pomegranate jewels, and dusted with powdered sugar just before serving to give it that snowy effect. However, you can unleache your imagination and decorate the cake the way you like, the options are endless, from meringue mushrooms, to Christmas figures, red fruits, pine cones, edible flowers and lots of other ideas.

The version of the “Log Cake” I am sharing with you is completely made from scartch, that is why it looks like a long process, so you may need to plan ahead and work in advance. For a time-saving strategy, make the French buttercream one or two days in advance, wrap it with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you need it. You can also make the chocolate barks one week ahead. It is a fun project to make your Yule Log Cake, at least once in a lifetime

Learn how to make French buttercream by following my step by step photos below. It is great to learn and keep it in your repertoire, it is smooth, buttery and takes any cake you make to the next level.  You simply start making a sugar syrup which you remove from heat and directly pour it to beaten egg yolks, then you have to leave to cool down completely before you  incorporate the egg yolk mixture with butter and cocoa; and you will end up with the most tasty, silky and not too sweet chocolate buttercream you’ve ever had.  The chocolate buttercream can be made one or two day ahead, and kept in the fridge, but since it hardens, make sure to remove it  one hour before dressing the cake – it should be at room temperature when you fill and decorate the log.

FIRST OFF, START BY MAKING THE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING. YOU DO HAVE TO PACE SOME STEPS, BUT THE RESULT IS FANTASTIC!!

To soften the unsalted butter, remove it 40 minutes from the fridge prior to making the buttercream frosting.  It has to be soft, but stil in its semi solid stage. In a large bowl, cream the butter using an electric mixer on medium speed, and set aside.

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In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks to a pale yellow color.

In a small saucepan, add the sugar, water, and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes.  The sugar syrup needs to reach the softball stage 235-240F/ 113 – 116; it is more accurate to use a thermometer. Pour the hot syrup in a thin stream onto the egg yolks. Continue beating  until fully incorporated.  Set aside to completely cool down

The rule of a thumb is that you should leave the egg yolk-sugar syrup mixture to cool down before adding it to the butter.  You need to turn your stand mixture to its highest setting when mixing the butter with the egg yolk mixture.  Pour the mixture into the creamed butter, add the cocoa powder and mix on high speed until you have a smooth cream, it takes about 5 minutes to set up. If the cream fails to thicken for any reason, place it in the freezer for 15 minutes, whisk it one last time and it will work.

Here is what the chocolate buttercream looks like! Silky, smooth and decadent!! It is heavenly on cakes, you may want to forget the cake and eat it right of the bowl!!

NOW START MAKING THE CAKE:

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed for 20 seconds. While beating, gradually add the sugar until soft peaks form.
In another bowl, beat the egg yolks one at a time, and add to the egg white mixture.
Stir in the flour and cocoa powder and fold gently to incorporate the batter.
Spread immediately over a 35 x 27cm/14 x 11 inches cookie pan lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 10 minutes or until you insert a toothpick in the center of the cake and it comes out clean.

Invert the cake onto a smooth kitchen towel. Remove the top piece of the parchment paper.

Tightly roll up with the towel, while the cake is still warm, staring with its shorter end, the cake will be more pliable when warm. Allow to cool down completely on a wire rack. It is crucial that the cake has completely cooled down before you fill it with buttercream. I don’t want you to ruin your efforts by not letting the cake cool down before spreading the French buttercream.
Unroll the cake on a counter top, remove the towel and spread half of the chocolate cream. Roll the cake without the towel this time.
Evenly top the rolled cake with the rest of the chocolate cream.

TO PUT TOGETHER:

Cut a piece of the cake and stick it on its side to make a stump.

Drag spiral lines on the ends of the cake to create the effect of the tree bark.

AND NOW PREPARE THE CHOCOLATE BARKS

Place the chocolate in a double boiler (the upper one) and place water about ( 1 cup) in the lower boiler. Melt the chocolate over medium heat. Don’t over heat the chocolate or allow water droplets to get into your chocolate or your batch will be ruined. Remove the melted chocolate from heat and pour it over a sheet of parchment paper.  Spread the chocolate to an even thickness.

Fold the parchment paper to a thick log, and place it in the freezer for about 25 minutes. Remove from the freezer, and break using your hands to medium sized pieces, do that quickly to prevent the chocolate from melting. Top the cake with the chocolate barks, you can make the chocolate barks days ahead to save time. Keep the roll in your fridge, break the barks right before you assemble the cake.

The Yule Log Cake looks so pretty when sliced!

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

• 6 eggs, separated
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons icing sugar (powdered sugar), to dust the cake

For the chocolate butter cream:

• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup water
• A drop of lemon juice
• 5 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup or 2 sticks butter, 227g, butter should be at room temperature, it has to be soft, but stil in its semi solid stage

For Garnish:

• 100 g./3.5 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, to create the chocolate shaves
• A head of pomegranate seeds

Directions:

To prepare the chocolate butter cream:

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter using an electric mixer on medium speed, and set aside.
2. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks to a pale yellow color.
3. In a small saucepan, add the sugar, water, and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to lox and cook for 5 minutes. The sugar syrup needs to reach the softball stage 235-240F/ 113 – 116; it is more accurate to use a thermometer.
4.  Pour the hot syrup in a thin stream onto the yolks. Continue whisking until very well incorporated.  Set aside to completely cool down.
5. Pour the mixture into the creamed butter, add the cocoa powder and mix on high speed, until you have a smooth cream. If the cream fails to thicken for any reason, place it in the freeze for 15 minutes, whisk it one last time and it will work.

To prepare the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Make sure all the cake ingredients are at room temperature.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on high speed for 20 seconds. While beating, gradually add the sugar until soft peaks form.
3. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks one at a time, and add to the egg white mixture.
4. Stir in the flour and cocoa powder and fold gently to incorporate the batter.
5. Spread immediately over a 35 x 27cm/14 x 11 inches cookie pan lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake for 10 minutes or until you insert a toothpick in the center of the cake and it come out clean. Don’t overbake.
7. Invert the cake onto a smooth kitchen towel.
8. Remove the top piece of the parchment paper.
9. Tightly roll up the cake with the towel staring with its shorter end. Allow to cool down completely on a wire rack.
10. Unroll the cake on a counter top, remove the towel and spread half of the chocolate cream. Roll the cake without the towel this time.
11. Evenly top the rolled cake with the rest of the chocolate cream.

To prepare the chocolate shaves:

1. Place the chocolate in a double boiler (the upper one) and place water about ( 1 cup) in the lower boiler. Melt the chocolate over medium heat.
2. Don’t over heat the chocolate or allow water droplets to get into your chocolate or your batch will be ruined.
3. Remove the melted chocolate from heat and pour it over a sheet of parchment paper.  Spread the chocolate to an even thickness.
4. Fold the parchment paper to a thick log, and place it in the freezer for about 25 minutes.
5. Remove from the freezer, and break using your hands to medium sized pieces, do that astly to prevent the chocolate from melting. Add the barks on top of the cake.
6. Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds evenly on top of the cake.
7. Dust the cake with some powdered sugar just before serving. Enjoy!!

If you make this recipe, share your pictures on Facebook! I would love to see your creations!! Hashtag, #Hadia’s lebanese Cuisine