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Firstly, a word of warning: this Yule log is really, really delicious! If you ask me, it’s an absolute winner in terms of taste and looks too, and you won’t want to miss this Bûche de noël for the holiday season. You can read how to make it below. It is a bit of a challenge, but more than worth it! This is one Christmas tradition I love adding to my repertoire!
Table of contents
Yule log or Bûche de Noël
A while ago I hosted a remake of the Daring Kitchen challenges we did years ago. Remember the times of the Daring Bakers? Well this was an attempt to bring those times back. I hosted it in the Netherlands and there were quite a few people who went all out with making this yule log recipe. And it has become my favorite recipe to make for the holidays since.
The original recipe for this yule log is from Jamie Oliver, but I made it a bit simpler this time. Jamie set about making his own hazelnut spread for the filling. And although it is undoubtedly tastier, I thought it would be particularly convenient – and a lot quicker – to use Nutella instead. After all, it’s hazelnut spread too, it seemed to me. A lot cheaper, too, because you need a lot of hazelnuts to make it yourself. But are you thinking; I want the original? Here is Jamie’s original recipe. If you want to spend less time making it read on!
Making the yule log
As with all the challenges we made, I did this one with my friend Charlotte as well. Mainly because it’s fun to bake and cook together, and especially with this kind of challenge, a second pair of hands really comes in handy. Not that you can’t do it alone. It just takes a bit longer and is quite possibly a bit messier too.
What do you need?
I’ll list a couple of the ingredients below and any specifics on them but make sure to check the recipe card for the full details.
- eggs – use large eggs
- self rising flour
- cocoa powder
- vanilla
- nutella
- double cream – or heavy cream
- unsalted butter
- mandarin zest
Other things you will need to make the cake roll: parchment paper, a clean tea towel, offset spatula, plastic wrap, rectangular shallow baking electric mixer or food processor. I like making this in a stand mixer for ease of use. After making it, it is a good idea to place it on a serving platter right away. Once the chocolate frosting is on it will be a bit harder to remove the chocolate yule log cake from whatever surface it is on.
Things to remember
Set aside a couple of hours to make this buche de noel recipe. You don’t really need it, but you’ll want to cool it occasionally to make sure it’s firm enough. Also remember that the cake needs to cool to room temperature after baking. I didn’t measure how long it took because we were also doing something else, but at least an hour should do it.
If you start filling the chocolate cake while it is still warm, it will start to melt right away. So make sure you let the cake cool a sufficient amount of time.
Making it is quite simple; you make a cake batter and bake it in a flat baking tin of about 25 x 35 cm (10 by 14 inch). Smooth it out before you put it in the oven and bake it for about 8 to 10 minutes. It doesn’t take long because the dough is so smooth.
Still hot
The cake should still be hot when you roll it into a swiss roll. So make sure you roll it straight out of the oven with a piece of baking paper in between, so that the cake doesn’t stick to itself. This is essential for a good result. It will still stick a little to the baking paper, but if you carefully peel it off, it will be fine. You could also use a clean tea towel to do this.
Leave to cool completely on a wire rack while you make the buttercream. The buttercream will also need to cool and set. Don’t let it get too hard as it will be difficult to spread. It should be smooth but not too runny.
Easy filling
As mentioned above, I used Nutella for the filling of the cooled cake. If you look at Jamie’s site you will see that he has several versions of this recipe and uses a different filling each time. So if you are looking for a variation, a look there is definitely a good idea.
I used a combination of whipped cream with the Nutella. Spread the nutella on the cooled sponge cake first. Whip the cream to stiff peaks and add on top of the Nutella. Don’t make the layers too thick as that will make it hard to roll. You could also make a chocolate ganache to replace the nutella if you want
When you fill the cake and then roll it up again, you will also roll away some of the filling, but that is fine. Not pressing too hard is a good idea anyway. Make sure you place the seam side down once you’ve filled the cake.
Next, spread the buttercream on top of the cake and use a fork or knife to make a pattern that looks a bit like a tree bark. No matter how it looks it is still a delicious festive cake. You could give it some more Christmas vibes by adding some rosemary sprigs to the setting. For better looks you can cut of the end of the log (and taste test it right away) so it looks more presentable as the sides are always less pretty.
Decorate with nuts, icing sugar or grated coconut.
Store the yule log in the fridge until ready to use. And trust me, it is so unbelievably delicious! We couldn’t stay away.
Yule log / Buche de Noel
Ingredients
For the cake
- 4 eggs large
- 75 g icing sugar
- 75 g self-rising flour
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Filling
- 1 jar Nutella
- 300 ml double cream
- 1 tsp icing sugar
- 2 mandarin zest
Butter cream
- 150 g chocolate 70% bittersweet
- 150 g unsalted butter 70% bittersweet
- 150 g icing sugar
Topping
- icing sugar
- coconut grated
How to make the yule log
- Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F and line a 25 x 35 cm (10 by 14 inch) baking tray with baking paper.
- To make the cake, first separate the eggs. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of sea salt until stiff. Gradually beat in the icing sugar, then the egg yolks one at a time until very pale and light. Sift in the self-raising flour and cocoa powder, add the vanilla and fold in with an iron spoon to keep as much air in the mixture as possible.
- Pour the dough into the prepared baking tin, smoothing it down gently and evenly. Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the cake is cooked and springs back when pressed.
- While the cake is still hot and soft, place it on a large sheet of greaseproof paper (35 x 45 cm) on a flat surface. This is easiest if you carefully turn the baking sheet upside down. Remove the used sheet of parchment paper.
- With the long side facing you, fold the cake with the paper in between. This will prevent the cake from sticking together as it cools. Allow to cool completely.
- For the filling, whip the cream with the icing sugar until soft peaks form.
- Roll out the cake on a floured surface and remove the baking parchment.
- Spread the cake with the Nutella. Spread to the edges and repeat with the cream.
- Grate the mandarin on top. Roll up the chocolate roll again (this time without the paper in between) and return to the fridge.
- Meanwhile, make the butter cream. Melt the chocolate in a water bath, remove from the heat and leave to cool.
- Cream the butter in a food processor until pale, then slowly add the icing sugar and melted chocolate. Allow to cool slightly so that it is not too thin. You can leave it in the fridge for a while if you like.
- Take your log out of the fridge and cut off about a quarter at one corner. This will be your branch. Place it on your cake platter or board as shown and use some buttercream to hold the branch in place.
- Spread the buttercream all over the log and decorate with a fork.
- You can now decorate your yule log with coconut peel, icing sugar or chopped nuts, or leave it plain.
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
