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Bûche de Noël (Yule Log) – plated and served
Cakes & PastriesDessertsChristmasVegetarianFrench

Bûche de Noël (Yule Log)

French Yule log: chocolate sponge cake with buttercream, decorated to look like tree bark.

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Preparation
50 min
Cook/bake time
12 min
Total
4 hr 2 min
Difficulty
Medium
Calories
456 kcal
Servings
10 slices
Prep
50 min
Cooking & baking
12 min
Resting
3 hr

Only 1 hr 2 min of that is hands-on – the rest takes care of itself.

French Yule log: chocolate sponge cake with buttercream, decorated to look like tree bark. The sponge is rolled up with the parchment paper while still hot and cooled in this shape so it learns the form before it sets, preventing it from cracking when filled. The bark texture is created with a fork, not with talent.

Why this works

A sponge cake is a foam held together by coagulated egg whites. When warm, this structure is still soft and can be shaped; when cold, it is rigid and breaks as soon as you bend it. That is why the roll is wrapped hot and cooled in this curve: it retains the curve as its resting shape and can later be unrolled, filled, and rolled up again without cracking. The damp cloth has only one job, which is to prevent the surface from drying out and cracking during the second roll.

Step-by-step instructions

Conventional · 200 °Cor Fan 180 °C

  1. Mix the sponge batter

    Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt and a third of the sugar until stiff. Beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar for five minutes until light and creamy, add the oil, and fold in the egg whites in two batches. Sift the flour, cocoa, and baking powder over the top and carefully fold everything in with a spatula, as every unnecessary movement costs volume.

  2. Bake

    Spread the batter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper to a rectangle of about 30 by 40 centimeters and bake at 200 °C top/bottom heat for ten to twelve minutes. The sponge is done when it springs back to a light touch. If baked longer, it will become dry and inevitably break later.

  3. Roll while hot

    Turn the hot sponge out onto a slightly dampened kitchen towel, peel off the parchment paper, and immediately roll it up from the long side along with the towel. Let it cool completely in this shape for at least forty minutes. This step determines whether the roll will crack later or not.

  4. Buttercream and filling

    Beat the room-temperature butter with powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt until light, and incorporate the lukewarm melted chocolate. If it is too hot, the cream will curdle; if it is too cold, it will become lumpy. Unroll the sponge, soak it with syrup and rum, spread a third of the cream on it, and roll it up again.

  5. Form the bark and chill

    Cut a diagonal piece off the end and place it on the roll as a branch stump. Cover everything with the remaining buttercream and drag a fork lengthwise through it to create the bark texture. Chill the Bûche for two hours, dust it with powdered sugar just before serving, and garnish with rosemary or meringue mushrooms.

Our best tips

  • The sponge must be rolled hot. Rolled cold, it will crack, and that cannot be repaired.
  • The melted chocolate must be only lukewarm when added to the buttercream. Too hot, and the butter will separate.
  • Dust with powdered sugar as snow only immediately before serving. It will dissolve on the cream within an hour.

Tasty variations

With chestnut cream

Replace the filling with 250 g of crème de marrons mixed with 150 ml of whipped cream. This is the classic French alternative to the chocolate version.

Raspberry Bûche

Fill the sponge with plain buttercream and roll in 150 g of raspberries. The acidity cuts through the sweetness of the cream.

Nutrition facts

Per serving (1 slices)
Calories456 kcal
Protein5 g
Carbohydrates47 g
– of which sugar39 g
Fat26 g
Fiber3 g

Where the 456 kcal come from

per serving
Calculated from the ingredients – how we do it

We add up reference values for every ingredient and divide by the number of servings. These assumptions are baked in:

  • Reference values per 100 g – for the raw ingredient, exactly as listed.
  • Tinned goods count at drained weight, bone-in meat at purchase weight: you eat about 70 per cent of a chicken thigh and leave the rest.
  • Water evaporates as you cook. The energy stays in the pot, the weight does not – so the figure is per serving, not per 100 g of finished dish.
  • Anything listed without a quantity – “salt and pepper” – is not counted.

A guide value, not a lab measurement: no two onions weigh the same, and fat content varies from pack to pack.

How we calculate nutrition →

Frequently asked questions

Why does my sponge still crack?

Usually, it was in the oven too long and became too dry, or it cooled down before rolling. Twelve minutes is the maximum, and it must be rolled immediately after baking.

Can I prepare the Bûche in advance?

Yes, filled and coated, it will keep for three days in the refrigerator and can be frozen. Take it out thirty minutes before serving, as cold buttercream lacks flavor.

Is there a lighter filling?

Yes, whip 400 ml of heavy cream with 200 g of mascarpone and 40 g of powdered sugar. It is less stable, so keep it chilled at all times.

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