Bûche de Noël is the French name for a Christmas cake shaped like a log. This recipe makes a heavenly flourless chocolate cake rolled with chocolate whipped cream and decorated with confectioners’ sugar to resemble snow on a yule log. It doesn’t just look beautiful — it tastes wonderful, too!
Preparation Details
Prep Time: 45 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 egg yolks
- ½ cup white sugar
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 6 egg whites
- ¼ cup white sugar
- confectioners’ sugar for dusting
Steps
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a 10×15-inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper. Whip cream, 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a large bowl until thick and stiff. Refrigerate.
- Use an electric mixer to beat egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl, until pale in color, light, and frothy. Blend in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla, and salt.
- Using clean beaters, whip egg whites in a large glass bowl until they form soft peaks. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, and beat until whites form stiff peaks.
- Immediately fold yolk mixture into whipped egg whites.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven until cake springs back when lightly touched, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Dust a clean dishtowel with confectioners’ sugar. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and turn the warm cake out onto the towel. Remove and discard parchment paper.
- Starting at the short edge of the cake, roll the cake up with the towel. Cool for 30 minutes.
- Unroll cake, and spread filling to within 1 inch of the edge.
- Roll cake up with filling inside. Place seam-side down onto a serving plate, and refrigerate until serving.
- Enjoy!
