Imagine my reaction when my Piedmont Post editor suggested a bûche de Noël as the topic for this month’s column. That’s French for yule log cake, a dessert fancier’s way of celebrating Winter Solstice and Christmas that began centuries (!) ago.
It has been a very long time since I’ve baked a jellyroll or Swiss roll cake, so with only a few days before my deadline, somewhere between the intersection of Excited and Anxious Avenues was where I landed during our initial conversation. The anxiety faded quickly though, and I immediately set out to bake a Yule log cake that was approachable for home bakers, attractive and with plenty of flavor.
Here’s where I landed: chocolate cake with a raspberry cream filling and chocolate ganache atop; mostly because these are a tasty combination, and because I could decorate with readily available, fresh raspberries for an easy touch of holiday decor. And honestly, I pretty much had everything…wait for it…in my pantry!
This is an easy chocolate roll cake, well…as easy as a rolled cake can be. I see plenty of recipes labeling such cakes for “Intermediate” and even “Advanced” baking skill levels, but really it just takes a bit of time management and TLC. More advanced techniques are called for when the decorations get fancy, but I think my low-frills-cake has plenty of eye appeal for a special occasion dessert.
Don’t be concerned about the long-ish list of ingredients and instructions – that is due mostly to the three components of cake, filling and frosting for the recipe. The actual active preparation time is about an hour; total time to prepare is about three hours, which includes cooling and refrigeration times.
You may have many of these items available in your pantry and ‘fridge too!
A few advance tips:
- Read through the recipe, paying attention to the instructions. Pre-measuring the ingredients, sequencing and timing are important here. In particular I’m talking about making sure you roll the cake whilst it is still warm and therefore pliable!
- Don’t worry if the cake breaks up a bit when you unroll it to spread the filling. Just patch the pieces back as best you can and, for the most part, they will stick back together when you re-roll the cake along with the filling.
- Similarly, don’t fret if the outside of the re-rolled cake cracks a bit. The ganache will cover it, and remember, it’s supposed to resemble a log! Be creative in making some lines and swirls to decorate. Think textured bark!
- There is no shortage of instructional videos found on the internet. Search out videos for demonstrations on rolling and filling the cake. Here’s a very recent one from Dorie Greenspan, whose recipes are wonderful! (Not the same flavor cake, but watch for technique!)
- Ditto for images for decorating ideas. Search under roll cake, Swiss roll, yule log cake and of course bûche de Noël.
- About the kitchen towel you’ll use to roll up the cake – Make sure it is clean and free of any scent. (No fabric softener or sheets please!) Also avoid using a terrycloth towel as the lint may shed onto the cake.
- The finished cake may be made up to a day in advance. Keep it chilled and well covered in plastic wrap until ready to serve.
Bûche de Noël (Yule Log Cake)
Inspired from several sources including: Epicurious, Food & Wine, Joy of Baking and Hershey’s
INGREDIENTS
For the cake:
- 5 large eggs, room temperature and separated
- 1/ 2 cup plus 1/ 4 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly; plus 2 tablespoons, softened, for greasing the pan
- 1/ 4 cup heavy cream
- 1/ 2 cup cake flour
- 1/ 3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
- 1/ 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/ 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/ 8 teaspoon table salt
For the filling:
- 1 cup heavy cream, very well chilled
- 1/ 4 cup raspberry preserves
- 1/ 2 pint, about 1 cup, fresh raspberries, plus more for decorating
For the ganache:
- 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 3/ 4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
INSTRUCTIONS
For the cake:
- Put an oven rack to middle position and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 10-inch by 15-inch jelly roll pan and line it with parchment paper, then generously butter the paper. Dust with about 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder, shaking the pan for even distribution; knock out the excess. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1/ 2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high speed, until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the remaining 1/ 4 cup sugar on medium-high speed until very thick and lemon colored. Add the vanilla, melted butter and heavy cream. Gradually add the flour-cocoa mixture into the yolk mixture until just combined. Gently stir in a third of the beaten egg whites to slightly lighten the batter; then fold in the remaining egg whites until well incorporated.
- Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake 10 – 15 minutes or until the top springs back when touched lightly in the center and the edges begin to pull away from the pan.
- Remove from oven and loosen cake from the sides of the pan. Invert onto a clean cotton kitchen towel that has been liberally dusted with cocoa powder, about 2 tablespoons, to help prevent sticking. Carefully peel off parchment paper. Immediately roll up the cake in the towel starting from a short end. Place rolled cake seam side down on wire rack and cool completely.
- While the rolled cake is cooling, prepare the filling and ganache.
For the filling:
Pour the chilled heavy cream into a medium-sized bowl that has also been chilled. Beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until the cream begins to thicken. Add the raspberry jam, one tablespoon at a time, and continue beating until firm and spreadable. Gently stir in fresh raspberries. Keep chilled in the refrigerator until ready to use.
For the ganache:
Place chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just comes to a boil, and then pour over the chocolate. Let stand for 4 – 5 minutes then stir slowly until the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in the corn syrup. Place in the refrigerator for 10 minutes then stir to smooth. Chill an additional 5 – 10 minutes until the ganache thickens to a spreadable consistency. Once the desired consistency is reached, leave at room temperature until ready to use. HINT: If the ganache becomes too stiff to spread, put the entire bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir constantly until smooth and spreadable again. It is very forgiving!
Finishing and serving the cake:
- Carefully unroll the completely cooled cake. Spread filling evenly over the cake to within 1-inch of the edges, but being sure to tuck some filling into what will be the center of the roll. Roll up again, starting from the same short end as the initial rolling. Roll tightly, using the kitchen towel to help shape the roll. Place seam side down onto the serving plate.
- Trim the ends for a neat appearance. Spread ganache on top and sides, making lengthwise ridges to simulate a bark texture. Decorate with fresh raspberries and fresh mint or citrus leaves to herald in the season.
- Remove the cake from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving to allow the ganache to soften for ease of cutting. Dip the slicing knife into hot water before each slice for smooth edges and nicer presentation.
