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This classic Yule Log Cake is a tender chocolate sponge cake filled with mascarpone whipped cream and covered with whipped chocolate ganache! It’s delicious, festive and made completely from scratch!
What is a Yule Log Cake?
Burning a yule log is a Christmas tradition that dates back before Medieval Times. People would carefully select a Christmas tree, bring it into their home and place the largest end into the fire. The whole tree would be burned and keep the fire going for the day.
A Yule Log Cake, also known as a Bûche de Noël, is a cake made based on that old tradition. Fortunately for us, we won’t burn it – we’ll eat it! It’s basically a chocolate sponge cake roll that’s filled with cream and covered with chocolate ganache and made to look like a log.
The version I’m sharing with you today is a wonderfully tender chocolate cake filled with mascarpone whipped cream (to jazz it up a bit and give some awesome flavor) and covered with whipped chocolate ganache. It’s decorated with sugared cranberries and rosemary for a lovely rustic and Christmas-y look!
How to Make a Yule Log Cake
When making a Yule Log Cake, you’ll start by making the chocolate cake. If you’ve ever made a Pumpkin Cake Roll, it’s very similar, but uses a larger pan size. The larger size allows for you to later cut part of the log off and attach it to the side for a little branch. Be sure to line the pan with parchment paper, which will be used later to roll the cake in.
After the cake is baked and while it’s still hot, use the parchment paper to lift it out of the cake pan. Starting at one of the short ends, roll the cake up tightly using the parchment paper that it’s on. Allow the cake to cool completely. This will allow the cake to keep it’s shape and not break when you unroll and fill it.
Make the filling and spread it evenly over the cooled cake, then re-roll it. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate it until cool and firm.
How to Decorate a Yule Log Cake
When it’s take to decorate the cake, you’ll make the chocolate ganache. I whipped the chocolate ganache to make it a little lighter (in color and texture), but you could also use it as is – without whipping it.
So while the cake is chilling, make the chocolate ganache. Allow the ganache to come to room temperature, then whip it on high speed until lightened, fluffy and spreadable.
Cut a piece of the log off (about 3 inches in length) and use a little chocolate ganache to attach it to the side of the cake to make it look like a little branch.
Spread the chocolate ganache over the cake, leaving the ends exposed. Use a fork to create bark lines in the cake, then decorate with sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs.
When you’re done, you’ll have an amazing chocolate Yule Log to serve for Christmas!
Why Is This The Best Chocolate Yule Log Recipe?
There’s so much to love about this particular Yule Log Recipe.
- The cake itself. I tried so many cakes while testing this recipe and most just didn’t get me excited about eating them. They were tough and lacked flavor. This cake uses a little bit different method where only the egg whites are whipped and added at the end. It lends a much more tender cake. It also uses dark cocoa for better flavor.
- The filling. Rather than filling it with a simple whipped cream, I used a mascarpone whipped cream. It doesn’t take over the cake, but lends a flavor that is just a little more special and deserving of being your Christmas centerpiece.
- The whipped chocolate ganache. The whipped texture of the ganache lightens it up and keeps this cake from feeling heavy when eating it. Since the cake and filling are so light, it needs a light frosting. The whipped chocolate ganache has rich flavor, with a light texture. Perfection!
Watch How to Make Yule Log Cake (Bûche de Noël)
Yule Log Cake (Bûche de Noël)
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 42 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This classic Yule Log Cake is a tender chocolate sponge cake filled with mascarpone whipped cream and covered with whipped chocolate ganache! It’s delicious, festive and made completely from scratch!
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 3/4 cup (98g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup (38g) Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 large eggs, divided
- 3/4 cup (155g) granulated sugar
- 5 tbsp (72g) sour cream
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Mascarpone Whipped Cream Filling
- 1 1/4 cups (300ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 3/4 cups (86g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 8 oz (226g) mascarpone cheese, softened but still chilled*
Whipped Chocolate Ganache
- 8 ounces semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Sugared cranberries, optional*
- Sugared rosemary, optional*
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 17×12 inch jelly roll sheet pan with parchment paper. Make sure the parchment paper sticks up at least an inch above the sides of the pan on all sides. You’ll use the parchment paper later to lift the cake out of the pan and roll it up.
2. Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar and whisk together until well combined.
4. Add the sour cream, melted butter and vanilla extract and whisk together until well combined.
5. Add the dry ingredient mixture (previously set aside) to the wet ingredient mixture and gently whisk together until well combined, then set aside.
6. Add the egg whites to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
7. Gently fold about 1/3 of the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen up the batter.
8. Add the remaining egg whites and gently fold together until well combined.
9. Spread the cake batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the top of the cake springs back when toughed and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
10. Remove the cake from the oven and immediately lift the cake out of the pan using the parchment paper and place it on the counter.
11. While the cake is hot, use the parchment paper the cake was baked in and start at the shorter end of the cake to slowly roll the cake up. Set the cake aside to cool completely.
12. When the cake has cooled and is ready to be filled, make the filling. Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until soft peaks form.
13. Add the mascarpone cheese to the whipped cream and whip until stiff peaks form. It will happen fairly quickly.
14. Unroll the cake roll very carefully, looking out for areas where it may be sticking to release it. You can use an offset spatula or something similar and run it along the parchment paper as you unroll the cake to help release it as it unrolls.
15. Spread the filling evenly onto the unrolled cake, then roll it back up without the parchment paper.
16. Wrap it up in plastic wrap with the seam side down and refrigerate for at least an hour to firm up.
17. When you’re read to decorate the cake, make the chocolate ganache. Add the chocolate to a medium sized bowl and set aside. Heat the cream in the microwave just until it begins to boil, then pour it over the chocolate.
18. Allow the chocolate and cream to sit for a few minutes, then whisk until smooth. Let the ganache cool to about room temperature (or cooler, you don’t want it too warm/thin), then transfer to a large mixer bowl.
19. Whip on high speed until lightened in color and thick enough to spread.
20. To decorate the cake, use a large serrated knife to gently cut off a piece of the log about 3 inches in length. Make the cut with a slight diagonal.
21. Use some of the chocolate ganache to attache the small log to the side of the larger log.
22. Spread the remaining chocolate ganache all over the cake, then use a fork to create bark-like lines all over it. Decorate with sugared cranberries and rosemary (instructions in notes), if desired.
23. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.
Notes
- To make sugared cranberries and rosemary, add 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until sugar has melted. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Spread 1/2 cup of sugar evenly on a shallow dish. Dip cranberries and rosemary springs to the sugar water, then roll in the sugar. Let dry before adding to the cake. I also used some of the clumps of sugar left behind to add “snow” to the cake.
- I prefer to use the mascarpone cheese when still cool, but softened, so that it’ll in corporate without chunks, but not get too warm. The warmer mascarpone cheese is, the more likely it is to soften to the point that it won’t firm up well again and can make too soft of a whipped filling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 502
- Sugar: 38.7 g
- Sodium: 462.6 mg
- Fat: 31.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 50.5 g
- Protein: 8.3 g
- Cholesterol: 142.1 mg
I made this cake yesterday and it turned out wonderfully! My cake roll did crack after it cooled, but the filling and frosting held it together perfectly. I used regular cream cheese and hersheys chocolate cocoa powder (not dark chocolate) and it still tasted amazing! I really like the way the frosting on the log turned out. I didn’t need to use a fork to make lines. Applying the whipped frosting with a small frosting spreader made the most realistic bark pattern! Thanks for the recipe! Everyone loved it and I’m definitely going to make it again!
Would this cake be okay sitting out for a few hours at room temp?
I made it last week with my MIL and it turned out fantastic. I would like to enter it in a baking contest this weekend but they are not accepting entries that must be refrigerated and they will be sitting out for a few hours.
It does need to be refrigerated but it also can sit out for a few hours and be fine. So if it’s only going to sit out for a few hours and then be refrigerated it would be fine.
Can this be made with gluten free flour and what would be a good substitute for the sour cream? I am allergic to wheat and yeast.
I’ve never tried gluten free flour, so I’m not sure. You could try it. I’d really recommend staying with the sour cream. The ingredients in this recipe are very intentional. But if you have to, you could try plain Greek yogurt.
How did the gluten free flour turn out?
Hi,
For the mascaporne whipped cream – I have sweetend whipping cream instead of heavy whipping cream.
Can I omit the powdered sugar and add the sweetend whipping cream to the mascaporne cheese? Also will the quantity remain the same that is 300 ml, if not how much will it be ?
Thank you,
Mayanka
I would assume quantity would be the same. The problem with leaving out the powdered sugar is that it stabilizes the whipped cream. Without it the whipped cream may wilt.
I love this recipe! I made it today, and it looks amazing. I didn’t have a jelly roll pan, so i used a cookie sheet lined with parchment and it did the trick. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
My first roll cake and not only was it easy, it was delicious!! So in love with these flavors. I can’t wait to take it holiday gatherings. This Busche de Noel will be a yearly tradition. Thank you!!
So glad to hear that!
This recipe is delicious. I made it keto last year and it was amazing but 2020 has me down so I’m going to make it just like the recipe this year and I can’t wait.
I do want to add, Yule is a pagan holiday and the yule log is part of our Yule celebration, hence the name. It’s not actually a christmas tradition though a lot of pagan rituals and sabbats are celebrated by christians now.
Lindsay! The sponge was incredibly light and the mascarpone was a nice touch balancing the sweetness and richness of the dessert! This was my first attempt at the recipe, or any Yule log for that matter. It carefully outlines each step, making this complex and intimidating dessert accessible to novices like me! The taste and balance of flavors are spot on! This was a practice run for Christmas night dessert! Thank you for sharing your talent.
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it!
I absolutely love the recipe. How do I unroll the cake without it breaking? This is my first time making it, Im in charge of all desserts for the holidays this year,
You just want to be very careful with it. It can be a little tricky. Just go slowly and keep an eye on it as you unroll.
This isn’t a Christmas tradition. This is Yule tradition.
We have made this way more times over the last month than I care to admit, ha ha, but we just love it! It just has such a light taste and nothing is too overpowering. My cake always cracks, but once you put the filling in and the ganache on, it doesn’t really matter. Mine never looks as good as yours, but it always has a great taste! This recipe is a keeper!! Do you have a strawberry cake roll recipe? I imagine I can add strawberries to the filling in this version, but was still interested in a white cake recipe. Thanks for your time!!
I’m so glad to hear you’ve enjoyed it so much! I don’t have a strawberry cake roll yet, but I’d love to add one soon.
I made this for Christmas dinner this year and it came out perfectly beautiful. I had an issue with the cake breaking across the width of it as I was rolling it up, and that break could be seen in the finished cake. I’m wondering if I rolled it up too tightly after it came out of the oven…what do you think? Anyway, it was absolutely beautiful and everybody raved about it. It tasted really fantastic. It is several steps to make and took quite awhile, but it was soooooo worth it. I even made the sugared cranberries and rosemary. What a show-stopper!!! I will definitely be making this again next year AND I think I will try making this – but not as a Yule log – by making the sheet cake, cutting into squares, spreading the filling on a square and topping with another square…then add the whipped ganache. Does this make sense? Think it would be great as an “anytime cake” rather than just as a Yule Log. Many thanks…I am about the try your Chocolate-Raspberry cake!!
I made this for Christmas and it turned out perfectly! I was a bit nervous about having to roll and unroll the cake, but I didn’t have any issues at all. I received tons of compliments and will definitely save this recipe. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so glad to hear it was a hit! Thanks Rachel!
Like Haley, I also had to add a 1/2 cup of confectioners’ sugar to the ganache.
This was my first Yule Log, and it made a special presentation with great flavors. I had to substitute raspberries for the cranberries, because our stores did not have fresh cranberries or even maraschino cherries available, but the sugared raspberries were lovely, too, alongside the sugared rosemary. I will more than likely use this recipe again. Thank you!
I made this cake twice over the holidays and it is really tasty. Love that the mascarpone isn’t too sweet – each time I made it, it came out beautifully and it went quickly! Just two things I had to tweak – I would suggest unrolling the cake when it is still slightly warm – the one I waited until it was completely cooled and it cracked horribly. Still salvaged it, but the one i unrolled and frosted while just a bit warm turned out much better. Also, I had to add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar to the ganache to get it to a thicker spreadable consistency. Will definitely make this again!! Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for this post. I made this with gluten free flour and it was delicious. It rolled fine in parchment but when I rolled w filling it was like a large log w cream inside but everyone loved it regardless. I also put some fresh berries inside. Can’t believe how easy it is to make whipped ganache- that will now be my go to for frosting. Merry Christmas.
Wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this for Christmas and it was a huge hit. I didn’t have time to make the sugared cranberries or rosemary, but it still looked great. The cake did break during the unrolling, but I patched it with the filling. Couldn’t tell anyway. Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!