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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
Absolutely loved this cake! Stunning and and even better it was delicious!
I agree with other commenter though about the ganache making a bit more than you need. We ended up using the extras on waffles the next morning though so no chocolate wasted here. Might be on me though because I did have to add in a bit of extra chocolate to get the ganache to thicken up enough to spread on the cake. Overall I used one 12 oz bag semi sweet chocolate chips and one cup of the heavy whipping cream.
Hi there. I’ve just made this and it’s going wonderfully. I’ve just eaten the trimmed ends with my daughter while the ganache cools and it’s delicious. Our roll looks incredibly overfilled though and we followed the recipe exactly. Do you use all the filling? Ours looks twice as full as yours in photo. Just curious?
I did use all the filling, but you could reduce it I’d you prefer.
Really delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe!
This is one of the best recipes of ANYTHING that I’ve ever used. Thank you so much! I only tweaked the flour and made it GF. Your ingredients and instructions were perfect.
It was a fun cake to make, I actually made 2 cakes throughout the day. I followed recipe to the T and it was a huge hit at both xmas family gatherings. It was absolutely delicious!!! Thank you my 93 year old mom is still eating it after 5 days. Have a Happy New Year!
Made this for a Christmas dessert and it was a hit! I was concerned that it would be too chocolatey, but it’s absolutely perfect and easy to make. The hardest part was waiting for the cake to cool. I personally had too much filling and it made rolling a bit difficult, but it’s easy enough to use extra for other baking/eating. Definitely going to be making this again!
This was my first time making a Yule Log and it turned out both beautiful and delicious! However, I could not get my end swirls to look clean and defined after cutting off the ends. I tried touching it up but could not get a look I was totally satisfied with. Any tips for making them look as perfect as in the picture?
Thank you for taking the time to experiment with different options for the cake and filling, this thoughtful recipe is perfect exactly as posted. It’s light, airy, and not too sweet. I truly enjoyed making and decorating and the rave reviews from family and friends.
Joyeux Noel!
First a little history- my MIL loved sharing her French childhood memories and traditions. The Buche de Noel was one of her favorites, and always on our holiday dessert menu… and always from a bakery.
This year, I decided I would make the cake myself, I was determined, I searched many recipes. Finally, I decided on this one and it did not disappoint!
I made it exactly according to the recipe.
My family was amazed and loved it! I will make it again… and again… and again!
It is traditional, perfect and delicious, my mother-in-law would have been very proud!
Merci Beaucoup!
Made this for the first time this Christmas. My most favorite cake ever! Everyone loved it and was posting a picture of it on FB. Love, love, love the mascarpone filling!!!
This was perfect. Made it yesterday for our Christmas feast. I was worried I did something wrong with the ganache as it didn’t seem as thick as I thought it was supposed to be after whipping it, but it went on just fine and I made my bark lines, then it really firmed up in the fridge. And we are on lockdown here, so there’s lots left over for us 🙂
Was a BIG hit in my house yesterday, especially requested my mother..steps easy to follow. I needed to refrigerate ganache to get a good consistency to tech a spreadable frosting.. Delicious
I just made this for the first time and found it delicious.
But I had one question. I followed the cake recipe precisely but I found, when I added the egg whites that the dough was so thick — like cookie dough! — it was very difficult to combine them. Forget folding! Only after wrestling it did I manage to combine them at all. Is it always this way? The cake is very good but a bit heavy. Not too heavy, but a bit.
I don’t remember exactly how thick it was and it’s possible yours was a little thick, but the first bit of egg whites is added to help break it up, so it is on the thick side.
I made this and it was amazing. I’m super proud of my work, and thankful for you for helping me. My food critic aunt loved it so much. And she is very picky. Thanks!
Loved this recipe – easy to follow and great flavor combinations. The only thing I would note is that I found there to be much more ganache than needed, and was a bit of a waste of good chocolate. I would recommend starting with half the ganache recipe. You can always make more of you find you need it 🙂
Lindsay, thank you so much for this recipe! I made it yesterday and it was perfect! Wanted to let you know that your Buche de Noel was a success in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil! Merry Christmas!