yule log

There's nothing more impressive than bringing a log to Christmas dinner; a tiramisu yule log cake that is! It's not a difficult cake to make, but there are a good number of steps involved. You can make every part of this cake ahead of time and assemble it later.

Tiramisu Yule Log Christmas Cake

Parchment paper

eggs (room temp)

sugar

tsp real vanilla extract

all-purpose flour

coffee (room temp or cold)

Tbsp granulted sugar

heavy whipping cream (very cold)

oz pkg cream cheese (room temperature)

Recipe Chocolate Ganache (cooled to room temp)

Recipe Meringue mushrooms

Tbsp unsweetened Cocoa Powder

pistachios

Oreo cookies (frosting removed)

In the bowl of your mixer (here's the mixer I use), beat 6 eggs with whisk attachment on high speed 1 min. With mixer on, gradually add 2/3 cup sugar and continue beating on high 5 min. Mixture will be thick and fluffy (very important since you're relying on egg volume for the cake to rise)

Sift 1 cup flour in thirds into batter, folding with a spatula between each addition and scraping the bowl to ensure you don't have pockets of flour hiding at the bottom. Drizzle in 1/2 tsp vanilla and gently mix just until blended (do not overmix or you will deflate the batter). Spread batter into prepared baking pan and bake right away at 400˚F approximately 12-14 minutes or until top is golden.

Remove from the oven and quickly loosen the edges with a thin spatula. Right away remove it from the baking sheet keeping the parchment backing on. Place a second sheet of parchment paper over the top and roll cake into a log, starting from the narrow end. Cool cake to room temp.

How to Make The Sponge Cake: (Prep: preheat Oven to 400˚F. Line 15x21" baking sheet with parchment)

Stir together 1 cup coffee and 1 Tbsp sugar until dissolved. Unroll cake, removing the backing as you go and lay it out on the large baking sheet. Brush top evenly with Coffee Syrup and let sit while you make frosting (recipe below).

Spread frosting evenly over top of cake then roll, somewhat tightly, into a log shape, rolling in the same direction as the first time you rolled it. Trim off both sides of the roll to make it presentable. Slice 1/4 of the cake off on the diagonal ( 45˚ angle). Transfer the larger log portion to your serving platter. Place this stump over the top of your log with the flat side down. Refrigerate cake until ready to frost with chocolate ganache frosting.

Beat room temp chocolate ganache on high speed for 45 seconds to 1 min or until fluffy (don't over-beat or it may start looking a little grainy). Spread evenly over yule log, but don't frost the ends. Pull a fork across the entire surface of the log, making some spirals to add natural character. It helps to wipe the fork frequently with a paper towel as you go.

How to Assemble and Frost a Tiramisu Yule Log:

For effect: Dust the top with cocoa powder. You can also add sprigs of pine.

For the dirt: remove cream from Oreo cookies, then crush them in a ziploc bag with a rolling pin. Sprinkle crumbs at the base of the log.

For moss: finely chop pistachios and sprinkle in patches on your log.

Just before serving, decorate with mushrooms as you please. Don't refrigerate mushrooms or they will become sticky. Keep them in tupperware at room temp in a dry place until serving.

How to Decorate a Yule Log:

With whisk attachment, beat 1 1/2 cups heavy cream on high speed until fluffy/stiff and spreadable (1 1/2 - 2 min). Don’t over-beat. Transfer to a bowl.

In the same bowl (no need to wash the bowl or whisk after the whipped cream), beat softened cream cheese and sugar on high speed until smooth and fluffy (2 min), scraping down the bowl as needed.

Use a spatula to fold whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until very well blended (refrigerate frosting if not using right away).

How to Make Tiramisu Frosting: Tip: freeze or refrigerate mixing bowl and whisk 10-15 min prior to beating. The colder it is, the better it whips.

This chocolate yule log recipe will make your whole holiday! Chocolate cake spiraled around a fluffy chocolate filling &amp; frosted with whipped ganache.

Yule Log

eggs ((large))

vanilla extract

salt

cocoa powder ((I prefer natural, not Dutched))

baking powder

sour cream

unsalted butter ((1/2 stick), melted)

milk

cream cheese

heavy cream

chocolate,

egg white ((large))

cream of tartar

kosher salt

semisweet chocolate, (melted)

cocoa powder ((for garnish))

greens

cranberries

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, lightly mist the sides of a 10x15-inch jelly roll pan with non-stick spray, and line it with parchment.

Place the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl on whip on high speed for a full 5 minutes.  (The mixture should be very pale and fluffy, and tripled in volume.)

Fold in the flour, cocoa, and baking powder.

Whisk the sour cream, melted butter, and milk together, then fold the mixture into the batter.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing it out to the corners in an even layer.

Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, or until the cake is fully set and springy in the center but not dried out.

While the cake is still hot, dust it generously with powdered sugar and lay a clean kitchen towel on top.

Starting at one of the short sides of the cake, carefully roll it into a tight log and allow it to cool completely before filling, frosting, and garnishing.

To Make the Chocolate Sponge Cake

Place the powdered sugar, cocoa, cream cheese, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl, and whip together until smooth.

Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, and slowly drizzle the cream in while continuing to whip on medium speed.  (Stop frequently to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, to avoid lumps.)

When all the cream has been added, turn the mixer up to high speed and whip until the filling holds stiff peaks.

When the cake has completely cooled, gently unroll it and spread the filling on in an even layer.

Carefully roll the cake back up into a log, frost with whipped ganache, and garnish.

To Make the Chocolate Whipped Cream Filling

Warm the cream in the microwave (or in a small pot on the stove) until just beginning to simmer, then pour it over the chocolate and allow it to stand for 5 minutes.

Whisk the ganache together until smooth, then allow it to cool until firm but still soft.

Whip the ganache on high speed until fluffy (about 3 to 4 minutes).

Use a small spatula to frost the yule log cake with the whipped ganache, dust with powdered sugar, and garnish.

To Make the Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment.

Place the egg whites in a large, clean mixing bowl, and add the cream of tartar and salt.

Whip the whites on medium speed until foamy and just beginning to turn white.

While continuing to whip, add in the sugar very slowly (about 1/4 teaspoon at a time).

When all the sugar has been added, turn the mixer up to high speed and whip until the meringue is glossy and very stiff.

Transfer the meringue to a clean piping bag fitted with a jumbo round tip, and pipe half the meringue into small dome shapes; half the meringue into tall stems.

Bake the meringues for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until light and crisp.

When the meringues have fully cooled, trim the points away from the tops of the stems with a sharp paring knife.

Dip the bottoms of the caps in melted chocolate and adhere them to the tops of the stems, then dust the tops of the mushrooms with cocoa powder for garnish.

To Make the Meringue Mushrooms (Optional)

Dust the cake roll with powdered sugar, then garnish with meringue mushrooms, fresh greens, and sugared cranberries.

To Garnish the Yule Log Cake

The meringue mushrooms and sugared cranberries &amp; rosemary are completely optional garnishes. The recipe below includes both. For all make-ahead instructions, see recipe notes. I recommend watching the video tutorial above and reading the full recipe below before beginning. There's a lot of cooling down, chilling, and other moving parts here!

Bûche De Noël (Yule Log)

cup (120 grams) fresh cranberries*

rosemary

cup (240 milliliters) water

(160 grams) cake flour

Tablespoons (11 grams) unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder

eggs, separated and at room temperature

(200 grams) granulated sugar, divided

Tablespoons (30 milliliters) vegetable oil, canola oil, or melted coconut oil

Tablespoons (15 grams) unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder

egg white,

cream of tartar (about 1/16 teaspoon)

unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder (optional for dusting)

(28 grams) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

(240 milliliters) cold heavy cream

Tablespoons (30 milliliters) Frangelico liqueur

Tablespoons (15 grams) confectioners’ sugar

Tablespoon (5 grams) unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder

(60 grams) finely chopped hazelnuts (optional)

(85 grams) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped

(180 milliliters) heavy cream

Make the sugared cranberries and rosemary

If you want to decorate the cake with sugared cranberries and rosemary, start them the night before because they need to sit for several hours. Place cranberries and rosemary in a large bowl; set aside. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup of sugar and the water to a boil and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Remove pan from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Pour sugar syrup over the cranberries and rosemary and stir to combine. Let the cranberries and rosemary sit at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight (ideal). You’ll notice the sugar syrup is quite thick after this amount of time. Drain the cranberries and rosemary from the syrup and pour 1 cup of sugar on top. Toss to coat. Pour the sugared cranberries and rosemary on a parchment paper or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet and let them dry for at least 2 hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 12&#215;17 inch baking pan with nonstick spray or grease with butter, so the parchment paper sticks. Then line it with parchment paper so the cake seamlessly releases. Spray or grease the parchment paper too. We want an extremely nonstick surface for this cake roll.

Make the cake

Whisk the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside until the next step. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and 1/2 cup (100g) sugar together on high speed for 4-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Transfer to another bowl. Using the same mixing bowl you just had the egg whites in (no need to clean it), add the egg yolks, remaining sugar, oil, and vanilla extract. Beat together on high speed for 3-4 minutes or until thickened and light in color.

Add half of the whipped egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Beat on low speed for 10 seconds. Repeat with remaining egg whites and beat on low for 10 seconds. Add half of the flour mixture and beat on low or fold with a rubber spatula until combined. Repeat with remaining flour mixture. Avoid over-mixing and deflating those egg whites. Batter will be very light.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Gently bang the pan on the counter a couple times to pop any air bubbles. Bake for 18-19 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly poked with your finger. Cake will look a little bubbly on top when it&#8217;s done. That&#8217;s ok. Avoid over-baking cake because it will crack if over-baked. As the cake bakes, get started on the next step.

Prepare to roll

As the cake bakes, place a piece of parchment paper (larger than the cake) or a thin kitchen/tea towel flat on the counter. (Note: I find a kitchen towel is better to help prevent cracking.) Using a fine mesh sieve, dust parchment/towel with 3 Tablespoons (15g) of cocoa powder. Once the cake comes out of the oven, quickly run a knife around the edges to loosen it. Immediately invert it onto the parchment/towel. Peel off the parchment paper that was on the bottom of the cake as it baked. Starting with the narrow end, begin tightly rolling the hot cake up with the parchment/towel. Do this slowly and gently. The cake will be warm. Allow the cake to cool completely rolled up in the parchment/towel. Feel free to place it in the refrigerator to speed it up, about 3 hours and up to 1 day.

During this time, make the meringue mushrooms

Preheat oven to 200°F (93°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a completely clean residue-free large glass or metal mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg white, cream of tartar, and salt together on high speed until foamy, about 2 minutes&#8211; this is a small amount and the whisk on a stand mixer might not reach it, so whisk by hand until foamy if needed. With the mixer running on high speed, slowly add the sugar and beat until stiff glossy peaks form, about 2 more minutes. Snip off the end of a plastic bag or fit a round piping tip in a piping bag. I use and recommend Wilton 2A piping tip or any tip with around a 1/2 inch opening. Pipe quarter-sized circles (these will be the round mushroom tops) and 1-inch tall cones (these will be the stems). You will have enough meringue batter for about 16 mushrooms. I usually only make 8-12 and discard leftovers, but feel free to make all 16. Using a moistened finger (just a dab of water is fine), smooth down any peaks. If desired, lightly dust mushroom tops with cocoa powder using a fine mesh sieve. Bake for 2 hours. Do not open the oven as the meringues bake. Turn off the oven after 2 hours and let the meringues sit inside the cooling oven for 20 minutes. Remove meringues from the oven and cool completely. When they&#8217;re just about cool, melt the 1 ounce of chocolate in a double boiler or use the microwave. If using the microwave, melt in 15 second increments, stopping and stirring between each until melted and smooth. Cool for 5-10 minutes. (Easier to adhere mushrooms if the melted chocolate is a bit cool.) Once meringues have cooled, use a flat spatula to remove them from the baking sheets. Dot a bit of chocolate onto the center of the bottom of a mushroom top. Adhere a mushroom stem to it. Place back on the baking sheet to set. If stems or tops still have a little peak, scrape off with a knife or your spatula, as you see me do in the video above. Leaning them against the rim is helpful if they keep toppling over. Repeat with remaining tops and stems to form mushrooms. Let chocolate cool and harden, about 1 hour.

Remove the cake roll from the refrigerator and allow to sit on the counter for a few minutes to warm up as you prepare the whipped cream.

Make the whipped cream

Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, Frangelico, confectioners’ sugar, and cocoa powder on medium-high speed until medium to stiff peaks form, about 2-3 minutes.

Gently and very slowly unroll the cake. Spread whipped cream evenly on top, leaving about a 1/2 inch border around the cake. I like using a large or small offset spatula to spread. Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts on top. Gently roll the cake back up, without the parchment/towel this time. Roll it slowly. This part is messy. Carefully place on a cutting board. If the exterior of the cake looks moist, dust with a little cocoa powder. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days before shaping and topping with ganache.

Make the ganache topping

Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until it begins to simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil– that’s too hot.) Pour over chocolate, then let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate. Slowly stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted. Ganache will be thin, so it has to thicken before using. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour to thicken.

Remove rolled cake from the refrigerator. Diagonally slice a 3-4 inch section off one end. At this point, I usually place the cake on a serving platter. Place the angled side against a side of the roll, forming a branch. Slowly pour and spread thickened ganache all over the top and sides of cake. Feel free to leave the cut ends exposed (as you see in these photos) or spread ganache over the ends&#8211; there should be plenty of ganache to use. Use a fork to make textured lines resembling tree bark. Feel free to wipe the serving plate if ganache dripped all over.

Decorate with meringue mushrooms, sugared cranberries and rosemary, and a dusting of confectioners&#8217; sugar just before serving.

Cover leftover cake and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

I am DEFINITELY making this for Christmas..can’t wait to tackle it! Where can I get the tiny pine cones? Any idea?

Sally.  You are amazing. Just like this cake roll. It is beautiful. Too pretty to eat  I’m gonna try it if my family can get together at Christmas with this awful COVID going on ☹️ . Stay safe. Happy holidays and thank you for this amazing cake 

Hi Sally,

I actually made the whole thing, including the mushrooms as a trial run for Christmas. I only have one remark, my ganache did not get thick enough, I chilled it for two hours in the fridge and it was still too liquid. So I decided to whip it like whipping cream, which worked just as well. Maybe it's because I am in Europe and we have different chocolate here?

Anyway, other than that a wonderful recipe. I simply brushed some cranberries and rosemary sprigs with egg white and coated them in sugar afterwards. Works just as well and is less work, in case you are lazy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9aiA-LLzuA

The meringue mushrooms and sugared cranberries & rosemary are completely optional garnishes. The recipe below includes both. For all make-ahead instructions, see recipe notes. I recommend watching the video tutorial above and reading the full recipe below before beginning. There’s a lot of cooling down, chilling, and other moving parts here!

Get the full recipe: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/buche-de-noel-yule-log/

• Subscribe and turn on notifications to never miss a new video: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXSCbnLpg23d7WU5bIOAsBg?sub_confirmation=1

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Welcome to my kitchen! I’m Sally, a cookbook author, photographer, and blogger. My goal is to give you the confidence and knowledge to cook and bake from scratch while providing quality recipes and plenty of pictures. Grab a cookie, take a seat, and have fun exploring! 

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Yule Log Christmas Cake | Sally's Baking Addiction

Transform the yule log into a magical Christmas dessert using festive spices, a brandy butter filling and chocolate truffle icing for extra indulgence

Next level yule log

eggs, separated

light brown soft sugar

cocoa powder(make sure it’s pure cocoa)

½ tsp mixed spice

½ tsp ground ginger

sugar,

soft butter

icing sugar, sifted

brandy

tsp vanilla extract

dark chocolate, chopped

milliliters double cream

butter

white chocolate, chopped

bay leaves, rose leaves

icing sugar,

edible gold lustre, food spray

Line a 35 x 25cm Swiss roll tin with baking parchment and heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Beat the egg whites with an electric <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/top-five-whisks">whisk</a> until just holding peaks, then add half the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until the peaks hold. Set aside. Beat the yolks with the remaining sugar until pale and fluffy in a clean bowl. Sift in the cocoa, spices and a pinch of salt and gently fold them through. Beat in a third of the egg whites, then gently fold through the rest until you have an airy mousse. Pour into the tin and spread evenly. Bake for 12-15 mins until springy.

Sprinkle caster sugar over a large sheet of baking parchment. Turn the cake out onto the sugared parchment, then peel off the sheet you used to line the tin. Cover with a clean tea towel, then leave to cool completely. Trim the edges, then score along the inside edge of one&nbsp;of the short sides and roll it up from there, using the parchment to help.&nbsp;

To make the filling, beat the butter, icing sugar, brandy and vanilla together with an electric whisk for 10 mins until light and fluffy. Unroll the sponge, then turn it so that one long edge is facing you. Spread the buttercream over the sponge using a palette knife, keeping the end furthest from you clean. Using the parchment, roll the sponge up again into a roulade.

For the frosting, tip the chocolate into a large bowl. Put the cream and butter in a <a href="https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/five-best-saucepans">saucepan</a> and heat gently until the butter melts and the cream reaches simmering point, then pour over the chocolate. Stir to create a smooth mixture, then leave to cool, stirring occasionally, until you can spread it over the sponge. Make bark lines using a fork, then chill&nbsp;in the fridge for at least 30 mins.

To decorate with chocolate leaves, melt the white chocolate in a bowl over simmering water and paint the underside of the bay leaves with it. Put in the fridge to set for 30 mins, then gently peel away the bay leaves. Arrange over the log, then lightly dust with the icing sugar and lustre.

Festive Christmas Yule Log

Equipment needed

Stand mixer

Pastry brush

half-sheet pan (18 by 13 inches)

tea-towel (slightly bigger than the pan)

Spatula, offset spatula

fine-mesh sieve

Fork/tooth pick

For the sponge

eggs

g cocoa powder

g all purpose flour

vanilla

coffee /1 tsp expresso powder

For the ganache

semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped

whipping cream

sea salt

For the filling

g Cream cheese

Sugar syrup

water

liquor

To decorate

cocoa powder

fresh rosemary/pine/holly leaves

orange

chocolate shards

Paul Hollywood's sumptuous chocolate, raspberry and cream sponge falls somewhere between a Yule log and Swiss roll. Add a drop of Drambuie  for a cheeky adult twist

Bûche de Noël

vegetable oil, for greasing

golden caster sugar

eggs,

dark chocolate

raspberry, defrosted if frozen

little Drambuie (optional)

unsalted butter, softened

golden icing sugar

cocoa powder, sifted

tbsp milk

Heat oven to 220C/200C fan /gas 7. Line a 23 x 33cm Swiss roll tin with baking parchment and oil lightly. Whisk the caster sugar and yolks in a bowl until pale and thick. Melt the chocolate with 4 tbsp cold water in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir in the sugar mix.

Whisk egg whites to stiff peaks. Stir a spoonful into the chocolate, then fold in remaining using a large metal spoon. Pour batter into tin and bake for 12-14 mins until risen and just firm. Leave in tin until cold.

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