Buche De Noel

Looking for the best Buche de Noel this year? Then look no further! This Yule Log cake is so soft, moist, and rich. It will surely be a big hit for your family and friends during this Christmas season! I'm sharing the simple methods & baking tricks to make the festive Christmas cake successful at home.

📌 What you'll learn in this post:

In this post, you'll learn essential baking tips, such as:

• How to make a fluffy sponge cake for a roll cake
• How to prevent the sponge cake from getting dried
• Tips for rolling a cake
• How to make a soft ganache

... and more!

Let's get started.

📌 What's In Buche de Noel?

Chocolate Sponge Cake

• Egg white: Ensure there are no yolks, liquids, or anything else mixed in the egg whites Also, ensure all the tools used are clean of anything other than egg white. This will ensure the egg whites get whipped properly (anything other than egg whites will affect the consistency!)
• Granulated sugar for egg white: Sugar helps to stabilize meringue for a longer time
• Yolks: We are whipping egg whites and yolks separately to make the sponge cake.
• Granulated sugar for yolks
• Cake flour: Use cake flour to create a soft texture.
• Baking powder: A little bit of baking powder is added to create a slightly fluffier texture since the oil in cocoa powder kills air bubbles in the whipped eggs more quickly compared to a regular plain sponge cake.
• Milk: The liquid helps to create a moist texture.
• Oil: Oil also helps to keep it moist.
• Salt: It adds depth in flavor.
• Cocoa powder: Use dark, good-quality cocoa powder for the best result.

Cake Syrup

• Water
• Granulated sugar

Chocolate Whipped Cream

• Dark chocolate: Use good-quality dark chocolate for the best taste. I used 55% dark chocolate. Adjust it as you like.
• Heavy cream (warm): It's added to make ganache first with the chocolate.
• Heavy cream (cold)

Ganache

• Dark chocolate: I used 55% dark chocolate. Adjust it as you like.
• Heavy cream (warm)
• Honey: Honey helps to keep the ganache smooth.

📌 How To Make Buche de Noel

Now, let me share detailed tips on each step, which are all crucial for making buche de noel at home successful.

Step 1: Chocolate Sponge Cake

Preparation:

1. Set up parchment paper on a half-sheet baking pan. (12" x 17" | 30 cm x 43 cm)
2. Sift cake flour and baking powder ahead with a fine sieve.
3. I also recommend mixing milk, oil, salt, and cocoa powder ahead of time to make the process a little bit easier, especially if this is your first time making it. (You can do it later while whipping the meringue once you start getting used to the process.)
   • In the beginning, it will look separated. Continue mixing until it looks nice and smooth. Set it aside.

Whip egg yolks.

Next, in the bowl, add yolks and sugar. Mix. Continue whipping until it looks fluffy and pale in color.

Whip egg whites.

1. Add egg whites in a separate bowl and start whipping at medium speed.
2. Add about half of the sugar when the meringue looks bubbly, like hand soap.
3. Add the rest of the sugar when it looks fluffier, like fluffy shampoo.
4. Mix it at low speed for at least 1 minute but ideally, more than a few minutes toward the very end to make the bubble smaller and create a silkier meringue. Stop whipping it when it is fluffy but not too stiff.

To check if it's whipped enough, mix it with a whisk, and lift it - It is ready when the tip curls up like in the image below.

Combine the yolks and meringue.

Immediately add that to the yolks while the condition is the best and start folding. Mix until about 50% is blended.

Add the sifted flour.

Continue folding just until you don't see any flour.

Add cocoa powder liquids.

Continue folding until 70 to 80% is blended.

I like to finish it with a spatula at the very end to catch everything on the side and bottom to make an even batter. Be careful not to over-mix at this point. you can stop as soon as everything is incorporated evenly!

Pour it into the baking sheet.

Immediately pour it into a baking sheet and spread it with the cake palette.

Toss sometimes to eliminate some big air bubbles.

Bake!

Bake at 355 F | 180 C for 8 - 10 mins until the surface bounces back gently when you touch it. 

After it's baked, gently take it out from the sheet and seal the surface with plastic wrap. It prevents the cake from getting dried and also removes the baked skin later - I'll show you how in the next section, but it's important to do it right after it's baked.

Step 2: Cake Syrup

Make cake syrup while the cake is cooling by heating water and granulated sugar together.

Prepare the sponge cake.

1. Once the cake is cooled completely, flip it gently, and remove the parchment paper.
2. Attach the new one and flip it back.
3. Remove this plastic wrap super quick to peel off the baked skin. If you see any part that didn't come off, gently rub the surface with a knife and clean your knife each time. There is no need to remove all of them perfectly!
4. As an option, cut one of the edges diagonally so that the end line fits a little bit better after you roll it. Trim the other side just to make it straight.
5. Also as an option, insert four to five lines of small cuts with about half-inch intervals on the side you'll start rolling to curl it a bit more easily.
6. Apply the cake syrup all over the surface.

Step 3: Chocolate Whipped Cream

Work on it while the sponge is cooling down.

Add warm heavy cream.

1. First, melt chocolate.
2. Add about ⅓ of the warm heavy cream and mix well until it's even.
   • Clean the spatula and the bowl on the way to make an even ganache.
3. Add about half of the rest and mix well.
4. Add the rest and mix.

Add cold heavy cream.

Pour cold heavy cream into the ganache and mix, dividing it three to four times, just like you did with the warm heavy cream.

Whip it!

Dip the bowl in icy water as you whip to make fluffy and smooth chocolate whipped cream. Whip it until it gets stiff and fluffy so that it can hold the body of the soft chocolate sponge after you roll it.

Spread the cream on top of a sponge cake. Don't spread too much cream near the end line to prevent it from coming out after rolling it.

Roll the cake.

1. First, make a small circle. Push the edge inward gently to make the round shape.
2. Once the small circle is created, hold the parchment paper with the other hand to prevent it from moving and pull the parchment paper forward to finish rolling. Ensure that the edge of the sponge cake is on the very bottom.
3. Push and fill the hollow with cream on the edges.
4. As an option, when you feel the sponge is not rolled tight enough, you can tighten it up by holding the bottom parchment paper and pressing the cake palette inward at the same time. Watch the video tutorial to see it visually.
5. Tape the parchment paper or wrap the cake with a towel to hold the shape.
6. Chill this in the fridge at least for 1 hour to make the cream firmer.

Step 4: Ganache

Make ganache.

I usually work on the ganache while we are waiting for the rolled cake to set in the fridge because it takes some time for it to get thickened.

1. First, melt dark chocolate.
2. Add warm heavy cream, dividing it into three to four times.
   • Clean up the spatula and bowl well on the way to make an even ganache. 

3. Add honey.
4. It looks very soupy in the beginning, but don't worry, wait for about 1 hour to 1.5 hours at room temperature and it'll slowly get firmer. As you wait, mix sometimes to make a smooth ganache. Once it gets to the consistency, use it right away before it gets too firm!

Slice the cake.

Use a hot knife to slice the cake clean. Warm it with hot water and wipe it each time you slice it.

First, trim the edge. Next, cut the log to any length you like.

Spread the ganache.

Connect all the logs using the ganache and fill the gaps between them.

Spread the rest all over the surface. It doesn't have to look pretty at this point - just cover the surface all over. Try to finish this part as fast as possible before the ganache gets hardened a bit too much.

Make patterns.

Create patterns using a fork. This is probably the most fun part. Have fun!!

Step 5: Decorations

I finished the decorations with some herbs and fresh fruits. Use any ingredients of your choice!

This cake is so soft and moist, but still chocolatey and rich. It's my favorite buche de noel! I hope you're going to like it too. Please let me know how you enjoyed it at home if you tried it.

📌 Frequently Asked Questions

📌 VIDEO: Watch How To Make It!

To learn how to make the cake visually and have a deeper understanding of all, watch the video!

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