Yule Log (Bûche De Noël)
This Swiss roll cake get's a light as air whipped filling with a dreamy chocolate French buttercream coating to look like a festive log.
Servings 12
Ingredients:
Chocolate Sponge Cake
- ¾ cup Cake Flour plus 2 tbsp
- 3 tbsp Unsweetened Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder
- ¾ tsp Baking Powder
- ¼ tsp Baking Soda
- 1½ tsp Kosher Salt
- 4 Eggs whites & yolks separated
- ⅔ cup Granulated Sugar divided
- 1 tsp Instant Coffee Granules optional
- 5 tbsp Prairie Farms Unsalted Butter melted & cooled
- ⅓ cup Prairie Farms Buttermilk room temperature
- 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
Whipped Cream Filling
- ½ cup Prairie Farms Softened Unsalted Butter room temperature
- ½ cup Vegetable Shortening
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar
- 3 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
- 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- ⅔ cup Prairie Farms Milk warm but not hot
Chocolate French Buttercream
- 2 Eggs room temperature
- 2 Egg Yolks room temperature
- ¾ cup Granulated Sugar
- ¼ cup Water
- 1½ cups Prairie Farms Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 8 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips melted
- 1 tbsp Kosher Salt
- 2 tbsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- Powdered Sugar for garnish
Directions:
Make Chocolate Sponge Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a large-rimmed baking sheet by coating with butter then lining with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add cake flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, baking powder, then whisk. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together yolks and about half of the total sugar until light and frothy. Add instant coffee, vanilla, melted butter, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in buttermilk.
- Add prepared dry ingredients into wet ingredients and whisk to create a slightly thick cake batter. Set aside
- In a large bowl, add egg whites and salt. Beat with an electric stand or hand mixer until foamy. Gradually add remaining sugar while beating. Continue to beat the mixture until stiff peaks form.
- Fold half of the egg whites into the prepared cake batter and once it is mostly incorporated, fold the remaining egg whites in until no streaks of white remain, being careful not to overmix.
- Add batter to prepared pan, spreading into a thin even layer. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted comes out clean.
- While the cake is cooking, prepare a towel to roll baked cake in. Lay a large tea towel flat on your work surface. Sift cocoa powder over the top of the tea towel to coat it in an even layer.
- Once cake has baked, working quickly, remove it from the oven and loosen the edges of the cake with a thin spatula. Immediately flip it over on top of the prepared towel. Fold the long edge of towel closest to you over the cake, then gently roll the cake up in it. Place it seem side down and let it cool completely in the rolled-up position. While cake is cooling, prepare your filling.
Make Whipped Cream Filling
- In a large bowl, add butter, vegetable shortening, and sugar. Beat with an electric hand or stand mixer until fluffy.
- Mix in 3 tablespoons of flour, beating after each addition to fully incorporate. Add vanilla extract and mix.
- While mixing, gradually stream in the warm to dissolve the sugar and take away graininess. Whip until the mixture is fully incorporated and fluffy.
Fill the Cake
- Once the cake has cooled, gently unroll it. Add filling and smooth it in an even layer over top of the cake.
- Gently roll the cake up with the filling inside. Drape the towel over the rolled cake, tucking it under the cake roll to make sure it stays in place. Gently slide the cake roll onto a baking sheet, then refrigerate until the filling has set, at least 2 hours.
Make Chocolate Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add eggs, yolks, and a pinch of salt. Beat with a whisk attachment until frothy, lightened in color, and voluminous.
- While the eggs are mixing, add the water and sugar to a small pot and cook over medium-high heat until it reaches 238°F. Remove from heat.
- With the mixer running on medium speed, slowly stream the syrup into the bowl of whipped eggs. Continue to mix until the bowl has relatively cooled and comes back to room temperature.
- With the mixer running at high speed, add butter in about 2 tablespoon-sized pieces, one at a time. If it looks like the mixture has separated, continue to mix until it comes back together. Keep whipping until all the butter is added and the mixture becomes glossy and smooth.
- Stop the mixer, then add vanilla and melted chocolate. Whip on high speed until the icing is smooth and silky.
Assemble and Ice the Cake
- Once the cake roll has cooled and your buttercream is done, you are ready to assemble your cake into a log. Gently unroll the chilled cake roll. On the right side of your cake roll, cut off the end to reveal an even spiral. Then cut about 1/3 of the log off. Cut that ⅓ piece in half at a diagonal.
- Place the remaining 2/3 of your log and put it on the serving platter of your choosing. Cut off a small piece at the opposite end to even out the edges. Place one of your smaller cut pieces on top of the main log, spiral side up, and the other piece on the side of your log, spiral side out.
- Start to ice your cake all over the outside, being sure to keep the spiral sides un-iced. Sift powdered sugar over the top of the log to resemble snow.
- Serve, slice, and enjoy!
Notes
Adding the instant coffee granules to the cake batter is optional, but it adds great flavor that compliments the chocolate.
This cake freezes very well as a whole if you would like to make it ahead of time and freeze it. When ready to serve, be sure to let it come to room temperature.
