The Bûche de Noël, or Yule Log cake, is a stunning culinary showpiece that traces its roots far back to the ancient celebration of Yule. Derived from the Anglo-Saxon word geōl, Yule references the midwinter solstice celebrations that were widely practiced throughout the ancient world to welcome in longer days and the impending sunshine of spring. Once Christianity made its way to the British Isles, some facets of the pagan celebration were eventually absorbed into the celebration of Christmas, including the medieval tradition of burning a massive log continuously in the fireplace for days starting on Christmas Eve. Centuries later, when many people had moved from the country to smaller urban dwellings with a woodstove, it simply wasn’t feasible to burn an enormous hunk of tree in the sitting room. The concept of the Yule Log was by then so deeply entrenched in the culture of Christmastide that it wasn’t long before the tradition was adapted yet again, this time into a decadent cake.
The Bûche de Noël as we know it today was first created in a Paris pâtisserie in the late 1870s. Consisting of sponge cake rolled up with a swirl of rich buttercream filling, the presentation of these cakes can range from simple and rustic to ornately decorated. My iteration lands somewhere in the middle, with a cheerful peppermint swirl and decadent whipped ganache frosting. Whimsical meringue mushrooms provide the finishing touch. Deceptively realistic in appearance, the mushrooms are not only simple to prepare but also delicious to eat.
The cake can be fashioned from any good jelly roll cake recipe, and while they can be made ahead and frozen, the project is approachable enough to tackle as a same-day Christmas day bake.
Ingredients for the cake:
½ cup all purpose flour
⅓ cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons corn starch
5 eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
A generous pinch of salt
1 teaspoon espresso powder
2 teaspoons vanilla or liqueur such as Kahlua
1/4 cup neutral vegetable oil
⅓ cup plain yogurt (not Greek), at room temperature
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Ingredients for the Swiss meringue butter cream and mushrooms:
6 egg whites
2 1/4 cups sugar
A pinch of salt
Three sticks butter (24 tablespoons), cut into cubes, at room temperature (65 degrees F)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract, to taste
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips, to assemble the mushrooms
For the whipped ganache:
1 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
½ cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons butter, cubed, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or liqueur
First, make the cake. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 13-by-18 rimmed half sheet pan with parchment paper. Lightly coat the parchment and pan with cooking spray or butter.
Sift together flour, cocoa, cornstarch and espresso powder. In the large bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the eggs on high speed until they become light and foamy, then slowly add the sugar, salt and extract or liqueur. Whisk on high until the mixture is viscous and leaves a ribbon that dissolves back into itself, about two to three minutes. Add a third of the dry ingredients into the egg mixture and use a rubber spatula to gently fold together. Repeat with two more additions of dry ingredients until fully combined. Mix the oil and yogurt together before folding into the batter until just combined.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and use the spatula to level the top. Place into the pre-heated oven and bake for just 10-12 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for a couple minutes and then use a sharp knife to release the edges from the pan. Dust the cake lightly with confectioners’ sugar. Then use the parchment on the bottom of the pan to roll up the cake longways. Transfer the rolled up cake to a rack and allow it to cool completely.
While the cake is cooling, prepare the ganache and filling. To make the ganache, put the cream in a bowl and heat in the microwave until it begins to bubble. Add the chocolate chips to the bowl with the hot cream and let it sit to allow the chocolate to melt, then stir until smooth. Set aside to cool while you prepare the filling and make the mushrooms.
Next, make the meringue for the filling and mushrooms. Whisk together the egg whites, sugar and salt in a heatproof mixing bowl. Place the mixing bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk continuously until the egg white mixture reaches a temperature of 165 degrees, about five minutes. Take the mixing bowl off the heat and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks have formed, about 10 minutes. Start out on medium and gradually increase the speed to high. When done the meringue should have cooled to slightly warm room temperature.
Place half the meringue in a piping bag or resealable zip-close bag. Use the remaining meringue to make the buttercream filling. With the whisk attachment of the mixer on medium-high speed, add the room temperature cubed butter to the remaining meringue one piece at a time, whisking on high until all the butter is fully incorporated. Add the vanilla and peppermint extracts.
Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and snip a hole about a quarter inch in diameter in the corner of the bag with the meringue. Make the stems by holding the bag directly over the baking sheet and squeezing while lifting straight up. Snip the hole in the bag slightly larger to make the caps. Slowly squeeze the bag while gently lifting up, then stop squeezing before pulling the tip of the bag away. Bake in the preheated 225-degree oven for three hours until dry and hard, then remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. To assemble the mushrooms, melt the chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave. Dip the flat end of the stem in the melted chocolate and use it to glue the stem to the flat side of the cap.
To assemble the cake, unroll the cake and spread about one cup of the peppermint frosting over the unrolled cake. Roll the cake back up and place it seam side down on a serving tray. Finish the ganache by whipping the cooled chocolate and cream in the stand mixer on medium-high and add the butter one piece at a time until it is light and fluffy. Use the ganache to frost the cake and decorate with the meringue mushrooms.
Ashley Meyer is a chef, freelance writer and mom of two based in Springfield.
This article appears in December 25-31, 2025.
