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!
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 1x
- 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) Dutch process 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 unsalted 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. You can just set the cake roll aside to cool completely, if you like. But to help avoid having the cake crack later, I like to unroll and re-roll the cake a few times during cooling to help it keep its elasticity. I first unroll it after about 5 minutes, then after another 5 minutes, and again after another 10 minutes. From there, I might roll it out 2-3 more times after 10-15 minute intervals. It should take about an hour to an hour and a half to cool completely, depending on the temperature of your home. You’ll want to fill it once it’s completely cool. Don’t let it sit for several hours.
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
- Cocoa powder: The recipe originally listed Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa powder. You can use any Dutch process cocoa powder, including Hershey’s. The Dutch process cocoa gives the cake a richer chocolate flavor than natural unsweetened cocoa powder, but you can also use that.
- 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.
- Mascarpone cheese: 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
Categories:
Cakes and Cupcakes, Christmas, Holidays, Recipes, Recipes with video, Sweets and Treats, Thanksgiving,
Excellent recipe. I followed the directions exactly and it turned out delicious and beautiful. I made the cake, rolled and filled it the day before. I wrapped it in plastic wrap and frosted it a few hours before serving. It was sensation at our Christmas Eve dinner.
Wonderful! Glad to hear that!
This is the best thing I’ve ever baked! Thank you for the recipe. I weighed the ingredients and followed the directions, and it came out perfect. I tried this recipe last year, but couldn’t find mascarpone. I used Neufchatel cheese instead.
**The mascarpone is what makes the yule log amazing and special.** If you can’t find mascarpone, I would use whipped cream cheese. But it’s just not the same at all. 🙂
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it! Glad you were able to try the mascarpone this time.
I made this for the first time this Christmas and it was a huge hit! Thank you for the recipe and the video!
Hi
When I doubled the recipe, the cake was very difficult to roll. Is this recipe for 2 logs? Furthermore, the cake became quite dry. The first time I made it, it was perfect but when I doubled the recipe – very disappointed.
I’m a little confused. Did you double the recipe to make 2 logs? Or did you double it and make 1? It’s meant to make one log.
I was worried this cake was going to be dense and too dark/rich for the kids in the family, but it was absolutely delicious and turned out beautifully! I can’t wait to make it again next Christmas!
I made this for Christmas and it was great. The cake, the filling, and the icing all taste amazing. It got rave reviews! There were no leftovers.
I love this recipe and would like to know if you have a recipe to make this like a traditional cake?
I didn’t do so great with the rolling part, but would love to make this again for other occasions as a round or square cake.
So glad to hear that!
I’m sorry, I don’t have it as regular cake and haven’t really tested what size cake the batter would work best for.
Turned out beautifully for a first timer over here! There was some cracking, may have cooked 1-2 min too long but thankfully we were able to repair/cover it up with the filling and chocolate ganache, you can’t even tell! Thanks for the step by step directions as well as the video!! Just what I needed
I’m so glad to hear that!
This recipe is the best ever! This is the third year I made it and it just gets better. I don’t have a large enough sheet pan but I just made a slightly smaller log. It comes out perfect when I just FOLLOW THE STEPS!
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it!
I made this for Christmas Day and I’m not really a seasoned baker. I was nervous about the rolling and unrolling aspect and made it the day before in case I failed miserably and had a plan B in place.
Score! It came out so cute. Just follow the video and you’ll be fine!
Signed “the nervous baker girl”
I’m so glad to hear that!
I just made this — my first bûche ! It tasted great (very rich, of course, but very good), but I had trouble with the cake. I baked it only 10 minutes (cake sprang back when touched) and followed the rolling instructions to the letter. The first roll went fine — but as I (carefully) unrolled and rerolled repeatedly, more and more, and larger and larger, cracks developed. I could still put it together, but the problem is that once you have large cracks, you don’t then see a nice clean spiral at the end of the cake. I think I would try this again with the method I’ve seen elsewhere — one roll of the naked cake (then unroll and fill).
Some day I may try making meringue mushrooms… but until then … the sugared rosemary and cranberries (and “snow”) are a lovely and easy decoration — well worth the couple minutes it takes.
I tried to make this cake last night and I loved it! I thought I couldn’t do it but thanks to your video it helps me a lot.
I’m so glad to hear that!
It’s Christmas Eve and I just realized I only have standard baking sheets, which are about 9×13 inches. Do you think I would be able to make two smaller cake logs using standard baking sheets rather than one cake log using the correct pan?
I honestly haven’t made that size, so I’m not sure. I’m not sure you’d get two 9x13s out of it.
I don’t have marscapone and it’s Christmas Eve. Can I use cream cheese or would it be best to just fill with plain whipped cream?
You could go either way. Cream cheese will work, so will increasing the whipped cream by a bit.
I did the roll every five minute method and the cake cracked in three places down the middle 😟 the first roll was perfect , what should I do if it’s cracked is it still usable ?
Did you let it sit too long after it cooled before filling it?
If it cracked, I would piece it together, add the filling and roll it as best you can. You won’t be able to tell when it’s decorated. Sorry you had trouble with it!
Hello! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I can’t wait to make it! Quick question about ingredients. I could not get mascarpone cheese – I waited until too close to the holidays. Could substitute ricotta cheese?
Ricotta may be ok. I’d just strain it. Cream Cheese would also work.
I’m planning to make this cake tomorrow for Christmas and was wondering what kind of plastic wrap you used? It looked like it was a lot thicker than traditional plastic wrap.
I will let you know how it turns out! I’m really excited!
It’s the Glad Press ‘n seal clear wrap.