Yule Log Cake (Bûche de Noël)

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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!

A slice of Yule Log Cake on a wooden plate with sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs and a fork with a Yule Loge Cake in the background
Overhead view of a Yule Log Cake decorated with sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs on a wooden cake stand

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 Best Chocolate Yule Log Recipe?

There’s so much to love about this particular Yule Log Recipe.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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!
Side view of a Yule Log Cake decorated with sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs on a wooden cake stand

More Great Christmas Cakes

Raspberry Chocolate Layer Cake
Chocolate Mousse Cake
Peppermint Chip Layer Cake
Italian Cream Cake
Eggnog Layer Cake
Snickerdoodle Layer Cake
Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Watch How to Make Yule Log Cake (Bûche de Noël)

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Side view of a Yule Log Cake decorated with sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs on a wooden cake stand
Recipe

Yule Log Cake (Bûche de Noël)

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 12 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 42 minutes
  • Yield: 8-10 servings
  • 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) Hershey’s Special Dark 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 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 ingredients 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. Set the cake aside to cool completely.
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

  • 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.
  • 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

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668 Comments
  1. Emily S.

    This cake turned out beautifully, everyone was so impressed with the presentation as well as the taste. The video showing how to make it was especially helpful. Thanks for an awesome recipe!






  2. Sabrina

    Hi! I didn’t see a link on the words “Watch How to Make Yule Log Cake (Bûche de Noël)”–could you please try relinking it? My cake cracked terribly when I tried unrolling it. Any tips to keep it from cracking? Also, could you perhaps add estimated times for things like cooling the cake and cooling the chocolate? I was wondering if my cracking issue was because I had it rolled up too long.

    1. Lindsay

      There should be a video underneath the watch how to make it title. It’s not a link. Not sure why you didn’t see it. Hmm. The video is also available on my YouTube channel and it has lots of tips as far as timing and how to keep the roll from not cracking.
      Thank you for the feedback on adding timings to the recipe. I do plan on adding some updates soon.

  3. S. Casiel

    Awesome recipe! I made it for a Holiday lunch for work, and everyone enjoyed it! This will definitely be added to my Holiday dessert rotation. Thanks for sharing.






  4. Kimberly

    Hi Lindsay! I followed the recipe exactly, and also watched the video but unfortunately my cake cracks were too deep and the cake fell apart. Is there anything I can do with the broken pieces to make something else?

    1. Lindsay

      I’m sorry you had trouble with it. Others have commented about making a trifle before. You could also make cake pops.

  5. Michelle Borin

    Recipe looks GREAT – can’t wait to try it. Is there a way I can incorporate raspberry extract to give it a hint of raspberry flavor? Thanks so much!






    1. Lindsay

      You can try adding some raspberry extract to the filling. Someone also mentioned spreading some raspberry filling on the cake before adding the mascarpone whipped cream. You could try that as well.

  6. Sam

    This was fantastic! The filling was delicious – I could have eaten that on its own. I made it a few weeks ahead of time and froze the unfrosted cake well wrapped in plastic wrap. Such a time saver during the busy holiday season. I made the ganache and decorated it after thawing. Everyone loved it.






  7. Dina

    This recipe is great. The taste, texture and presentation is lovely. Have made it during two holiday seasons already and both times I had French guests over and everyone loved it. Thank you! Greetings from the Middle East.






  8. Catherine

    My first attempt at making this cake was a HUGE Christmas Day tasty success! The easy step by step instructions led, unexpectedly, to a new holiday family tradition being created. Thank you!






  9. Kate

    My husband and I had so much fun making this recipe together. The directions were easy to follow, the recipe is delicious, and the cake comes out so pretty.






  10. Joanne Bergen

    This recipe is amazing. I made a bunch of mistakes but it turned out great! I made the filling before the cake was cool and had to put it in the fridge. The icing was too thin so I had to add 1 cup of powdered sugar. I rolled the log too fat and it looked more like a giant redwood, but it finished beautifully. And the taste! We couldn’t stop eating it, and it was all gone by the end of Christmas! Best cake I ever ate! Thank you!






  11. Tosha

    I just made this Yule Log for Christmas and it was absolutely divine. Everyone LOVED it!! My only issue was that my batter did not cover a 17×12 baking sheet. The batter was very thick and didn’t come close to spreading to that size. So, I didn’t have as much of a “swirl” as I would have liked. Otherwise, it was delicious!!






  12. Tina Collins

    I was nervous making this the day of the party….WOW what a huge success! I think my pan I baked it in was a little large, however..it worked. I loved the filling, and the presentation was amazing. I served 12 people and everyone cleaned their plate. Thank you for posting this. YOU MAKE ME LOOK FANCY






  13. Steve

    Made this for Christmas 2023 dessert and it was such a beautiful way to end a wonderful family holiday dinner. Everyone loved the presentation and the compliments were flowing after the first forkful. Thank you for this recipe. It will be a part of our holiday tradition for years to come!!






  14. Viloshna

    I tried this recipe for Christmas. The cake was delicious and a hit. The steps were easy to follow even for a newbie baker like me. I have saved the recipe and will surely be making it next year as well






  15. Chris

    Tried making this recipe. My cake was much more flat and didn’t rise like yours did. Not sure if the recipe didn’t make enough as it is or if I spread it our too thin on the 12×17 inch pan.






  16. Bob

    I studied several recipes before settling on yours. The flavors were just what I was looking for. I did notice that most other recipes had more eggs. I made your recipe using a total of six eggs and it made a beautiful sponge. This recipe is a keeper and was a big hit Christmas eve.






  17. Shelley

    Very good demo and directions!
    Rolling and re-rolling, as directed was key to preventing cracks. Came out beautifully! And it was scrumptious —






  18. Sheila

    This has become my go-to recipe for Christmas! It takes a while, but the directions are very clear and easy to follow. Better yet, the cake stays delicious for a few days in the fridge for those after-holiday nibbles.






  19. Emily G.

    As others have commented, I did not have any luck unrolling this cake, it was very moist and glued itself to the parchment paper. No amount of finesse was going to save this thing.

    However, I made lemonade from lemons and turned it into a trifle! Tear the cake into pieces, layer a small amount of the filling in the bottom of a bowl to keep the cake from sticking, followed by 1/3 the cake, half the filling, 1/3 cake, remainder of filling, then remainder of cake. Cut the ganache recipe in half and top the trifle with that, don’t worry too much if the ganache shows little bits of cake, you’ll cover it in the next step. Make rings/wreaths of sugared rosemary and berries – they don’t sell cranberries in the winter in Alaska, so I used raspberries. I was able to get 2 rings of raspberries and 2 rings of rosemary on mine, with a small sprig of rosemary sticking out of the middle of the final ring. Finally, sprinkle with the sugar clumps as suggested. It looked absolutely beautiful and I got SO many compliments! The cake is moist and flavorful, the filling is the perfect balance of tang and sweet, and the ganache is not overpowering.

    As another note, I used 1:1 Bob’s gluten free flour and cacao powder so that I could actually eat it, haha! They didn’t cause a problem with flavor or texture at all – in fact, everyone was surprised it was gluten free. I’m not sure if this contributed to the unrolling issue, but honestly, it makes a GREAT trifle with a beautiful presentation, so I’m not upset!






  20. Rivanna Crew

    This will be my go to every Christmas! Great instructions and tutorial (no cracked sponge!). Follow the steps and you can’t go wrong. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise!






  21. JJ Sager

    Thank you for the recipe, Lindsay, especially for all of the helpful tips and images. After following your directions carefully, we (my teens and I) baked our first Bûche de Noël. It was a smash hit at our Christmas supper on December 23, 2023. My sister-in-law said it was “perfect” (which was high praise coming from a skilled home chef like her). The Yule Log Cake will now be one of our holiday family traditions. Happy holidays!






  22. Tricia

    I have wanted to try this for years, but was too intimidated. I decided to go for it, and the results were spectacular. The video was very helpful. I followed the directions exactly, and am so happy with the results!






  23. Rathina

    Hi, this is such a delicious cake. It was my first time making a Yule Log and it turned out beautifully thanks to your step by step and easy to follow steps. The filling and ganache are delicious individually but when all 3 elements are combined, it’s incredible. Thanks a lot for sharing. I’ve made a few of your cakes now and they are all so great!






  24. Joni

    My granddaughter and I tried this recipe and it was a success! I am sure the next time it will be even prettier! Your video helped a lot. Thank you!






  25. Hayley

    This recipe is terrible, it cracked so much it was in multiple pieces and I did exactly what it said in the video, had to throw the whole thing out






  26. Heather

    Did this recipe easy to do. Fun and beautiful. I personally find it rolls nicer when flipped on a tea towel that’s dusted with coco powder.






  27. Suzy

    I have made this cake the last several Christmas’s. But I have done it the day of. If I make the cake with the filling on Saturday, and put it in the fridge, would it be good still to decorate on Christmas and not dry out?
    Thanks!!!

  28. Karen

    What a delight to make and rolled up beautifully. After the roll has cooled, can i place in refrig, wrapped in plastic ? (Keep it rolled in the parchment paper, too)I On Christmas Eve, unwrap, fill, and frost. Thank you!






    1. Lindsay

      Glad to hear it! once the roll has cooled, you’ll want to fill it or it’ll get more stiff and harder to unroll without breaking it. But after filling it, you can wrap it and refrigerate it.

  29. Patrice Brun

    This was so good! I ended up having to make it while holding my three year old “Like a little baby” as per her demand and it was still pretty easy! Also, we just moved to Denmark and haven’t bought a mixer yet, but it still turned out so good. The leftovers are in the fridge and everyone in the house is chomping at the bit for round 2.






  30. Jasmin

    I am no baker. However, I have just successfully made this for a second year in a row, so it wasn’t beginners luck the first time! Very easy instructions, some patience is needed with the rolling and unrolling, if it cracks a little, thats what the ganache is for! The filling is DELICIOUS. Huge fan. Thank you!






  31. Den M.

    Lindsay, Another question, re filling. You have a chocolate version of the mascarpone whipped frosting, would that would as well with the log? Also, how do you feel about your chocolate mousse filling for this yule log. Maybe one works better than the other for storing a couple of days? Your suggestions will put me on the right track, thank you.

  32. Den M.

    Lindsay, I am glad to have found your version of the yule log as your comment re trying others that were dry and not tasty has been my experience. I see your recipe has a few remedies for this. I wonder if a flavored simple syrup would work with this cake to help moisten/flavor it? My question is, can this cake be make and rolled and stored a couple of days prior to filling and frosting, or should cake be completely finished and stored? I don’t want to do anything in advance if the result would diminish the final cake too much. Any suggestions as to what steps can be done in advance would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

    1. Gail

      This is a great recipe and a beautiful cake. I make two or three every year. Making two tomorrow, one for Christmas and one for my mother in law to take to her Quilting Circle Christmas Lunch. She’ll be the star of show when she shows up with this beautiful cake. Sometimes instead of cranberries and rosemary I cut holly leaves and berries off our tree and sugar those.






  33. Melanie Boudar

    This was easy to follow and the cake was a show stopper. I added a thin layer of Raspberry ginger jam inside along with the mascarpone crea. This year I’m making it in AZ for Xmas and will add a thin layer of prickly pear cactus marmalade. Wish I could upload a pic. I even made marzipan mushrooms and fungus for the log.






  34. Jessica

    Hello! I love this recipe so much and it’s a family tradition every year to make it for my family during Christmas. I completely blanked out about what kind of butter to use. If it doesn’t matter, then problem solved! Also, any tips on how to get the cake to not stick to the towel? Also, if I make this about 20-24 hours before we’re actually going to eat it, do I stick it in the fridge? And will it stay the same texture, taste and be okay to eat? Thanks so much and have a great Christmas.






  35. Tricia T

    I made this today and it is delicious. I did add a tsp of espresso powder to the dry ingredients for the cake to really enhance the chocolate flavor. The cake is really moist and flavorful, the mascarpone filling is light and fluffy and the ganache is really good too. I used a pastry brush to get the texture look of a log instead of a fork.






  36. Lan Norwood

    I made this yesterday for an early family Christmas. It looked great and tasted great! Definite crowd pleaser!






      1. Gabby

        I’m currently making the cake right now, I ended up buying the Dutch cocoa by Hershey’s and the cake is coming out good so far! The cake did have a slight crack in it but it isn’t severe so I’ll work it out. The only thing I did different is find another recipe for meringue mushrooms that I’m going to add to the final product.

  37. Sheila

    I did not have luck making this cake. My first attempt (the cake part) had to go right into the trash. After initially rolling it, I could not get it to unroll, no matter how careful I was. It stuck to the parchment paper as though glued. My
    second try was only slightly better. I sprinkled the cake with powdered sugar this time before rolling. It seemed to unroll, and re-roll successfully with that. But when I unrolled it for the final time (when cooled and ready to put the filling on), I found deep, deep cracks. I managed to fill it, pasted together enough with the filling, and wrap it in cling wrap and refrigerated it. I’m debating whether or not to go ahead and ice it with the ganache, hoping to cover and seal the cracks. Or, just cut my losses and throw this one away also. Very disappointed with my attempts. Not sure where I went wrong.

    1. Lindsay

      Did you watch the video by any chance? I walk you through how I do it. Also, how long did it sit while cooled before you unrolled it to fill it? I notice that the longer I let it sit, the more likely it is to crack when I unroll it again.

      1. Sheila

        Thanks for your reply. I watched your video a number of times and really appreciated the detailed instructions. So, I tried a third time but had the same results. Deep cracks, all the way through. The filling serves as glue, so I patched it together as best I could. I live at high altitude, 5280 ft above sea level, so maybe that contributes to my struggles. Anyway, chocolate goes a long way in covering my mistakes; just not the pretty centerpiece holiday dessert I was shooting for. But, thanks again for your assistance.

  38. Theresa Cory

    Easy recipe and your tips were super helpful! I did decrease the whipping cream a bit for the filling and added Bourbon Cream, yum! Also added a bit of cinnamon and clove to the filling.

    Thx again and Merry Christmas!!






  39. Rebecca

    I have tried making this twice and both times it has come out quite a dense sponge, almost rubbery. I can’t figure out where i’m going wrong- any suggestions? Thanks!






    1. Lindsay

      Hmm, hard to say from a distance. Did you watch the video to see if you noticed anything that was different than what you did? A couple things you could check – is your baking powder still good? Did you use regular cocoa or the dark/dutched cocoa? Did you over mix the batter after adding the flour? Were you careful to gently fold the egg whites into the batter so that they didn’t deflate?

  40. Lynn

    I made this for Christmas last year. It was a SUPER hit. They especially loved the mascarpone filling. I didn’t do the candied cranberries, just used a small holly & berries decoration. It was so good that I’ve been asked for it again this Christmas dinner. Thank you. Your instructions are so great too, detailed enough to answer all the questions one might think of!






      1. Lynn

        I have to say, it was even easier to make it this year. A total hit. Everybody thought I was a professional baker. Although I never started really baking until I retired from work. Very very much appreciated your video. Thank you for making me the star of Christmas dinner!






  41. Chris

    This recipe has become a fixture in our Christmas season menu. The cake, filling and ganache are so delicious and it’s beautiful. For something that makes such a gorgeous impression on the table, it’s actually pretty easy to make. Just follow the steps and don’t wing it or make substitutions.






  42. MB

    Made it for Christmas party and it was delicious!!!! It was a bif hit even with people that are not much into chocolate! There was no leftovers but I have fantasies about making another one for myself and eating it with a tiny fork hahaha






  43. Dieter Kreuzer

    Hallo,
    please, i need this recipe in German…
    or the unit of measurement for Europe.
    That’s not standard for european people 😉
    Thanks… Dieter from Cologne

    1. Lindsay

      I’m confused, how is it not in the right measurements. Weights are included. The only one missing is the butter, which would be 56g for 1/4 cup.

    1. Lindsay

      For the cocoa in the cake? I believe you can, the chocolate flavor just isn’t as strong. I really do prefer the Dutched cocoa in this one.

      1. Claudiann

        If I make it 4 days in advance, should I wait to frost it until the day I’m going to serve it?

      2. Lindsay

        You could do it either way. The frosting could actually help it stay more insulated and moist, as long as you cover the ends with something.

  44. vj

    I made this over the weekend. Mine didn’t look as pretty as yours, but if was delicious. Took it to a function. It was a hit. Everyone loved it. Only problem- no left overs to bring home, lol.






  45. Jenna

    I’ve always wanted to learn how to make this, so in 2020 I did! Your recipe is absolutely delicious and I have been making it every year since! I’m about to make 3 for a Christmas party we’re having and know it will be the hit of the dessert table. Thank you so much for a great recipe!!






  46. Maria

    I’d like to make this with a vanilla cake, would I just remove the cocoa powder and keep the rest of the ingredients for the cake the same? Thank you!

    1. Lindsay

      You could try it, I’m just not sure if it’d turn out as well. I haven’t experimented with a vanilla version.

    1. Lindsay

      Probably, but I will say that the longer it sits after cooling, the more likely it is to crack when you roll it back out. I made the roll part not long ago and it rolled out beautifully and was totally cooled, so I left it overnight because I couldn’t fill it then. It totally cracked – badly – the next day. I made a new one and rolled it shortly after it was full cooled and there was no problem. So can you? Maybe. It just depends on how long it can sit before it’s an issue. I hope that helps.

  47. Ines

    I love this recipe. It’s easy and the results will definitely be delicious. I also have to comment that your video is wonderful. Your instructions are clear and helpful. Thank you.






  48. Beth

    I was going to make this for the holidays but I hate dark chocolate! Does it taste like like regular dark chocolate when you add all the other ingredients?

    1. Lindsay

      I really think taste is subjective, so what I think may not be what you’d think. That said, the dark chocolate in this cake is not overpowering. I actually felt like the regular cocoa didn’t give a strong enough flavor.

    2. Lorie

      Hi Beth! I do not like dark chocolate at all! Just made this for my husband and tried a bit of the cake while I was decorating it and it was really good, I personally didn’t get that dark chocolate taste.






    3. Lily

      Hi! I just saw this recipe and want to make it for the first time.the video is perfect! I want to make sure,is it ok to freeze completely finished? Thanks!!!

      1. Lindsay

        I’m glad the video is helpful! You should be able to freeze it full finished without a problem. I may just wait on the sugared cranberries and rosemary, since the sugar could melt a bit during thawing.

    1. Lindsay

      I’m glad you enjoy them! I think how you save them really depend on your preferred method. You could always refer back to your emails, print them out and store them in a book, or Pin them if you have a Pinterest account. I also hope to be adding something to my site soon (hopefully by January) that would allow you to create an account and login and save recipes that way.

    1. Lindsay

      You could cut the ends wither before or after you frost it, but it would give a cleaner cut if you do it after you frost it.

  49. Jon

    I made this for a birthday and no one could believe it was homemade. The cake and filling are perfection, light and creamy. I found the ganache icing to be a little too sweet but no one else thought so. I think without icing just a sprinkle of icing sugar or perhaps a dark chocolate shell would finish the taste more perfectly. Decorating tip: cut chocolate macaroons (the chocolates not the cookies) in half and stick them on the sides, looks like wood conk (reishi) mushrooms! Great cake, thanks for the recipe!

      1. Lindsay

        It should last well in the fridge for 3-4 days, so any time in that timeframe would be fine. But you can also freeze it. I like to freeze it after I roll it with the filling and then decorate it after I thaw it in the fridge.

  50. Yoan Tremblay

    Is it possible to freeze this dessert ? I was thinking about making it then freezing it and gettuling it out the day I need it.

  51. Jacqui

    Thank you for sharing this.
    I have a Christmas party and am really gonna try baking this.

    Can I use Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder?

    Getting all excited to hear from you.

    Thanks in advance.

  52. Barbara Turner

    When I was in my teens, I used to make 3 or 4 actual Yule logs every year! The hardest part is waiting for them to set in the freezer! LOL

  53. Stephanie

    SO delicious!!!! Everyone loved it. Recipe has many steps but well described. I would like to make it again this Christmas but am wondering how long in advance I could make it? Does it freeze?






    1. Lindsay

      Awesome! So glad it was a hit! It lasts pretty well and should be fine in the fridge for at least 4-5 days. And yes, you can freeze it. I would probably freeze the cake roll after you fill it and prior to decorating it. It should be fine frozen for up to 2 months. Just thaw it in the fridge before decorating and serving.

  54. Dawn Bond

    I made this now a few times it’s fantastic and a huge hit . How long ahead of time can I make this for a birthday?






  55. Rainy

    This recipe was awesome; the whole family loved it. I added some orange zest to the icing which gave it a nice pop, but it would have been just as good without it.






  56. Cathy Jones

    This was a hit!… however it did crack and split a bit. I have made these yrs before esp pumpkin rolls and they didn’t split. However this one did…I put the cheese filling in the same day after it cooler and rerolled. Then I double wrapped it and froze it for 3 wks! I then took it out and put the ganache frosting…I was worried since I didn’t use it for so long. But it was an instant HIT. Loved the flavor…not too sweet and the sponge cake was wonderful. I have had lots of requests for the recipe! Thank YOU!






  57. Julie

    Can I make the cake and fill it then leave in fridge for a couple of day before I put the chocolate ganache on it

  58. Andrea thornley

    I made this xmas snd loved it – making it again for a birthday , can i freeze the roll with icing inside of it a whole week ahead?

    1. Lindsay

      So glad you enjoyed it! Yes, freezing it with the filling inside for a week should be fine. Just wrap it well and then remove the wrapping and thaw it in the fridge.

  59. Aimee

    I made this cake for a friend’s woodland-themed baby shower and it was a huge hit! It tasted SO yummy! I’m not an experienced baker, so it was a challenge for me, but thanks to thorough instructions I was able to do a good job. My cake fully cracked into three pieces when I unrolled it, but it held together just fine with the cream and cooling up in the fridge in the plastic wrap. This could be because I cooled the cake in the parchment overnight in the fridge, and that may have been too long/cold. Mainly my issue was with the chocolate ganache at the end: despite cooling and lots of whipping it was really hard to spread (it would stick to whatever I spread it with more than the cake itself) and when I tried to drag the fork to make bark lines it kept pilling up and not spreading out of the way like icing would. The taste was absolutely delicious, but my bark looked a bit more like real bark and less “picture cartoon perfect” like your photo haha. I wish I could post photos because in the end it was a real glow up compared to how it looked in progress!






    1. Lindsay

      I’m glad you were happy with it! As far as the cake cracking, that can happen, but I definitely wouldn’t recommend refrigerating the cake prior to unrolling it next time. Cakes firm up in the fridge, making it less pliable for unrolling. If you are leaving it overnight, just leave it at room temperature. I’m not sure I know what happened with your ganache, but I’m glad it still turned out nicely.

  60. Monique K Rizzo

    I made this yule log this year. It was fantastic.
    My daughter turns 21 this week and asked me to make it in a double layer round cake form. I am going to try. Wish me luck!!

    1. Lindsay

      So glad you enjoyed it! I’m not sure how it’ll do as a layer cake, but I hope it turns out well. If you end up looking for another chocolate cake. I highly recommend this chocolate cake.

    1. Lindsay

      I’m sorry that happened! Try unrolling very slowly and watching it as it unrolls to unstick any parts that look like they’re sticking as you go. Also, try not to roll it too tight when you initially roll it.

  61. Baker123

    Thank you for this amazing recipe! I love the marscarpone filling and often use it as frosting for different cakes. What should I do if the cake cracks? It makes it hard to spread the ganache on the cake because it keeps tearing. I just didn’t use the ganache but it still tasted delicious.






    1. Lindsay

      Glad you enjoyed it! As for cracks, I’d just try your best to push things together as you spread the filling and roll the cake so that it’s as un-noticeable as possible.

  62. Joy Steuer

    I have been making yule logs for years as a family tradition. This year I decided to try a new recipe because the one I usually make takes many hours and the flavors are a bit rich for some. This recipe was just what I was looking for, less time and more universal flavors that even the kids would love! This cake was a total hit, everybody said it was my best yule log yet! I did have some issue with the sponge cake sticking when I unrolled it, which caused it to crack. I followed one reviewers advice to use cocoa powder to prevent sticking, but I feel like that actually made it stick, because the cake was still warm when I added the cocoa powder and then when I went to unroll the cake, it was sticky. I don’t know if that was the cause, but I will try without the cocoa powder next time? Even though the cake cracked, I was still able to work it and create a beautiful roll up cake! I did add a tad of powdered sugar to the ganache (about 1/8 cup) because I only had bittersweet chocolate instead of semi-sweet, it turned out perfect! I really love the chocolate cake recipe for this, it was the perfect consistency. Every single piece of this cake was eaten, makes great treat with coffee the days following Christmas <3 THANK YOU for helping me enhance a beloved tradition!!!






    1. Lindsay

      I’m so glad it was a hit! Sticking and cracking are definitely tricky sometimes. I’m not sure that cocoa powder would help. Part of the problem with cake rolls is that the moisture from the condensation from the heat when you roll it up just creates stickiness. Unrolling it slowly and carefully helps. Also not rolling it too tightly. Glad you enjoyed it!

  63. Jan

    When you say to combine the egg yolks and sugar and whisk together until well combined do you mean beat them until pale and fluffy like a chiffon cake or just combine them?






  64. Connie Bisschops

    I made this for Christmas! It was my 1st time making one and it was perfect! The only thing different I did was I just made a whipped cream filling, no cheese.






  65. Nancy

    This was wonderful. I have also decided I will use the marscapone filling for my next pumpkin roll. As so many of your recipes, you have once again knocked it out of the park!






  66. Karen

    Mine turned out a little more “rustic” than the pictures, but still looked good. It tasted better, ever my picky oldest went back for more.






  67. Skippy

    This cake was divine!! It looked spectacular and tasted even better!! The flavors and textures balanced each other well and I didn’t find it to be too rich or too sweet. The mascarpone filling was by far my favorite part!! I will say that the process is more time-consuming than difficult but the results are worth it. I decorated mine with meringue mushrooms, sugared rosemary and raspberries then dusted it with icing sugar.






  68. Janice Clark

    This recipe is wonderful. I had tried another buche recipe years ago and found that cake was dry and had a weak chocolate-spice flavor—yuck! But this one is chocolatey and moist. One note on making the ganache: I had to chill it for about 15 minutes before whipping to get it to spreadable consistency. And to make my life easier, I baked, filled, rolled and tightly wrapped, and refrigerated the buche to day before so that I had only to make the ganache and ice and decorate on Christmas. I made meringue mushrooms for decoration. Everyone oohed and aahed at the presentation and gobbled up the cake. Thank you!

  69. Robin G

    Great version of a Buche de Noel BUT I will not be making this or any other recipe from this site. Ads kept popping up on screen, obscuring the recipe. It became very frustrating trying to measure out ingredients or read recipe steps when ads were superimposed. If I can’t read the recipe, I can’t make your beautiful bakes.

    1. Ann

      Print or screen shot next time, the ads are how they are able to continue to share their beautiful recipes for free with the world. Spread joy and appreciate the good things!

  70. Tara

    3rd year making this recipe and I love it. First year doing the sugared cranberries though. I seemed too have a lot of the whipped filling so I saved some. Not complaining about that though! Thanks for giving such great instructions. Can’t wait to have it for Christmas dessert!






  71. Wendi

    The directions are not super clear…in the middle of making it, I remembered that sponge cake needs whipped egg whites to make it a sponge cake. The directions did not state this. Then when I as making the ganache, you need to chill the melted chocolate mixture before you whip it. Again, just some inaccuracies in the directions. Some bakers are not very experienced and would have made the recipe as written and had a mess on their hands.






    1. Lindsay

      Yes it does. Step 6 is where you whip the egg whites. And you don’t need to chill the ganache before you whip it. You only need to let it cool to room temperature, which is stated in step 18. all the instructions are there and very clear. I hope you enjoy the cake!

  72. Charlotte

    This is the best cake ever. My kids love it! It’s a tradition for sure. My question is- how far in advance can I roll the filling in the cake? I serve Christmas lunch tomorrow at 4pm- can I roll the cake today and put the ganache on it tomorrow?






  73. KT

    This has worked for me so far. I am at the filled roll stage. I watched the Youtube video that one of the other commenters linked to. I personally transferred my cake (it took two people) from the parchment paper to a towel dusted with cocoa powder. I then rolled it up VERY CAREFULLY. I left it in the fridge for an hour before unrolling. There were a couple cracks, but nothing that couldn’t be salvaged. You need to move VERY slowly. Hope this helps someone! The whipped cream (which I made with plain skyr yogurt instead of mascarpone) is delicious, I ate a bunch of it while filling up the roll. So far, so good.






  74. Dani

    First time making this and it’s wonderful. Moist cake and excellent filling. I have one question: after it’s frosted and ready to go, how do you store it so it doesn’t dry out? I imagine plastic wrap would ruin the look of the frosting/ bark. Any insights appreciated!






    1. Lindsay

      If you have a cake carrier, that would work. Otherwise it does pretty alright on its own. It’s fairly insulated by the ganache.

  75. Laura

    We have made this a few years in a row and it is a big hit! Can I make the cake and cream part the day before and then keep it in the fridge so that all I have to do on the day is ice it and decorate? Thanks!

  76. Maryann Fiel

    We’ve been using this recipe for 4 years now and it never disappoints! It’s our Christmas Eve Eve tradition! Everyone is always blow away by the presentation and the flavor!






  77. Tracie

    My daughter tried this tonight for Christmas Eve tomorrow. The top of the cake stuck to the parchment paper and it broke into pieces when she tried to unroll it. She had cooled it in the fridge and let it come back to room temperature first. Any advice?

    1. Lindsay

      I wouldn’t have refrigerated it prior to unrolling it. It can dry it out a bit or even cause condensation to form if the cake was still warm, which could make it stick more. Let it cool at room temperature, then unroll it slowly and carefully.

      1. Tracie

        That makes total sense! Thank you for replying so quickly. She’s going to give it another try.

  78. Dorothy Johnston

    I’ve made this once before, and it turned out delicious and beautiful! This time, it kept sticking to the parchment paper, cracked everywhere, and i couldn’t get it right! What should I do?






    1. Lindsay

      If you just roll it as best you can with the filling, it should still be fine. I know that’s not ideal, but it will still look and taste great. I’m not sure what the difference was for you this time, but cake rolls can certainly be finicky.

  79. Amy Rumberger

    I made some Brigadeiro (Brazilian Fudge) studded with sliced almonds to make little pinecones to go with mine. 🙂 Thanks for this recipe!

    1. Lindsay

      That pan is slightly larger, so it may not bake as long and will be a little thinner. I don’t know if that will make it any harder to roll or unroll, or anything.

  80. Carrie

    I have made this recipe 3 times. All 3 have been delicious! I did have problems with cracking but the ganache covers up nicely.

  81. Liberty

    I just made this today for my family’s Christmas Eve Eve Eve celebration, and it was a total hit! Not to mention, it gave me a huge boost of confidence as a home baker to take on beautiful center piece bakes like this. Great recipe and amazingly informative instructions. Thank you!!!






  82. ayla

    no hate but this worked horribly, the cake completely broke when i tried to roll it. the whole cake is too dry to roll even though i followed the instructions exactly

  83. Laurie

    I’ve made this a total of 4 times but only 2 came out well enough to use. The flavor is great, but I have so much trouble unrolling the cake without cracks to get it nice and clean like pictured. Is it me? Lol






    1. Amy

      I made this last year for Christmas, and it was a showstopper (and so delicious)! I was worried about unrolling the cake, too, but I found this video super helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfTA1ZHd7J4. She uses a tea towel to roll the cake, let it cool, and then unroll before filling with the cream. I used Lindsay’s recipe, but used the technique in the video for rolling and unrolling the cake. Hope that helps!

    2. Denise

      I also had problems with a lot of cracks 5 at least. But the whipped cream spread ok and I was able to roll it up. I hope the ganache will hide all cracks. PS I live in Colorado at altitude .

  84. Stephanie

    Although it takes a bit of time this recipe was simple and foolproof. Not to mention unbelievably delicious! The mascarpone sweet cream filling 🤤 I could just eat it with a spoon. I love the extra instructions on making the decorations as well. It was a huge hit at our Yule gathering!






    1. Lindsay

      A slightly smaller pan should be ok. Your cake will be a touch thicker and may need a few extra minutes to bake and won’t have quite as much length when cutting it into two pieces to make the two parts of the long. But it should be fine. Hopefully it won’t make it any more likely to crack.

  85. Brooke Buchanan

    I ‘m excited to make this gorgeous cake today but I don’t have a 17×12 pan. Can I use my 15×10 inch jelly roll pan with this recipe?

    1. Lindsay

      A slightly smaller pan should be ok. Your cake will be a touch thicker and may need a few extra minutes to bake and won’t have quite as much length when cutting it into two pieces to make the two parts of the long. But it should be fine.

    1. Lindsay

      Since the filling is basically whipped cream, it might deflate a bit if you let it sit and then stir it up again.

  86. samantha blayney

    planning to make this cake for my Christmas dinner, I’m wondering how far in advance I could make it.. could I bake it on the 23rd for the 25th?

  87. Martha Mason

    Looking forward to trying this for Christmas dinner. will a 1/2 sheet pan work (instead of a jelly roll pan)?

    1. Lindsay

      Since that pan is a touch bigger, your cake would be a little bit thinner and wouldn’t bake as long. I haven’t worked with it in that size to know if that’ll make it any more or less difficult to roll and unroll. And then of course your cake layer will actually be thinner with the filling. Assuming the rolling and inrolling isn’t an issue and the thinner cake doesn’t bother you, I assume it would be fine. I just haven’t made it in that size to be able to say for sure.

  88. Ginny

    I’ve never made a Yule Log Cake and want to be accurate. You call for a “17 x 12 inch jelly roll pan. When purchasing, I googled what size is a jelly roll pan and it said it was 15 1/2 X 10 1/2 so that’s what I bought. What should I now use??

    1. Lindsay

      A slightly smaller pan should be ok. Your cake will be a touch thicker and may need a few extra minutes to bake and won’t have quite as much length when cutting it into two pieces to make the two parts of the long. But it should be fine.

  89. Kim

    I had tried this receipt last year ..first time ever make one , its came out beautifully and delicious.. surprised my family !!! For sure I am going to make it again ( my husband requested 😁) thank you Lindsay






  90. Amanda

    This will be my first attempt at a yule log. Just a quick question. I’m confused about the eggs in the cake instructions. When you say add egg yolks to sugar do you mean 2 yolks or 4? Then “add the egg whites” do you mean 2 or 4? Thank you! My son and I can’t wait to make it.

    1. Lindsay

      All 4 egg yolks are added at the same time. The 4 egg whites are all whipped at the same time. You add about 1/3 of the whipped egg whites to the cake batter to help loosen it up, then add the rest. I hope that helps!

  91. Chef LarryDee

    I want to add chopped pralines to the filling for a surprise texture. I’ll also top the log with some of the chopped pralines. Do you think there will be an issue with them causing the filling not to firm up correctly?






  92. Peggy

    I made this Yule log last year and it was delicious. The cream filling was the best part, not too sweet but complemented the chocolate cake perfectly. It was fussy to make but not hard. I will make it again this year but omit the decorations. Instead I will use a plastic ornament to decorate the log.

  93. Christine

    This is my go to recipe for Christmas, thank you for sharing!!! Any advice if I needed to omit the cocoa powder this year?






    1. Lindsay

      I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it! It often isn’t as simple as leaving out the cocoa powder and replacing it with flour. You may not get the same results. It’s hard to advise, since I haven’t tested it that way.

  94. Charlotte

    I am anxious to make this for Christmas this year. But the cake will be too big for us. Can a portion of the cake be frozen and/or how long will it keep in the refrigerator with the remaining for New Years Eve?

    1. Lindsay

      Yes, you could freeze it. As far as in the fridge, it’s best for 3 to 4 days. You could keep it for longer but it will begin to dry out. I did keep it in the fridge for about a week recently and while it wasn’t as good as when it was fresh, it was still fine. So it all depends on what you want.

    1. Lindsay

      I haven’t tested it with alternatives. You could try swapping it out for a dairy free yogurt, but I would not just leave it out completely.

  95. Samantha

    This is the second year I’ve attempted the cake and is one of the tastiest AND best looking cake! but the roll cracked this year. I baked the cake for 11 mind but the toothpick didn’t come out clean so I baked it another 2 mins. Are there any tips & tricks to get the perfect roll without cracking?

    1. Lindsay

      The cracking is certainly a pain and even I get cracks sometimes. I would say to make sure that you roll it while it’s warm and don’t try to roll it super tight. It’s OK if it’s a slightly looser roll. And then when you unroll it, just do it slowly and keep an eye for where it may be sticking and loosen it with your finger or offset spatula to help it not stick, which is often when you get cracks. I hope that helps. Also, I recently made a video for Instagram of me making this cake. You could check that out and see if there’s some thing helpful in there.

  96. JulieD

    I have made many yule log recipes that have turned out just fine, but this one was terrible. The cake was WAY too dense and would not unroll once cooled- just broke into pieces. The cake should be more spongey than dense. Don’t understand how everyone gave this 5 stars.






    1. Lindsay

      It sounds like there may have been some thing off for you. The cake should not be overly dense. I would make sure your baking powder is still good and that you actually used baking powder and not baking soda. And also make sure you don’t overly work the batter when you add in the whipped egg whites. If those deflate, you can end up with a more dense cake.

    2. Denise

      My cake is very dry and I baked it for 11 minutes. It cracked all over. Everything is too sweet. I’ve made Yule logs before and do not recommend this one.

  97. Den M.

    Lindsay, I have read so many Yule log recipes and yours is the one that I am inspired to do. I have high hopes for the cake choice in your recipe, the Christmas log should taste good not only look good! I am having a few chocolate addicts this holiday, how do you feel about using the chocolate mouse from your choc mousse layer cake for the filling here instead? Your contrast is pretty but my company would love “all chocolate”. and another question, would you consider adding a simple syrup to brush on the cake maybe with a complimentary liquor flavoring. Thank you for any insight you can provide.

    1. Lindsay

      So you could totally try the chocolate mousse. That’s a great idea. I haven’t tried it to be able to say that it for sure won’t give you issues, but it sounds delicious. The other option would be to turn the mascarpone filling in this cake into a chocolate filling. I share this exact mascarpone whipped cream recipe here and there’s a chocolate version included. You basically replace some powdered sugar with cocoa powder. That for sure would work, so whichever you prefer to try.

  98. Wendy walker

    I’m looking forward to making this today, but I feel like it should be rolled starting at the long side rather than the short, which would make a short log once the 3 inch piece is cut.

    1. Lindsay

      I roll it from the short end. I have a video on Instagram where you can see the process, including the rolling and cutting it, if you’d like to check it out.

  99. Christina

    Hi , can I use oil instead of butter . Cos whenever I use butter my cakes turn out dry , but with oil it is moist .

    1. Lindsay

      While I do agree that oil does tend to make a more moist cake, you can’t always just swap it out. I don’t think this recipe would turn out the same. That said, not all butter cakes are dry. This one is nice and moist.

  100. Debbie Muir

    I made this today and everything was going so well until I attempted the ganache. Even after whipping it, it was so runny and did not firm up. Not sure what I did wrong?!

    1. Lindsay

      What kind of cream did you add to the ganache? Assuming you used corrects amounts of the ingredients, the amount of fat in the particular cream you used can make a big difference. It needs to be heavy whipping cream, not something like regular milk.

  101. Lou

    Hi, this stands out amongst all of the others on images, it looks absolutely amazing. I have never made a yule log before as always find the sponge can be dry/flavourless so have been dubious. However this looks dark and tender. I’m not a fan of cream cheese fillings, have you got a nother recipe for vanilla or chocolate filling that would be suitable for this? Thank you in advance!

    1. Lindsay

      The mascarpone filling really is delicious, but if you aren’t a big fan of mascarpone cheese then you can make it without it. It would just be a vanilla whipped cream and as long as you include the powdered sugar, it will still be stable and not wilt. You may want to increase the amount of cream slightly (maybe by 1/4 cup) to offset the loss of the mascarpone cheese.

      1. Lou

        Thank you for the tips! I forgot to ask, can a 9 x 13 inch tin be used? That’s my largest tin! Thanks again.

      2. Lindsay

        I would not recommend a smaller cake pan. The cake would be thicker and harder to work with and you won’t have as long of a roll to create the same design of the log.

  102. Melissa

    This yule log is amazing. I came up with a way to make it even better. I spread about half of the cream on the cake then spread an entire jar of seedless raspberry All Fruit over the cream and finally covered the raspberry with the remaining cream. Oh my gosh, the fruit totally elevated the taste of the desert.






    1. Lindsay

      Yes, it actually lasts quite well. You could easily make it a day ahead or even two days ahead. The ganache on the outside insulates it well and the filling helps keep it moist. I think it would also freeze very well.

      1. Crystal

        Looks beautiful! Can I make the cake a day or two ahead and not freeze it and then add the frosting on the day it will be served ?

      2. Lindsay

        You can definitely make the cake ahead. I’d just be concerned that if you leave the cake unfilled for a day or two, that it might get a little stiffer/drier and harder to unroll without it cracking. I’d recommend filling it and refrigerating it in clear wrap unfrosted and then frost it the day you serve it. Hopefully I understood your question. 🙂

  103. Laura S Sanborn

    I saved this recipe years ago but have not been brave enough to try it. This year I’m going to do it! Can I make the cake ahead of time and freeze it before frosting it? I will have a house full of people and think it would be easier to make ahead of time.

    1. Lindsay

      Yes, freezing it should be fine. Just wrap it well and thaw in the fridge before you frost it. You could also freeze it after frosting it. I would just flash freeze it for an hour or so for the frosting to firm up and then wrap it. I hope you enjoy it!

    2. Rachel

      I used cream cheese instead of mascapone cheese and I let it get soft but still cool. My filling tastes good but there are little chunks of cream cheese. It’s probably because it wasn’t cool enough. Should I start over or is there something I can do to fix it? I don’t want to over whip it.

      1. Lindsay

        Yea, you definitely want cream cheese to come to room temperature. It’s different than mascarpone in that way. If the chunks really bother you then you can certainly start over. But unless they’re really large chunks, people may not notice very much.

  104. Katherine Bai

    Thank you for sharing! I love this recipe so much. Can we make this a couple of days ahead and freeze it? How should I serve it if I freeze it? Thank you so much!

    1. Lindsay

      I haven’t tried freezing it, but I do think that’d be perfectly fine. I’d flash freeze it so that the frosting gets firm, then wrap it. When you want to thaw it, go ahead and unwrap it and then thaw it in the fridge before serving.

  105. Lisa

    This will be my 3rd heat in a row making this. Other than the great sense of failure when trying to roll it, it always works out and is sooo well received.

    I’d like to make one ahead for an event in early Dec. Has anyone actually tested freezing it?






    1. Lindsay

      So glad you’ve enjoyed it! I’m not sure if anyone has tried freezing it or not. I’ve definitely gotten questions about it and actually plan on testing it this week. My guess is that it would be fine.

    1. Lindsay

      If I remember correctly, I wrote about it in the blog post, you get different results with the different cocoa powders in this recipe and the dark cocoa makes a big difference in flavor. I would not recommend substituting it for regular cocoa powder.

  106. Amelia Ichode

    I’m about to add the filling. So far, so good! I’m shocked, as I’ve never done a rolled cake before, and worried about rolling it up.

    My question is, do you think I could decorate this, then transport it in a cooler for a 3 hr drive, or should I wait to decorate when I get there?

    I prefer to decorate before, but don’t want to ruin it by driving and it possibly falling apart.

    1. Lindsay

      If you have a big enough cooler and you don’t think it’ll be too rough of a ride, it would probably be fine to decorate it beforehand. That’s probably what I would do.

  107. Wendy

    Wonderful, easy and best of all absolutely delectable recipe. The mascarpone filling is particularly stellar, so I doubled it and made a “snow capped log,” That extra layer of cream made this recipe a memorable keeper for me. Thank you very much for sharing!






  108. Agata Maćkowska

    My sister made this cake, and now im obsessed with it! I want to make a torte, but my question is, will it be okey if i just use a high cake tin to bake it? I dont know if the liquid cake will bake properly in that form :/. I would layer the cake later and shuffle the layers with the white cream. Is it gonna work?

    1. Lindsay

      So glad you enjoyed it! I have no idea if it would work. I haven’t tried this cake a layer cake. But typically I don’t suggest baking a cake all in a pan.

      1. Agata Maćkowska

        Okey, so I tried it and actually turned out great! That is gonna be my favourite cake recipe!

  109. Kakes

    Thank you for the recipe —I made for New Years Eve and it was great! Question us on storing leftover— we left our on the counter for a couple of days — should we have refrigerated it? Now we’re worried about food poisoning. 🙁

  110. Jasmin

    I made this Buche De Noel and it was my first attempt at such a treat! The recipe was easy and the sponge was delicious!! My sponge did crack and I found it tricky to fill whilst trying to keep it in place to prevent further cracking, I wonder if letting the cake come back to room temp after being in the fridge would help prevent this? Any tips on how else to prevent the cracks? The one tip I would give is rather obvious (but I didn’t think of it at the time..) not too much filling, otherwise it won’t have enough rolls, which happened to me.. but then you get more delicious filling so all is not lost.
    A great recipe, it was a huge hit for all the adults and kids ! I will be using this always for Christmas! Thank you!






    1. sophia

      I added too much filling too. I wish I had known to not to put it all on. The way I read the directions, I thought we were supposed to. I’d never rolled a cake so I had no frame of reference. I think I am going to keep it frozen and pretend it’s supposed to be a frozen dessert with a touch of cake inside, since the taste of that filling is incredible. I can’t in good conscience throw it out, though it’s not what I wanted. I think my fam will really like it anyway.






      1. Lindsay

        I add all the filling. But if you feel it’s too much, you don’t have to. I hope everyone enjoys it!

  111. Sheryl Lee

    Made this for Christmas, and it was better than local store-bought ice-cream cakes! I call it ice-cream cake because we are in tropical Singapore and it needed to be refrigerated all the time, but then again, we loved the cake chilled! Will definitely be a mainstay in our future noche buenas!






  112. RP23

    I haven’t liked any of the Yule logs I’ve bought in a store (too sweet, too dense, lacking flavor other than sugar, etc.), so I finally sucked it up and baked my own. This was simply amazing. It’s not difficult, and it’s so moist and delicious. It also looks downright IMPRESSIVE when served after Christmas dinner. Your guests will think you slaved over it more than you did. 🙂






  113. Dana

    This is the best cake log recipe I’ve tasted. I made this for our Christmas dessert, and everyone approves!!! I made 2 of them. The only thing I added for my second log, is adding cookie butter for the filling,and used white chocolate for the gnache to make it look white christmas yule log. Thank you so much for this recipe!!






  114. Michelle

    This recipe worked beautifully. I did sub Greek yogurt for sour cream, brushed a coffee simple syrup on the cake before we spread the filling, and added a half teaspoon of instant coffee granules to the frosting. The combo of flavors was excellent and the whole process was pretty easy. This is definitely a keeper recipe!






  115. Barbara

    This turned out beautifully. My grandmother was impressed too. She also made the most adorable merengue mushrooms to help doctorate the Yule log with! Delicious and relatively easy! I’ll definitely make this again!






  116. Serene Foo

    Hi, I followed carefully the receipt for making Mascarpone Whipped Cream Filling but it failed. I used a stand mixer to whip the cream but it does not give it a soft peak form. It remain in liquid form. May I know what went wrong.

  117. Rebecca Eichorn

    I made this last year and added meringue mushrooms to the cranberries and rosemary! I actually had the same round wood tray! It came out beautifully! I also added a little almond extract this time to the filling and to the cake batter. I will add a little to the ganache as well. An A+ recipe!

  118. Jessica

    My cake came out a little dense and chewy (I tasted the ends I cut off) and I was wondering what I did wrong? Thank you!

  119. Che

    My son and I made made this for his French class finals project (we skipped the sour cream and mascarpone) and his teacher (she’s French) said it was the best she had so far in her life. Needless to say my son received bonus grade and the whole class devoured it. And now we’re making it again for Christmas Eve dinner. Thanks!!!






  120. Robin

    My whole family loves this dessert! It’s become an annual Christmas tradition that we all look forward to. And I’ve started making one in the summer too…a ‘camp log’. Thank you for sharing the recipe…all 3 parts are perfect, and together they taste divine.

    One question: How tightly do you roll the log? I try to roll gently as not to push out too much of the filling, but the roll doesn’t look as tight as yours. Any tips appreciated.

  121. F

    Ganache and filling turned out perfectly but the cake batter was sticky and fell apart after baking. I followed the recipe exactly and am really disappointed






  122. Cassie

    Can I make this without the sour cream? Any suggestions of substitutions, or would it be okay just leaving it out?

  123. MJ

    You mention the mascarpone be softened but chilled, with an asterix indicating something further to read. I found nothing. Can you explain?

    1. Lindsay

      Sorry about that and thanks for pointing it out! 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. I’ve added this note to the recipe.

      1. Lindsay

        I honestly made this last week and used it straight from the fridge. I gave it a stir with my spatula and it seemed like it was fine (smooth, creamy, not thick like a brick of cream cheese) and I had no issues. You can leave it on the counter for 15 to 20 minutes to soften a touch, but it really shouldn’t need a long time. Especially if your kitchen is warm from other baking and cooking going on this time of year.

    2. Hillary

      Hi, I was thinking to make the Yule log in advance, up to step 16. The next day, I’ll take it out of the fridge and will ice with ganache. Do you see any issues with this?

  124. Colleen

    For years I bought my Yule Logs at a French bakery. The bakery changed ownership and they just weren’t as good so I decided to try your recipe. Amazing!!! I made a trial one last week which turned out great. Made 3 today. Only thing I did different was used chocolate mousse topped with chopped Ferrer Rocher chocolates as the filling. Your recipes never disappoint. Your Hummingbird cake is one of my family’s favorites. Thank you!






  125. Linda Kolstad

    I want to use peppermint ice cream as a filling. Can the ganache be frozen? Or should I use a regular ganache recipe?

  126. jessica Hall

    Hi I’m making this for Christmas and just double checking that I use two entire bars of semisweet chocolate at 4 oz each. Seems like a lot of chocolate so just checking! 🙂 Thanks so much

  127. Emily

    Can’t wait to try this recipe! Just a note that a Yule log originated as a tradition for Yule, a pagan celebration of the winter solstice! It’s where Christmas gets a lot of it’s origins

  128. Natalia

    This took all day to make- I was making it with my 2 year old so we had to stretch it out around nap time and snack time – but we had so much fun making this! He especially loved decorating it at the end. Thank you for the recipe! I think I overcooked my cake because it broke all over when I re-rolled with the filling but it’s just the three of us so we don’t mind. I just slapped a little extra ganache on those spots to hold it together and you wouldn’t know the difference. Practice makes perfect, next time I’ll be more confident in the cake doneness. My kiddo is so proud of his Yule log cake, we are going to have to make this one a tradition!






  129. Anthony

    When rolling the cake the first time, you roll the parchment paper as well as the cake, right? So inside the rolled cake, the parchment paper acts as a barrier to prevent the cake from sticking to itself?

  130. Michèle

    Hi Lindsey!
    I just love your recipes! I will be making this yule log for Christmas. Do you think I can add toasted pecans to the batter? Happy holidays to you and your family!

  131. :)

    i LOVE this recipe. i use it year after year and my entire family loves it. it tastes amazing, the mascarpone filling is to die for!! not only is the recipe itself amazing, its such a fun desert to make. i love decorating it and really making it special. highly recommend using this recipe, ive used it over 5 times and its never failed me!






  132. Stephanie

    Hi I made this recipe last year for Christmas and I absolutely loved it! I am wanting to make it again this year. I did have a few people who didn’t care for the ganache though I’m assuming cause it was semi sweet chocolate. Is there anyway to make the ganache with regular milk chocolate?

    1. Lindsay

      Glad everyone enjoyed it! I’m sure you could make a milk chocolate ganache, you’d just need to reduce the cream. Not sure of the exact amounts though.

  133. Jazzy

    Does this recipe have that dark chocolate taste? I saw it requires dark chocolate cocoa? If it does taste like “dark chocolate” what can I substitute it with? Thank you 😊

  134. Cameron

    Hey there! Prepping to make this for christmas eve for my mother and wondering if the butter you used was salted or unsalted. Thanks! Looking forward to trying your recipe out

  135. Dawn Maleska

    My chocolate ganache didn’t turn out. Whats the secret to getting it thick? Mine was not spreadable like a light frosting.

    1. Janice

      I had a similar issue with mine. The cream wasn’t cold enough, so it wasn’t getting creamy. I ended up putting the metal bowl I was whipping in, in a different slightly larger bowl with ice in it. The extra cold really made the ganache whip into a frosting.






  136. Trisha

    Unfortunately my cake turned out to be an unmitigated disaster! It’s hard to gauge spring back with a cake that thin. So I stupidly added 2 minutes to baking time. Not surprisingly, the cake cracked in several places when rolling – or was it unrolling? It still seemed like I would be able to push those seams together. I midlessly slapped on athe filling, and when I went to re-roll, I started to notice I couldn’t even see cake anymore, just the filling! (I vaguely remembered reading a comment where the baker felt there was far too much filling – however I didn’t remember that until after I had finished.) The cake split open exposing at least an inch of filling. What a mess. I attempted to unroll the cake and remove a lot of the filling. I was semi successful. At that point I decided to throw the whole thing away, when my 15-year-old niece wisely counseled otherwise. So I rerolled, wrapped in freezer cling wrap and refroze. Today at mass I was telling a cousin about my disaster, and she told me she had the same thing happen when she attempted to make a yule log and ended up turning it into a trifle! What a great idea!! I will use the whipping cream for the trifle and will eat the extra semisweet chocolate to make myself feel better, ha ha. At least I know the flavors will be there and the filling and whipped cream will certainly serve to moisten the cake! I will just cut it into small rolls and build my trifle that way! Very creative – and hopefully delicious. 🙂

  137. Teresa

    Easy to follow recipe with great results. My grandkids and the adults thought this yule log was delicious – will make it again for sure! Fun note: My grandkids thought the cranberries and rosemary were actually frozen. 🙂






  138. Diane

    Made the cake as instructed.
    After it cooled and I was unrolling it from the parchment paper it was so sticky and it broke in several pieces. I still used it. Why is it so sticky? Want to make more but afraid.
    Will be serving the cake later at a birthday celebration. Any advice you can give on the stickiness is greatly appreciated. Thank you for the lovely recipe.

    1. Lindsay

      So the stickiness is from the moisture that comes from the condensation created by the heat from the cake as it cools. The heat is trapped in the roll and it turns to moisture, which makes it sticky. Hard to avoid really. But someone suggested dusting the cake with powdered sugar prior to rolling, which *might* help soak up some of that moisture.

      1. Lindsay

        You could make it 1-2 days in advance. If you wanna make it more in advance than that, you could try freezing it.

      2. Minnie Sentelle

        Made the sponge this morning a lot talk about cake sticking I turn my sponge out on a very thin cloth that has been dusted with powered sugar I remove the parchment paper and roll it keeps the sponge moist and doesn’t crack or stick this is how I do my pumpkin roll

    2. rachel

      Remove the parchment when it comes out of the oven and instead roll it in a clean dish towel that is dusted with powdered sugar. The towel will allow the heat from the cake to escape and it won’t trap moisture in which is what makes it sticky.

    3. Michaela

      Diane, anytime I make a roulade, I flip my cake out onto a powder sugar dusted, lint-free towel. I remove the parchment paper right away and then use the towel to roll up the cake. I place the rollin the freezer for flash cooling and it does not stick when unrolling.

    4. Murph

      I dust the towel with powdered sugar as well as the cake a bit and place the rolled cake on a cooling rack to cool all helps with the sticking problem!

  139. SharRon

    I made this cake last year and everyone loved it. I’ve already had several requests to make it again. It looks like it will become a traditional Christmas day treat.






  140. Crystal Flory

    I made this last Christmas and was surprised how easy it was and tasted amazing!!! I had no problem with marscapone or rolling on the parchment. Wish I could add my pic.






  141. Heather

    I made this cake last year for the solstice and it was so delicious and pretty, my kids are already asking if we are going to have it again. So I’m back here looking up the ingredients for my shopping list. Thanks for the recipe that even a total amateur can make look fancy! 🙂






  142. Isobel

    Disappointing recipe, mascarpone definitely needs to be whipped prior to adding to whipped cream and parchment paper shouldn’t be used for rolling. Cake is too thin, even in a 16″ x 12″ pan and cracks a ton. Will not use this recipe again 🙁






  143. Kim

    Everything tastes amazing, but my cake broke while rolling with the filling. Any tips for repairing or preventing.

    1. Lindsay

      For repairing, you should just be able to kind of line things up and keep rolling. If it broke on the outside, that’s a little harder so I’m not sure. As for preventing, going super slow when rolling/unrolling.

    1. Lindsay

      I haven’t tried it, but I would think it’d be fine. Typically cakes can be frozen for up to 3 months, but not sure about this one specifically.

  144. Sharon

    I have made this three times and oh my goodness, the BEST recipe. In fact, last December it was a birthday cake for my nephew. He LOVED IT.

  145. Rebekah

    This recipe turned out PERFECT! I made it for Thanksgiving and it looked beautiful and tasted as good as it looked. It was gone by the end of the day and everyone could not stop talking about how delicious it was. I followed the directions to a T and had no problems. I did place the rolled cake in the fridge after it cooled for about 30 minutes before unrolling and placed the chocolate ganache in the freezer after it cooled for about 15-20 minutes. That worked great. I also sat the mascarpone cheese out for 45 minutes before mixing. I wish I could attach my picture because it turned out splendid. Will be a go to every year now!






  146. Lensey Pham

    Since it is 1/3 cup of cocoa powder for chocolate cake, can I use 1/3 cup of flour for a vanilla cake instead?






      1. Lindsay

        I don’t have a vanilla roll recipe, but I have lots of vanilla and birthday cake recipes. I would do a quick search in the search bar at the top because there are all kinds of options.

  147. Renee Todd

    I have made this yule log cake over the past few years and love it as well as all who enjoy it with me. Is it possible to make the cake and filling and freeze ahead and then add the ganache when the cake is thawed? Also any tips on how to roll the cake to prevent cracks when rolling or rerolling after fillinf would be appreciated. Thank you for your wonderful recipe.






    1. Lindsay

      So glad you enjoy it! Yes, you should be able to freeze the roll and then add the ganache after you thaw it.

      As for tips, cake rolls can be tricky. I would say to unroll it slowly and carefully. Other than that, just follow the rest of the steps. Cracks definitely happen sometimes.

  148. Julie Henricksen

    I am excited to make this for my cooking club holiday dinner. Do you use a stand mixer or mix by hand?

    1. Lindsay

      The trouble with a whipped filling sitting and then getting stirred again later is that it can deflate. I wouldn’t recommend making it ahead.

    2. Sarah

      I’ve made a whipped cream filling that holds up for days! You simply add a vanilla pudding package to 2 cups of whipping cream and a few TBSP of powdered sugar to add sweetness. It is so good and you could add mascarpone to it as well!

  149. April

    If I wanted to make this ahead of time, how long do you think it could be refrigerated before serving? Or would it just be better to freeze the unfrosted cake and frost after thawing?

    1. Lindsay

      You could refrigerate it for 1-2 days prior to serving. Or you could try freezing it, but I’d probably fill it and then freeze it.

  150. Trisha

    Lindsay, I see that you recommend finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate. Are you referring to a chocolate block, or are you saying that even morsels have to be chopped further? Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving!

  151. Gina

    I’ve got to say this recipe rocks. I do wish I’d gone with my gut and used a sugar dusted tea towel to roll it, but the flavors of the dark chocolate & mascarpone whipped cream melded together well. The whipped ganache set it off perfectly! Debating on a touch of espresso next time to really bring out the dark chocolate.






  152. Caitlin

    I made this for my dads birthday today. My cake cracked a lot as I was unrolling it but once I covered it in the ganache you couldn’t tell. It looked beautiful and tasted great!






    1. Trisha

      Caitlin, can you tell me how you handled the finely chopped semi-sweet chocolate for the ganache? Did you use morsels and chop them further or did you start with a block of chocolate? Not sure what to do. Thank you!

  153. Amanda

    I know in your chocolate cupcake recipe you said we shouldn’t use Hersheys Dark Cocoa Powder anymore, should we use it in this recipe?

    1. Lindsay

      Hmm, I can’t remember when it changed, so it’s hard to say. I haven’t heard of anyone having issues though and I’m assuming they are using the dark cocoa.

  154. Carol

    Can I freeze this? If so…with or without being frosted and how do I wrap it?
    Then…what’s the best way to thaw it? Thanks!

    1. Lindsay

      You should be able to freeze it frosted or unfrosted. It’s obviously easier to wrap it unfrosted so you don’t mess up the frosting. Thaw in the fridge.

  155. Trisha

    My paranoia is kicking in. I have a Farberware pan that is 17 by 11.25. Is that going to work or should I look around for the exact pan, 17 by 12. I don’t mind doing the latter if it is going to make a difference in the outcome. Thanks!

  156. Debbie

    I have a question about the roll up process. Most recipes say to turn the cake onto a towel to roll as it sticks too much to the parchment paper. Is there any problem with rolling this cake with the parchment paper?

    1. Lindsay

      It may come down to personal preference. I don’t think it sticks to the parchment any more than the towel. I think the towel sticks and is far more messy.

  157. Georgia

    I can never get my cake to be a thick of the picture with the batter from this recipe and I even tried a bit of a smaller baking pan to the one at states what am I doing wrong help

    1. Lindsay

      It can be hard to say. Are you using Hershey‘s special dark cocoa? Because they have changed that cocoa since I made this recipe. It might be better now to use regular cocoa powder.

    1. Lindsay

      The ganache may be a little thinner with milk chocolate so you may want to reduce the cream. And you can use cream cheese.

    1. Lindsay

      I don’t typically recommend freezing fully done cakes, but you could try it. I would just be sure to thaw it in the fridge, not on the counter.

  158. Debbie

    I made this recipe last year at Christmas. The cake was great, very moist and easy to work with. I made two substitutions. I used cream cheese instead of mascarpone to stabilize the whipped cream, and I used chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream for the frosting.
    I’ll definitely make it again this year!






  159. Katy Modrak

    We made several of these as the main dessert for my son’s Eagle Scout Court of Honor along with chocolate hatchet we made with a 3D printer form and meringues made into mushrooms . Making multiple of this taught me the Ganache recipe needs more heavy whipping cream to work. It calls for 8 oz of Chocolate and 1 cup of cream. I needed 1 1/4 -1 1/2 cup per 8 oz of chocolate. It also makes significantly more ganache than is needed for one cake recipe. I was doing at least 2 cakes per batch of ganache. I did freeze them before adding the ganache as I needed 6 cakes. No problems at all. The dessert was a huge hit and several people asked for the recipe. Thanks!






  160. MJ

    I tried this for christmas last year and my family loved it, especially the mascarpone whipped cream. I was wondering if id be able to make a vertical cake with this recipe? I believe id just have to stand it up right and maybe double or triple the recipe for a bigger cake, is it sturdy enough for that?






  161. Cathy

    Excellent! I adapted the following. Used 1 t Kahlua instead of the vanilla for both the cake and filling. Also, brushed the cake with Kahlua before adding the filling. I’ve make a note to start the ganache while the cake is baking. Hopefully, I won’t be waiting so long to be ready to whip it.
    Overall great recipe.






  162. Jill Kristal Feuerstein

    I made this today for a family gathering this evening. The recipe was absolutely delicious. Everyone really raved about it. I decorated with sugared raspberries, rosemary sprigs and 2 fresh flowers. it was stunning.
    I also had trouble getting the chocolate ganache to whip (as I read in some other reviews.) I added more whipping cream but that didn’t help. I put it in the freezer for about 1/2 hour and then it was thick enough to spread and that worked well.
    Everyone asked if we can have this cake at other times of the year and not just save it for Christmas. 🙂
    Thank you, Lindsay.






    1. Lindsay

      The ganache needs to be firm enough when you whip it so adding more cream will only thin it and make it harder to whip. You may have just needed to let it cool longer.

  163. ELLEN

    Your Yule log looks amazing.  I’ve never made a Yule Log before.  I’ve made different jellyroll cakes that can be frozen.  Could I possibly freeze this one?  Even if I had to put the outer chocolate bark look on the day of.  

  164. Nicole S

    Absolutely loved this cake! Stunning and and even better it was delicious!

    I agree with other commenter though about the ganache making a bit more than you need. We ended up using the extras on waffles the next morning though so no chocolate wasted here. Might be on me though because I did have to add in a bit of extra chocolate to get the ganache to thicken up enough to spread on the cake. Overall I used one 12 oz bag semi sweet chocolate chips and one cup of the heavy whipping cream.






  165. Leslie Knight

    Hi there. I’ve just made this and it’s going wonderfully. I’ve just eaten the trimmed ends with my daughter while the ganache cools and it’s delicious. Our roll looks incredibly overfilled though and we followed the recipe exactly. Do you use all the filling?  Ours looks twice as full as yours in photo. Just curious?

  166. Abby

    This is one of the best recipes of ANYTHING that I’ve ever used. Thank you so much! I only tweaked the flour and made it GF. Your ingredients and instructions were perfect. 

  167. Kim Sutton

    It was a fun cake to make, I actually made 2 cakes throughout the day.  I followed recipe to the T and it was a huge hit at both xmas family gatherings. It was absolutely delicious!!! Thank you my 93 year old mom is still eating it after 5 days. Have a Happy New Year!






  168. Alexandra

    Made this for a Christmas dessert and it was a hit! I was concerned that it would be too chocolatey, but it’s absolutely perfect and easy to make. The hardest part was waiting for the cake to cool. I personally had too much filling and it made rolling a bit difficult, but it’s easy enough to use extra for other baking/eating. Definitely going to be making this again!






  169. Jen

    This was my first time making a Yule Log and it turned out both beautiful and delicious! However, I could not get my end swirls to look clean and defined after cutting off the ends. I tried touching it up but could not get a look I was totally satisfied with. Any tips for making them look as perfect as in the picture?






  170. Kristin

    Thank you for taking the time to experiment with different options for the cake and filling, this thoughtful recipe is perfect exactly as posted. It’s light, airy, and not too sweet. I truly enjoyed making and decorating and the rave reviews from family and friends.






  171. Alisia La Londe

    Joyeux Noel!
    First a little history- my MIL loved sharing her French childhood memories and traditions. The Buche de Noel was one of her favorites, and always on our holiday dessert menu… and always from a bakery.

    This year, I decided I would make the cake myself, I was determined, I searched many recipes. Finally, I decided on this one and it did not disappoint!

    I made it exactly according to the recipe.

    My family was amazed and loved it! I will make it again… and again… and again!

    It is traditional, perfect and delicious, my mother-in-law would have been very proud!

    Merci Beaucoup!






  172. Lin

    Made this for the first time this Christmas.  My most favorite cake ever!  Everyone loved it and was posting a picture of it on FB.  Love, love, love the mascarpone filling!!!






  173. carrie

    This was perfect. Made it yesterday for our Christmas feast. I was worried I did something wrong with the ganache as it didn’t seem as thick as I thought it was supposed to be after whipping it, but it went on just fine and I made my bark lines, then it really firmed up in the fridge. And we are on lockdown here, so there’s lots left over for us 🙂






  174. Barbara N.

    Was a BIG hit in my house yesterday, especially requested my mother..steps easy to follow. I needed to refrigerate ganache to get a good consistency to tech a spreadable frosting.. Delicious 






  175. Marige

    I just made this for the first time and found it delicious.

    But I had one question. I followed the cake recipe precisely but I found, when I added the egg whites that the dough was so thick — like cookie dough! — it was very difficult to combine them. Forget folding! Only after wrestling it did I manage to combine them at all. Is it always this way? The cake is very good but a bit heavy. Not too heavy, but a bit.






    1. Lindsay

      I don’t remember exactly how thick it was and it’s possible yours was a little thick, but the first bit of egg whites is added to help break it up, so it is on the thick side.

  176. Isabel

    I made this and it was amazing. I’m super proud of my work, and thankful for you for helping me. My food critic aunt loved it so much. And she is very picky. Thanks!






  177. Abby

    Loved this recipe – easy to follow and great flavor combinations. The only thing I would note is that I found there to be much more ganache than needed, and was a bit of a waste of good chocolate. I would recommend starting with half the ganache recipe. You can always make more of you find you need it 🙂 






  178. Monica

    Lindsay, thank you so much for this recipe! I made it yesterday and it was perfect! Wanted to let you know that your Buche de Noel was a success in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil! Merry Christmas!






  179. Wendy

    Fantastic recipe. My husband loved it. Its not too sweet the cream filling is like a whipped cream. I had a little trouble with the ganache being too thin. I just used the whole bag 12 oz nestle semi sweet chocolate. I might try milk chocolate next time. Definitely a keeper. Thank you!






  180. Victoria McIntyre

    Unfortunately I had similar experience as others. The cake fell apart when unrolled but glued it together with the filling. The Ganache did not thicken and is now in the fridge and hoping it will help. I am a pretty experienced baker but I do not recommend this recipe for a first time Yule Log baker.






  181. Douglas McMillan

    Have you considered doing a yellow sponge/vanilla frosting version of this cake to make a birch log? If so, I’d love to get that recipe.
    Also, I added 1/2 tsp of espresso powder to the cake mix and 1/4 tsp espresso powder to the ganache. It makes quite a difference! They both taste super chocolatey!

  182. Jailyn

    Hi! 

    So I frequently take recipes such as this and instead of using all-purpose flour I substitute GF 1-1 flour. I have celiac so this is a necessity. Anyways, I just popped the cake out of the oven and began to roll it when, tragedy: I’m a baby with hot things and the cake was hot even inside the parchment paper so I had to start over with re-rolling it and about two inches broke off from the rest of the cake. 😭 like down  the cake horizontally is where it tore off. It’s a clean tear. Can I repair it with the filling and ganache frosting? I’m so disappointed in myself. 

    1. Lindsay

      What a bummer! I would definitely think you can repair it with the filling. Plus, once it’s covered in ganache no one will know the difference. It’ll still taste great!

      1. Jailyn

        Thank you, Lindsay! I also thought about just using the piece that came off to put on the side since we have to cut off about that much anyways. I think it will work out. Thanks for your quick response! Merry Christmas and happy holidays! 

  183. Michele Arquette-Palermo

    I love this recipe. The instructions are clear, easy to follow and produces the BEST holiday dessert. Although I use the tea towel roll method. I had to sub cream cheese this year, but it tastes fine. Fresh rosemary was also difficult to find so I am using sprigs off my spruce trees in my yard. I love to cook but baking is my weak spot but this recipe makes me look good . THANK YOU! Merry Christmas

  184. Allison Kalpokas

    So delicious 🤤 was flawless to roll. Whipped ganache was perfect. Loved everything about it. And so easy to make. Thank you 






  185. Alex Martin

    I made the cake and rolled it up, but I’d rather do the rest tomorrow. Should I put it in the fridge or will it break when I unroll it?  My brother in law usually makes this, but…Covid (I don’t like his version anyway) 😬. Can’t wait to try this one!

  186. Sandra

    I made two cakes and cut the logs to make 4 smaller logs for gifts. They turned out great! I am not an experienced baker. The instructions were clear and easy to follow and the result was delicious. The sugared cranberries and rosemary were a beautiful touch.






  187. nadine b

    Okay. I should have waited until I had it for dessert before commenting on it. I gave it 5 stars after I made it and I give it 5 stars after eating it. I retract my comment about using less filling. It was perfect amount and once I cut into the roll, it was just the right amount of cake within the roll. Excellent recipe and easy to follow for a non-baker like me. Enjoy!






  188. Andrea

    I made this today for our Christmas dessert. It was really easy to make. The cake rolled up nicely with only minimal cracking. I had trouble getting the ganache to thicken so I put the bowl over a larger bowl with ice water in it while beating and it worked well. Such a beautiful cake that also tastes really good.






    1. Emily Shaft

      Hi Lindsay this cake was amazing! I’m a 14 year old girl and love to make desserts for my family and I also sell cakes to my neighbors! I have made so many of your recipes and this one by far is my favorite and my family loved it! You have inspired me to make so many cool desserts. I made this cake for Christmas dessert and it was so delicious! I added raspberries to the mascarpone whip cream filling and it took it to a whole other level. I also used a towel to wrap up the cake instead of parchment paper and it worked great. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe because it was amazing and I’m excited to keep trying more of your recipes!






  189. nadine b

    I followed the directions to a T and it came out GREAT! Two things I would do differently the next time. When I roll it up filled I would do it a little tighter so I had more cake rolled in there. I think I have 1.5 rolls vs. what looks like 2.5 in the photo. Also, I think I would use a little less filling, which would help the rolling later. Thank you!






    1. Lindsay

      I wouldn’t. I would think that the longer the cake roll sits, the harder it will be to unroll without cracking. For the whipped cream, if you make it and then it sits for a while and then you stir it up again, it might deflate.

  190. Danielle

    My cake is very thin. I added the cream filling and rolled it up.. it’s all cream? I followed the recipe exact.. any ideas? 

  191. Cheryl

    You cannot spray or grease the pan before putting the parchment paper in can you?  Getting my paper to lay right in the corners is difficult.  I’m guessing any type of oil/butter will not work to roll up the cake.  I have always dumped mine on a towel as people have suggested. 

  192. Cece

     So happy I found this recipe, used it to bake my first ever yule log and it turned out perfect! From the filling to the frosting, my whole family loved it! 






  193. Barb

    Yesterday I decided to make a cake like this using another recipe I found online. That was a big mistake because it wouldn’t even peel off the parchment paper after baking. My husband told me to forget about it because we “had enough desserts for Christmas.” Ha! I was not going to let this cake get the best of me. 

    I found your recipe and the finished product looked so pretty that I tried again. I followed your directions EXACTLY and didn’t change a thing. I now have the most delicious and beautiful cake I’ve ever made, all thanks to you! I’m so grateful. Merry Christmas and happy, healthy new year!

  194. Madeline Webster

    Hi!

    I love your baking recipes, they are seriously amazing! You are usually the first person I love for when I need to make a good cake.

    I do think you should modify this recipe a bit, so it’s more user friendly. 

    I think it’s important to note that the marscropone needs to sit at least 45 mins room temp, if not an hour, before incorporating it into the whipped cream mixture. I think it’s also worth noting that whipping the marscropone with a hand mixer before incorporation also makes it much smoother and a more desired texture. Your instructions for this were a little vague and I ended up the first time with super chunky, grainy, whipped filling that I needed to remake. 

    I also had an extremely hard time with the cake itself cracking on me when unrolling it. The first time with the parchment paper you suggested was worse. The second time I used a towel after some research and had better luck with that, but there still was a crack. Fortunately this time it was salvageable. Do you have any tips on how to avoid this? 

    1. Lindsay

      I’m so glad to hear you enjoy the recipes!

      As for your suggestions, I appreciate the feedback. It’s always a challenge when working on and writing a recipe because everyone has opinions on the best way to approach things and it seems no matter what approach I take, there are always questions, etc. I do my best to chose the best approach for the most amount of people based on my experience and feedback I’ve gotten in the past.

      The thing about the mascarpone cheese – First, the time it takes to “warm up” a bit will vary depending on your climate, air conditioning, etc. Second, mascarpone is finicky and if you over mix/beat it, it breaks down and gets watery and you can’t save it. So whipping it beforehand could be problematic for some. But you can certainly do it. I personally have never had trouble with lumps and for the most part don’t get that feedback.

      As for the cake, this also varies by person. I tested the towel method several times and truly hated that method. But if it worked well for you, I’m glad. As for suggestions, you have to roll it when hot and unroll it when cooled. Just be very careful and work slowly when you unroll it. I do think this is something that gets better with practice and working with it a bit, but there’s no doubt that cake rolls can be a challenge.

    2. Sandra

      I made two cakes and cut the logs to make 4 smaller logs for gifts. They turned out great! I am not an experienced baker. The instructions were clear and easy to follow and the result was delicious. The sugared cranberries and rosemary were a beautiful touch.






  195. Alex Meza

    Hello thanks for the recipe, just want a clarification for the granulated sugar. Is it 155 grams or 3/4 because I would assume 3/4 cup is 98 grams not 155 grams (like the coco powder)?

  196. Ann

    Hi, I’ve decided to try this recipe for Christmas to make very first Yule Log. But I have a few questions.

    If I don’t have heavy whipping cream, would normal whipping cream worked out? Or is there any toehr substitutes that we can use it as?

    1. Lindsay

      Heavy whipping cream is best/kind of necessary. The higher fat content allows it to whip into a more stable whipped cream.

  197. Lori Beairsto

    From start to finish, including cooling time, how long will this recipe take? I have about 3 hours and not sure if that is long enough. 

    1. Lindsay

      If you’re looking to bake the cake and get all the way through decorating, 3 hours is probably not long enough.

      1. Alexandra

        Absolutely amazing! I have no experience in cooking, this recipe was so accurate and the results were awesome! The desert was not only beautiful but also delicious! Thank you Lindsay!
        Alex






  198. Lisa

    Hi!! I am planning to make this for Christmas Eve dinner and wanted to ask you if I could substitute the granulated sugar with brown sugar? What do you think? Thank you!

  199. CCH

    I’m going to make this. I feel like adding a little peppermint extract to the ganache might be good. And I’m surprised there’s no coffee in the chocolate cake or ganache; it complements the flavor of chocolate so perfectly and you can’t taste it in the finished product!!

  200. Tina

    Hi, I just made the Yule Log and it is beautiful and delicious. My kids ( very perticular about their desert) say its the best thing they have ever had.






  201. olive

    Can this cake be stored, uncovered, in the fridge if I make it the day before?  Or do I need to try to store it in an airtight container and transfer to the serving plate (which sounds very challenging!)?  Thanks!

  202. Shawn

    Made this for a family gathering and it was wonderful. Moist, spongy cake, delicious filling and ganache. Instead of leaving the parchment on while it cools, I lay out a dish towel, sprinkle generously with powered sugar, after cooling the cake for 5 minutes in the pan, gently lift it out and carefully flip it onto the towel, then peel off the parchment and roll the cake up in the towel to cool. This method leaves you with a cooled cake with no hardened parchment to peel. Don’t worry if the cake cracks slightly while you flip it, you will fill with ganache and never know it. Also, my ganache never whipped up (wonder if it may be because I mistakenly let the cream boil in the microwave first). I just added the remaining 4 oz chocolate chips from the 12 oz bag and then refrigerated it for a bit and it thickened and spread beautifully. Will make again for Christmas!






  203. Shannon McNulty

    Hi! If I make this a day ahead of time, is it better to make it all the way through frosting it or just up to putting the cream in the middle and the  rollin it. What is the best way to store it a day ahead? Thanks!

    1. Lindsay

      I would make the whole thing, ganache and all, and then store in the fridge. The ganache will actually help hold the moisture in the cake.

  204. Emily

    Hey Lindsay this cake looks amazing! How tall are the side of your pan? I have a 11x17inch cookie sheet and the sides are a little less than an inch tall would that work or do you think the cake would over flow?

  205. Purvi

    Hi, sorry, one more question. Does the dark cocoa powder lend a bitter taste like dark chocolate? I’m making this for my kids who dont like dark chocolate. Thanks again!

  206. Purvi

    HI Lindsay! Thank you for this recipe; I’m excited to try it! Is it okay if my 12by17 pan has ridges like this one: ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFVNFUxVFJORkFIT1EmZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA2ODUwNTlTUzJNOFpRNzFRU0smZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMDU5NDI1MzE2WFIwQjNMRFhGWUEmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl

  207. Marie Genco

    Hi, I need to make a white cake instead of Chocolate. Should I just omit the cocoa powder? I need to make this for next week, day before xmas. Thank you.

  208. Sara

    This looks perfect for what I want to make for my daughter’s birthday this weekend. However, she wants a chocolate peppermint cake. Do you think I could add peppermint extract to the filling? Or should I add it to the ganache? And how much would you recommend?
    Thank you so much!

    1. Lindsay

      You could add it to the filling. I might add one teaspoon and taste it to see if you want to add more. Still use the vanilla as well.

  209. Jo

    My friend and I zoomed 1000 miles apart to create this cake!  This turned out lovely with some modifications. I made mine gluten free using Cup4Cup flour. I added 1 tsp almond extract to the filling, 1 tsp cinnamon to the frosting and used Enjoy Life dark morsels. I loosened the cake at about 1-2 inches around the edges to help the cake release easier before rolling it with filling. Be sure to refrigerate the frosting for about 5-10 minutes so it keeps its shape while mixing with a hand mixer (refrigerate/mix again if still too runny to spread). I used a toothpick to make the lines. The clumped sugar left from dipping the cranberries and Rosemary sprigs made perfect “snow” on the Yule log. Despite leaving out the baking powder, which made it more dense and fudge-like, it was still delicious. I took lots of photos so I could remember what to do next time! 






  210. Lili Yong

    I am trying to make my first ever Yule cake log for this Christmas.  If I don’t have sour cream, can I use full fat yoghurt and still achieve the same lightness?  

  211. Sandra

    Hi. I was thinking about incorporating some frangelico or Kahlua. I wasn’t sure if I should brush the cake with it before I spread the cream or if I should incorporate it into the marscapone cream. Can I do something like this and how would you do it? 

    1. Lindsay

      Depending on how strong you want that flavor, you could even do both. You won’t be able to add much to the whipped cream without thinning it out too much. So I’d probably start with brushing it onto the cake. But if you wanted a little extra flavor you could add a touch of it to the whipped cream as well.

    1. Lindsay

      I’m not entirely sure since I haven’t tried that pan size. But as long as it doesn’t make too thick or thin of a cake I guess it should be fine.

  212. Maureen Sullivan

    I’m going to try this for a baking contest at work. I’ve tried two other attempts at a cake and didn’t like how they turned out. All other jelly-roll type cakes call for rolling up with a tea towel with confectioner sugar sprinkled on it. Won’t it stick to the parchment if you use the same as it’s baked on? That’s my biggest concern.

    1. Lindsay

      Well you want the parchment paper to stay on the cake when you roll it up so that you can roll it back out. It shouldn’t stick though when you try to peel it off after you roll it back out.

  213. Kathy

    I made this cake and it was absolutely fabulous -the best I have ever tasted! The balance of flavors were perfect! I followed the instructions to the letter and it came out great-quite impressive when I brought it to the table! It is something I always wanted to attempt-thank you

  214. Fawn

    I made this cake yesterday and it turned out wonderfully! My cake roll did crack after it cooled, but the filling and frosting held it together perfectly. I used regular cream cheese and hersheys chocolate cocoa powder (not dark chocolate) and it still tasted amazing! I really like the way the frosting on the log turned out. I didn’t need to use a fork to make lines. Applying the whipped frosting with a small frosting spreader made the most realistic bark pattern! Thanks for the recipe! Everyone loved it and I’m definitely going to make it again!






  215. Amanda

    Would this cake be okay sitting out for a few hours at room temp?

    I made it last week with my MIL and it turned out fantastic. I would like to enter it in a baking contest this weekend but they are not accepting entries that must be refrigerated and they will be sitting out for a few hours.






    1. Lindsay

      It does need to be refrigerated but it also can sit out for a few hours and be fine. So if it’s only going to sit out for a few hours and then be refrigerated it would be fine.

  216. Lisa

    Can this be made with gluten free flour and what would be a good substitute for the sour cream? I am allergic to wheat and yeast.

    1. Lindsay

      I’ve never tried gluten free flour, so I’m not sure. You could try it. I’d really recommend staying with the sour cream. The ingredients in this recipe are very intentional. But if you have to, you could try plain Greek yogurt.

  217. Mayanka Khetarpal

    Hi,
    For the mascaporne whipped cream – I have sweetend whipping cream instead of heavy whipping cream.
    Can I omit the powdered sugar and add the sweetend whipping cream to the mascaporne cheese? Also will the quantity remain the same that is 300 ml, if not how much will it be ?

    Thank you,
    Mayanka






    1. Lindsay

      I would assume quantity would be the same. The problem with leaving out the powdered sugar is that it stabilizes the whipped cream. Without it the whipped cream may wilt.

  218. Sylvie

    I love this recipe! I made it today, and it looks amazing. I didn’t have a jelly roll pan, so i used a cookie sheet lined with parchment and it did the trick. Thank you for sharing your recipe.






  219. Krystal Marie Grossi

    My first roll cake and not only was it easy, it was delicious!! So in love with these flavors. I can’t wait to take it holiday gatherings. This Busche de Noel will be a yearly tradition. Thank you!! 






  220. Danielle

    This recipe is delicious. I made it keto last year and it was amazing but 2020 has me down so I’m going to make it just like the recipe this year and I can’t wait.
    I do want to add, Yule is a pagan holiday and the yule log is part of our Yule celebration, hence the name. It’s not actually a christmas tradition though a lot of pagan rituals and sabbats are celebrated by christians now.






  221. Abigail

    Lindsay! The sponge was incredibly light and the mascarpone was a nice touch balancing the sweetness and richness of the dessert! This was my first attempt at the recipe, or any Yule log for that matter. It carefully outlines each step, making this complex and intimidating dessert accessible to  novices like me!  The taste and balance of flavors are spot on! This was a practice run for Christmas night dessert! Thank you for sharing your talent. 






  222. Amber Price

    I absolutely love the recipe. How do I unroll the cake without it breaking? This is my first time making it, Im in charge of all desserts for the holidays this year,

    1. Lindsay

      You just want to be very careful with it. It can be a little tricky. Just go slowly and keep an eye on it as you unroll.

  223. Stephanie

    We have made this way more times over the last month than I care to admit, ha ha, but we just love it! It just has such a light taste and nothing is too overpowering. My cake always cracks, but once you put the filling in and the ganache on, it doesn’t really matter. Mine never looks as good as yours, but it always has a great taste! This recipe is a keeper!! Do you have a strawberry cake roll recipe? I imagine I can add strawberries to the filling in this version, but was still interested in a white cake recipe. Thanks for your time!!

    1. Lindsay

      I’m so glad to hear you’ve enjoyed it so much! I don’t have a strawberry cake roll yet, but I’d love to add one soon.

  224. Vivian

    I made this for Christmas dinner this year and it came out perfectly beautiful. I had an issue with the cake breaking across the width of it as I was rolling it up, and that break could be seen in the finished cake. I’m wondering if I rolled it up too tightly after it came out of the oven…what do you think? Anyway, it was absolutely beautiful and everybody raved about it. It tasted really fantastic. It is several steps to make and took quite awhile, but it was soooooo worth it. I even made the sugared cranberries and rosemary. What a show-stopper!!! I will definitely be making this again next year AND I think I will try making this – but not as a Yule log – by making the sheet cake, cutting into squares, spreading the filling on a square and topping with another square…then add the whipped ganache. Does this make sense? Think it would be great as an “anytime cake” rather than just as a Yule Log. Many thanks…I am about the try your Chocolate-Raspberry cake!!






  225. Rachel

    I made this for Christmas and it turned out perfectly! I was a bit nervous about having to roll and unroll the cake, but I didn’t have any issues at all. I received tons of compliments and will definitely save this recipe. Thanks for sharing.






      1. Jordan

        Like Haley, I also had to add a 1/2 cup of confectioners’ sugar to the ganache.

        This was my first Yule Log, and it made a special presentation with great flavors. I had to substitute raspberries for the cranberries, because our stores did not have fresh cranberries or even maraschino cherries available, but the sugared raspberries were lovely, too, alongside the sugared rosemary. I will more than likely use this recipe again. Thank you!

  226. Haley

    I made this cake twice over the holidays and it is really tasty. Love that the mascarpone isn’t too sweet – each time I made it, it came out beautifully and it went quickly! Just two things I had to tweak – I would suggest unrolling the cake when it is still slightly warm – the one I waited until it was completely cooled and it cracked horribly. Still salvaged it, but the one i unrolled and frosted while just a bit warm turned out much better. Also, I had to add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar to the ganache to get it to a thicker spreadable consistency. Will definitely make this again!! Thanks!






  227. Jean

    Thank you for this post. I made this with gluten free flour and it was delicious. It rolled fine in parchment but when I rolled w filling it was like a large log w cream inside but everyone loved it regardless. I also put some fresh berries inside. Can’t believe how easy it is to make whipped ganache- that will now be my go to for frosting. Merry Christmas.






  228. Christa

    I made this for Christmas and it was a huge hit.  I didn’t have time to make the sugared cranberries or rosemary, but it still looked great.  The cake did break during the unrolling, but I patched it with the filling.  Couldn’t tell anyway.  Thanks for a great recipe!






  229. Elizabeth

    Merry christmas! I had to come tell you (like you didn’t know already) that this turns out amazing! I followed your recipe and instructions (started yesterday and it worked out great), and the family is eating this with lots of happy noises as i write. The cake itself is moist, tender and so flavorful against the filling and ganache. Everyone is loving the whipped filling and frosting, and that it’s not the typical overly-sweet buttercream… just this perfectly delicious fluffyness. 
    I had absolutely no problems making this with your instructions.. my first jelly-roll style cake, and it’s just wonderful. Thank you so much!






  230. Mary Cook

    I apparently bought just heavy cream rather than heavy WHIPPING cream and the ganache will not whip.  Everything is closed – any thought on what I could add to thicken it?

  231. Joanna Waldner

    I was intimidated by this recipe because it seemed like a big undertaking, but decided to give it a try and I’m so glad I did. It was absolutely delicious and I was the star of the Christmas Eve dinner. The wow factor was definitely there! And so so yummy! Thank you!
    I wasn’t able to get marscapone so I used 2 oz. Cream cheese in the filing, just to help stabilize it. I didn’t want the flavor of the cream cheese to come through much. It ended up being perfect!






  232. Teri Finegan Dalco

    I have also used in place of sour cream in the past greek or Icelandic yogurt and I like to use the vanilla ones because I like the vanilla flavor.  both sub well for sour cream (though today I used the sour cream). ALSO if you want to kick up the chocolate flavors, add a wee bit of espresso powder to with the cocoa powder.  I don’t like coffee, so I don’t use very much – use a bit more if you want it mocha – but it amps up the chocolate!

  233. Teri Finegan Dalco

    Made it tonight Christmas Eve . will fill and leave in fridge for tomorrow then ganache.  Going to decorate with candied raspberries and mint leaves instead of cranberries since my fam won’t eat those tart things.  (but they eat sour patch kids?) I’m thinking the creamy filling will also moisten the cake as it sits a bit.  I use a stoneware bar pan lined with parchment for baking and flip it right onto cocoa powdered paper towels right away, don’t let it cool in the pan; it will take forever and get rubbery.  waiting for it to cool completely before filling.  My mom makes a vanilla jelly roll and I wanted this to offer a choice for the family get together!  Has been easy so far, and nicely spongy cake.  Didn’t have dark powder but the crumbs tasted good anyway!  Thanks for a good recipe and can’t wait to try it!






  234. Kimberly Schaefer

    My daughter made this for the Winter Solstice. The comments we received from guests is that it is deceptively light. And it is. The filling also contrasts nicely with a very rich, chocolatey sponge.






  235. Lisa

    Really enjoyed making this recipe. I tried another one last year with a heave chocolate filling and it was just too much chocolate. (if you can imagine) We ate it for Christmas desert and it sat in the fridge for a few days before I tossed it. This one is a keeper. Cannot wait to share it. 

    I added some orange emulsion to the filling for a little twist. 

    Merry Christmas Lindsay.






  236. Abbie

    Just made one yesterday as a test and my second just came out of the oven for Christmas Eve! It’s delicious! 

  237. Kristian Espiritu

    I’m so excited to make this! Im looking to make these into cupcakes instead. Do you think I need less batter? Or should this be just fine? Thank you for sharing!






  238. Rebecca

    I’m excited to make this for Christmas this year! I’m planning on making it Christmas Eve to eat on Christmas Day. When I keep it in the fridge overnight (and with the leftovers), should I cover it with plastic wrap/keep it in a closed container, or should I leave it uncovered? Thanks!

    1. Lindsay

      A closed container is probably the most ideal. Wrapping it with something might mess up the ganache on the outside a little bit. You could also leave it uncovered if it’s just for a day. The ganache on the outside will keep it pretty well insulated.

  239. Jessica

    I made this tonight and it is such a good recipe! It was easy to follow and the cake is so beautiful and delicious! The only change I made was that I used an espresso mascarpone cheese. This was unintentional, as the store was out of the original kind. But it turned out amazing! I’m looking forward to making this again but with the original mascarpone instead. Thank you for posting this wonderful recipe. It’s a keeper!






  240. Kelsey

    My ganache seems pretty soupy compared to other times I make ganache, is this because I will whip it up? Or should more chocolate be added?

  241. Kimberly

    This looks amazing! I would like to make it using gluten free ingredients, (allergy) any reason you can think of as to why it wouldn’t work?

  242. Doan

    If I make this two days in advance (filling and frosting) will it be ok? Or should I frost another day. I’m just concerned the sponge will dry out, but with my schedule, the earliest I can bake is 2 days. I’d love to cart this over to a friend’s white elephant party!

    1. Lindsay

      It should be fine. In fact, frosting it should actually keep it more moist because the cake itself won’t be exposed.

  243. Allison

    Does it have to be special dark cocoa powder or could standard baking cocoa do?  I’m not sure if there is a difference but one of my kids actually can detect even the slightest hint of dark chocolate (parenting fail, I know!).  I’d love to to try this for Christmas Day at my house!

    1. Lindsay

      So technically you can use regular cocoa, but because this recipe uses baking powder rather than baking soda (which works better for the texture of the cake for rolling), you don’t get as nice of a chocolate flavor without the darker cocoa. The flavor is a little more blah with regular cocoa.

  244. Katie

    Can I make the cake and roll it one day and frost it with the next day with the chocolate ganache? If so, where should I store the unfrosted cake?

    1. Lindsay

      If you are going to roll it without the filling, you could store it in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge. Once you’ve added the filling, you’re gonna want to keep it in the fridge. You can certainly do all of that a day ahead and then add the ganache later.

      1. Katie

        Thank you!! So I can roll the cake with the filling one day, store in fridge, and frost it the next day? 

      2. Vicky East

        Made and decorated this today ready for our Christmas dinner dessert tomorrow. So happy with how it turned out. Loved how the sugar frosted cranberries and rosemary for decorating. Dusted a board with icing sugar and also added some meringue mushrooms i made. Really looked amazing.






  245. Marinette

    Looks great! If I wanted to make this for 15 people how much should I scale the recipe by? (Aka how much of each ingredient?) 

    1. Lindsay

      I don’t really think you’re going to just be able to scale the recipe. If you were to make more cake better, you would need a larger pan so that your cake isn’t too thick and doesn’t overflow the cake pan and I’m not sure that there’s really a larger one to use. You may just want to make two.

      1. Mila

        I love this recipe a lot!! I made it for my classmates and they loved it too. I used buttercream with almond extract instead of the marscapone. The only problem that I had, was the cake was a bit too dry. Should I wash it with a cooked sugar mixture to fix that issue?

      2. Lindsay

        Glad everyone enjoyed it. As for the dryness, you want to be sure not to over bake the cake. It’s very thin so it’s easy to do. But you could also try brushing it with a simple syrup if you like.

    2. Andrea

      This Yule Log is AMAZING! My cake did crack a little but the frosting does help hide that. I added powdered sugar to the ganache frosting and it was delicious.  I’m making this again next year as this was an absolute hit. Thank you!!

  246. Sue Kalis

    So fun to make !! Mine cracked a bit when rolling up the filling but I wrapped it good and will wait to decorate it!!






      1. Nana in Cobourg

        What size oan did you use. It diesnt look like ut makes a big batch so my large cookie sheet is likely too big. Right? 

  247. Adree

    I just made this recipe. Everyone enjoyed it.
    The cake crumble on me upon unrolling after cooling off.  mascarpone filling, however once I applied the mascarpone filling and rolled back, it held together. Once the chocolate ganache was applied the cake looked awesome! 
    It’s so good!






      1. Gwen

        Can you tell me how to alter the recipe to make it a yellow cake and chocolate filling? Trying to make the perfect cake for my boyfriend, and that is what he had growing up.

    1. Karli Brown

      This recipe is amazing. I made it this year for Christmas and my whole family loves it. Fairly simple and cheap to make also!






  248. Meredith Parrish

    How long do I wait before putting the fork through the ganache to create the bark texture? Do I do it immediately after spreading it on or wait a bit?

    1. Lindsay

      I did it right after I frosted it. The ganache is much softer and it’s easier to create the lines than when it’s cold.

  249. Jonathan Hesler

    I am going to make this for my family and I to have on Christmas Day, so when should I make the Yule log? Is it better to make the day before or the day of? And if the day before should I leave it in my fridge, my counter, etc. ?

  250. Pamela Smith

    I need to make this in a pan 11 by 15 will it still work?  It is to late to order one.  It is also a stoneware cookie sheet.  I have a metal one 10.5 by 14 . Would it be better?

    1. Lindsay

      I’ve never worked with stoneware cookie sheets. My suggestion would be the metal. As for the size, the cake will bake a little longer. I don’t know if the thicker cake will affect it or not, but I think it would be ok.

    1. Lindsay

      Absolutely. The powdered sugar and mascarpone cheese in the whipped cream both help to stabilize it, so it’d be fine in the fridge for days and not wilt. I’ve left it in the fridge for a week plus before and it’s kept it’s shape perfectly. I hope you enjoy it!

      1. Lindsay

        I’ve not ever used red cocoa so I don’t know about that. But the black sounds like it might be ok.

  251. Caron

    OMG I got the biggest homesick feeling for Christmas when I saw your pictures! This is just so beautiful, Lindsay. Wonderful job!! I can’t wait to try that chocolate cake recipe. ♥♥♥

      1. Vicky East

        Looks beautiful and im excited try this for Christmas Day dessert. Im jelly roll pan is 10″ x 15″. Will it work or or do i need to get a new one that’s 12″ x 17″?






      2. Lindsay

        I haven’t tried that size. I’m not sure if the pan will overflow or be harder to worth with because the cake would be thicker. You could try it though.

      3. Vicky East

        Made and decorated this today ready for our Christmas dinner dessert tomorrow. So happy with how it turned out. Loved how the sugar frosted cranberries and rosemary for decorating. Dusted a board with icing sugar and also added some meringue mushrooms i made. Really looked amazing.






    1. Vicky East

      Is black cocoa powder darker than the Hersheys ? (which we can’t get here in Canada). I believe theu use it to make Oreos. I bought black and i also bought red which is stil darker than the regular so i thought I’d mix 2 /3 red and 1/3 black. Thoughts?






      1. Paula

        Yes you can use 10 x 15, I did turned out perfect. I know this is too late for you but it may help someone else






      1. Joanna Sanchez

        Mine was watery too but a chill in the fridge made all the difference. Whipped it after it got cool and it was perfect.

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I'm a wife and a mom to twin boys and a baby girl! And I've got a serious sweets addiction! Bring on the treats!

Scripture I’m Loving

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29