Chocolate Yule Log (Bûche de Noël) is the French roll cake very popular during the Holiday season. This is a delicious version of Yule Log you can make at home using very simple ingredients you can find in every store.
Chocolate Yule Log (Bûche de Noël)
Ingredients
Sugar syrup
- 150 g sugar
- 300 ml water
Chocolate ganache
- 200 ml heavy whipping cream ( 35%)
- 200 g dark chocolate (60-70% cacao)
- 15 g unsalted butter
Biscuit
- 4 eggs (at room temperature)
- 120 g sugar
- 120 g all purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
Chantilly cream
- 250 ml heavy whipping cream ( 35%) very cold
- 45 g mascarpone cheese
- 1.25 Tbsp sugar
Decoration
- Few meringues, pieces of chocolat
Instructions
Sugar syrup
- In a small pot, bring cold water and sugar to the boil. Keep boiling for a few minutes, stir constantly until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool down. When the syrup is cold, you may add vanilla or the Triple Sec liqueur (optional).
Biscuit
- Preheat oven to 380 degrees F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar until the mixture becomes thick, fluffy, and triples in volume.
- Using a spatula, gently fold in flour and cocoa powder.
- Spread the batter evenly in thin layer into the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in center of biscuit comes out clean.
- Turn upside down onto clean kitchen towel and carefully remove parchment paper. Let cool down.
Chocolate ganache
- Boil the heavy whipping cream. Pour the boiling cream over the dark chocolate. Wait for one minute.
- Then mix it until the mixture is smooth.
- Add butter and mix until this is fully dissolved.
- Let cool the ganache for about 30 minutes in the fridge. Mix and check frequently: the ganache is ready when it’s not anymore liquid and has a spreadable texture.
Chantilly cream
- Beat together very cold heavy cream and cold mascarpone cheese until this is whipped. Keep gradually adding sugar.
Assemblage
- Paint the biscuit with sugar syrup.
- Spread the chantilly cream evenly over the biscuit.
- Roll up firmly.
- Tightly cover with plastic wrap, and keep in the fridge until chocolate ganache is ready.
- Remove the plastic wrap. Spread the ganache over the cake. Using a fork make lines to look like a log. Transfer the cake to a serving platter and let stand in the fridge for a night or at least 3 hours.
- Before serving, dust with cacao cocoa powder and decorate with meringues or pieces of chocolate.
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French Chocolate Cake
French chocolate cake with dark chocolate. Very elegant and light, incredibly simple to make. It became our family signature cake. I make it for breakfast, for unexpected guests, and even as a birthday cake.
If you are looking for gluten-free recipe, try our Flourless Chocolate Cake.
French Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 200 g dark chocolate chips
- 150 g unsalted butter
- 6 eggs
- 200 g sugar
- 2 Tbsp all purpose flour sifted
- 1/4 tsp powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Generously butter a baking pan, then dust with little flour and tap out the excess.
- Meanwhile melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave. Mix well.
- Whisk eggs with sugar until frothy and blended.
- Add eggs to the chocolate batter and whisk.
- Add sifted flour and whisk again.
- Pour into prepared cake pan and bake for 25- 30 minutes.
- Run the knife along to check if it is ready. Cake should be moist and not dry.
- Let it completely cool, remove the cake from the pan. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and serve.
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Petits Choux
This is one of my favorite puff pastry for a “cafe gourmand“.
Petits choux
Cream Petits choux will go perfectly with your coffee or tea.
Ingredients
Ingredients for the choux pastry
- 200 ml water
- 100 g butter
- 2 pinches of salt
- 120 g flour
- 3-4 eggs
Ingredients for the cream
- 1 egg yolk
- 120 g sugar
- 125 ml milk
- 1/2 vanilla bean cut into two in its length
- 200 g softened butter
- 1 tbsp icing sugar
Instructions
For the choux pastry
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (thermostat 6/7). Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a saucepan, put the butter and salt. Bring to a boil. When the butter is completely melted, remove the pan from the heat.
- Add flour and mix well.
- The dough should form a ball.
- Add the eggs one by one. Mix well.
- The dough should be smooth and not stick to the edges of the pan.
- Using a spoon or a pastry bag, form small heaps of dough on the baking sheet, separating them from each other as the puffs will double in size during cooking.
- Bake at 200°C for 10-15 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 180°C (thermostat 6) and cook for another 10 minutes or so until you get a nice golden color. Remove the puffs from the oven and let cool.
For the cream
- In a small saucepan, blanch the egg with the sugar.
- Add milk and vanilla. Place over very low heat. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool. Remove the vanilla pod.
- In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter. While continuing to mix, gradually incorporate the milk and sugar preparation.
- Make an incision in the choux. Using a teaspoon or a pastry bag, fill them with the cream. Sprinkle with icing sugar.
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