Food Recipes Desserts Cake Bûche de Noël with Mascarpone Cream and Dark Chocolate Ganache 4.0 (5) 4 Reviews This classic Yule log cake is an impressive dessert for Christmas — and an all-afternoon kitchen project with a satisfying result. By Paige Grandjean Paige Grandjean Paige Grandjean is a food editor, recipe developer, and food stylist with over seven years of experience in food media. Her work has appeared in more than 15 nationally distributed publications, award-winning cookbooks, and digital platforms. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 30, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Save Rate PRINT Share Active Time: 1 hr 5 mins Total Time: 4 hrs 35 mins Yield: 8 to 10 servings Jump to recipe With tender cake, silky filling, and the slight crunch of slivered almonds, this flourless bûche de Noël with mascarpone cream has a medley of textures that make it a joy to eat. Any Yule log cake is a big undertaking. Still, this holiday baking project is worth the time and effort, especially for the whimsical and stunning presentation: nutty dark-chocolate "bark," meringue mushrooms, and two attached wedges of cake that form the "stumps" of the log's branches. Add a sprinkling of powdered sugar "snow," and your bûche de Noël will be a Christmas dessert sure to impress. Frequently Asked Questions Why do people make bûche de Noël? A bûche de Noël is a typical cake for the Christmas holiday, especially in France and other French-speaking countries. The name translates to "Yule log" — the specially selected log that's burned as a celebration of winter or Christmas in many parts of Europe, where the custom predates Christianity. The cake is meant to resemble this log — it has its own "branches," meringue mushrooms, and exposed "sawn off" ends with swirls that resemble tree rings. What is a bûche de Noël made of? A bûche de Noël or Yule log cake is traditionally made with a genoise sponge cake, which is filled with buttercream or another creamy frosting and then rolled into a cylindrical "log." The log is typically coated with chocolate frosting or ganache that's brushed or swirled to mimic bark; classic forest-themed garnishes include marzipan leaves and meringue mushrooms. This recipe puts a few small spins on the typical bûche de Noël, making the base of the cake a flourless genoise and adding mascarpone to the filling. Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen A few smart moves make this bûche de Noël a cut above the rest. Rolling up the cake and letting it cool in that shape helps prevent cracking when re-rolling it later. Mascarpone stabilizes the whipped cream filling so it can be chilled (up to overnight) without weeping. Butter and corn syrup in the ganache keep it smooth and glossy, and stirring slivered toasted almonds into it gives the frosting a “tree bark” look. Make ahead If you’d like to make meringue mushrooms to decorate the cake, feel free to bake them up to three days ahead. The cake itself can be refrigerated overnight after filling and re-rolling or chilled for up to 12 hours after it's fully assembled (wait to add the meringue mushrooms and powdered sugar until just before serving). If refrigerating the cake, first cover it loosely with plastic wrap. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients Chocolate genoise cake Cooking spray 8 large eggs, at room temperature, separated 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa, divided 1 cup granulated sugar, divided 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar Mascarpone-cream filling 1 cup heavy whipping cream 1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) powdered sugar, plus more for dusting 1/4 cup (2 ounces) mascarpone cheese 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt Dark chocolate ganache frosting 2 (4-ounce) bittersweet chocolate bars, roughly chopped (about 60% cacao) 3 tablespoons light corn syrup 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 2/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted and cooled (optional) Garnish Meringue mushrooms Directions Prepare the chocolate genoise cake Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat an 18- x 13-inch half sheet pan with cooking spray, and line with parchment paper. Lightly coat parchment with cooking spray. Set aside. Place egg yolks, vanilla, salt, 1/2 cup of the cocoa, and 1/4 cup of the granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed, gradually increasing speed to medium-high until mixture is thick and light brown, 2 to 3 minutes total. Set aside. Beat egg whites in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment (or in a clean mixing bowl using a hand mixer) on medium speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Add cream of tartar, and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. With mixer on medium speed, gradually add remaining 3/4 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form, about 3 more minutes. Stir one-third of the egg whites into yolk mixture to lighten. Gently fold in remaining egg whites until just combined. Spread batter in prepared pan, and smooth top. Bake until cake springs back when touched, 14 to 16 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes. Working quickly and using a fine-mesh strainer, dust 2 tablespoons of the cocoa evenly over cake. Run a knife along sides of cake; invert onto a parchment paper-lined cutting board. Carefully peel off and discard top layer of parchment from cake. Dust remaining 2 tablespoons cocoa evenly over cake. Starting at one short side, carefully and tightly roll up cake along with bottom layer of parchment together. Transfer cake roll to a wire rack, seam side down, and cool completely, about 45 minutes (you’ll remove the parchment later). Prepare the mascarpone-whipped cream filling Combine all ingredients in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment (or in a large mixing bowl). Beat on low speed with the electric mixer, gradually increasing speed to medium-high, until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute (do not over-beat or filling will turn grainy). Assemble the cake Carefully unroll cake. Evenly spread filling over cake, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Starting at 1 short side, reroll cake, peeling parchment back as you go. Place cake, seam side down, on a serving platter. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and chill at least 2 hours or up to overnight. Meanwhile, prepare the dark chocolate ganache frosting Place chocolate, corn syrup, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Heat heavy cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium, stirring often, until mixture is hot and butter is melted, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour cream mixture over chocolate mixture; let stand, undisturbed, for 2 minutes. Stir until mixture is smooth and chocolate is melted. Cool at room temperature until thick and spreadable, about 2 hours. Do not chill. Using a serrated knife, trim about 1/4 inch from each end of the cake roll, exposing the filling. Cut a 2 1/2-inch piece of cake from one end. With cake piece still lying on its side, cut it in half diagonally, creating two wedges. Stir dark chocolate ganache frosting until smooth. Spread about 1 tablespoon frosting onto diagonal cut side of each cake wedge, and arrange each wedge in a different position on top of the cake roll, pressing to adhere and create branch “stumps.” Using a small offset spatula, spread about 2 tablespoons frosting around base of each stump to adhere to log. Chill cake, uncovered, until frosting has hardened, about 20 minutes. If desired, stir almonds into remaining frosting. Using an offset spatula, spread remaining frosting over log and stumps, leaving ends exposed. Serve bûche de Noël immediately, or chill, loosely covered with plastic wrap, up to 12 hours. If chilled, let cake stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. To serve, dust cake lightly with powdered sugar to resemble snow. Garnish log and individual servings with meringue mushrooms. Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Kay Clarke Rate It Print