What does "bûche de Noël" mean?

The French "bûche de Noël" translates to "Yule log," the special log traditionally burned around Christmas in France and other parts of Europe. This rolled cake, meant to resemble the log itself, is a French holiday baking tradition that dates back to the late 1800s. While it looks elaborate, the dessert traditionally consists of a simple, thin sponge cake spread with a thick layer of rich pastry cream and rolled up into a cylinder. From there, pastry chefs decorate the top as they like; classic decorations include chocolate shavings, marzipan leaves, and tiny meringue mushrooms .

Kirsch, also called kirschwasser, is a clear brandy made from sour cherries . (Kirsch actually just means "cherry" in German, and kirschwasser is, literally, "cherry water.") Kirsch is not sweet like cherry liqueurs ; a double-distilled clear spirit, it can be 90 proof or higher. But it still has a subtle cherry aroma and taste, as well as notes of almond, the result of fermenting the cherry pits alongside the fruit itself.

Cherry-and-Chocolate Bûche de Noël Recipe

Close up of a cherry-and-chocolate bûche de Noël decorated with meringue mushrooms, brandied cherries, shaved chocolate, and almond studded shards of caramel. — Photo:
Michael Turek

Active Time:

1 hr 10 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 10 mins

Servings:

Dominique Ansel's bûche de Noël is a Christmas dessert for the ages. The look and technique are as classic as they come, but the pastry chef riffs on the traditional French preparation with kirsch syrup and brandied cherries — infusing this chocolaty roll cake with the flavors of a German Black Forest gâteau.

This version is also a lighter dessert than many holiday yule logs: Ansel replaces the typical sponge cake with a flourless chocolate cake made with airy beaten egg whites, frosting it with whipped cream instead of buttercream. There's no denying that this bûche de Noël is a big baking project, but the payoff is an exquisite holiday finale that guests will remember long into the new year.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does "bûche de Noël" mean?

The French "bûche de Noël" translates to "Yule log," the special log traditionally burned around Christmas in France and other parts of Europe. This rolled cake, meant to resemble the log itself, is a French holiday baking tradition that dates back to the late 1800s. While it looks elaborate, the dessert traditionally consists of a simple, thin sponge cake spread with a thick layer of rich pastry cream and rolled up into a cylinder. From there, pastry chefs decorate the top as they like; classic decorations include chocolate shavings, marzipan leaves, and tiny meringue mushrooms.
What is kirsch?

Kirsch, also called kirschwasser, is a clear brandy made from sour cherries. (Kirsch actually just means "cherry" in German, and kirschwasser is, literally, "cherry water.") Kirsch is not sweet like cherry liqueurs; a double-distilled clear spirit, it can be 90 proof or higher. But it still has a subtle cherry aroma and taste, as well as notes of almond, the result of fermenting the cherry pits alongside the fruit itself.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

One of the trickiest parts of making a bûche de Noël (or any roll cake) is, in fact, the rolling. To prevent the cake from cracking, be sure to roll slowly and carefully using the parchment paper. Brushing the cake with the kirsch syrup before rolling should help it stay moist and pliable.

Once you've rolled up the cake, you can use a ruler to tighten it up: Wrap one end of the parchment paper up and over the log and fold under the cake, then place a ruler along that side of the log and pull the loose end of the parchment away from you. The ruler will keep the log in place as the paper tightens around it. If the cake has cracked by this point, it's okay; refrigerating will help everything stay intact, and the final whipped-cream frosting and cocoa powder will hide any minor flaws.

Make ahead

To ease prep, you can make nearly all of the recipe components ahead of time. The kirsch simple syrup can be made long in advance, up to one month, if stored in the refrigerator (or one day in advance if stored at room temperature). The sponge cake can be baked and filled (but not frosted!) a day in advance and refrigerated overnight. Be sure to wait until just before serving to frost it with the whipped cream.

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Ingredients

Cake

6 large egg yolks, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
5 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Kirsch syrup

1/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon kirsch

Filling

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon cold water
1/3 cup whole milk
1/2 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup pitted brandied cherries, drained

Frosting

1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for sifting

Directions

Make the cake

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 9- x 13-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with whisk, beat egg yolks with 6 tablespoons of the sugar at high speed until mixture is pale and fluffy, and leaves a ribbon trail when whisk is lifted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
Thoroughly wash and dry mixer bowl and whisk. Add egg whites and salt to bowl and beat at moderately high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar and continue beating until whites are stiff and glossy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Using a rubber spatula, stir one-fourth of the beaten whites into yolk mixture, then fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain. Working in two batches, sift cocoa over batter and fold gently until fully incorporated. Spread batter on prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until cake feels springy and dry; rotate pan halfway through baking. Transfer to a rack and let cool for 30 minutes, then unmold cake and let cool completely.

Make the kirsch syrup

In a small saucepan, combine water and sugar and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to moderate and simmer just until sugar is completely dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in kirsch.

Make the filling

In a small, microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water and let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. In a small saucepan, combine milk with vanilla bean and seeds and bring to a simmer over moderately high heat. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar.
When milk comes to a simmer, discard vanilla bean. Very slowly whisk milk into yolk mixture until thoroughly blended. Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 1 to 2 minutes. Strain custard into a medium bowl and let cool for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Melt gelatin in microwave for 15 seconds; stir it into custard and let cool. Meanwhile, whip heavy cream until firm. Stir one-fourth of the whipped cream into custard until incorporated, then fold in remaining whipped cream.

Assemble and frost cake

Run the tip of a knife around the edge of the cake. Cover with a clean sheet of parchment and a second baking sheet and invert cake. Remove first baking sheet and peel off parchment. Brush kirsch syrup evenly over cake to soak; reserve any extra syrup for another use.
Using an offset spatula, spread filling evenly over cake. Scatter cherries over filling. Use parchment to carefully roll cake to form a 13-inch-long log with seam on bottom. Fold parchment over log so the ends meet. Place a ruler against side of the cake and squeeze cake in parchment to tighten the roll. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Just before serving, whip cream with confectioners' sugar until the peaks stand up and hold their shape. Place cake on a piece of parchment paper, and frost with whipped cream. Sift cocoa powder on top (about 2 tablespoons is enough to cover cake). Using two offset spatulas, transfer cake to serving platter. Add additional cherries or other decorations if desired. Slice and serve.

Originally appeared: December 2010