Yule Log Cake Recipe with Chocolate Ganache Icing
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Delicious and chocolatey Yule Log cake recipe to celebrate the holidays. This classic Christmas dessert is a chocolate sponge cake that you spread with cream and then roll up and decorate like a Yule log. The recipe also features a rich chocolate ganache instead of icing.
Also known as Bûche de Noël and Swiss rolls, Yule logs are traditional chocolate cakes that resemble a Yule log. A cut piece of a tree trunk that was burned as a winter tradition in times past. Besides its design, this cake recipe is unique because it’s rolled. First, you make a thin layer of airy sponge, then spread cream filling over it and carefully roll it up. You finish it by decorating the roll to look like a log with chocolate icing and other embellishments such as marzipan mushrooms, sugared cranberries, and rosemary sprigs.
Yule logs are beautiful cakes that often take pride of place as a Christmas dessert. When you cut slices to serve, each slice will have a beautiful spiral of cream filling reminiscent of tree rings. It looks gorgeous as a holiday table centerpiece, and each slice is an airy miracle of chocolate and whipped cream. If you’ve not had one before, you and your loved ones are in for a treat!
How to Make a Yule Log Cake
The easy way to make a yule log cake is to use a boxed cake mix and supermarket icing. As you can probably guess, they’re not as good as one made from scratch. That’s because the batter of a traditional yule log cake is different from a standard sponge cake and doesn’t require baking powder or baking soda to help the sponge rise. Instead, it’s made by gently folding homemade meringue and a frothy egg yolk mixture. That simple, frothy batter creates a lighter-than-air sponge that is delicious and easy to roll up.
The other thing that makes this recipe different is that it uses chocolate ganache for the icing. Standard icing is heavy on sugar, but chocolate ganache is more about deep chocolate flavor. It also hardens into a firm coating that holds a design well and is more like a chocolate truffle shell than frosting. It really is the icing on the cake in this recipe.
Making a yule log cake from scratch requires quite a few steps, so I’d like to take you through the process with photos to help explain. It’s also important to be gentle with the mixing, gentle with the baking, and, most importantly, gentle with the rolling. Once that’s done, it’s a sturdy cake that transports well and will earn you oohs and ahhs of delight. For something different this year, try making this simple Yule log recipe. Who knows? It may become your family’s tradition as well.
More Ideas to Celebrate the Holidays
Before we move on to the yule log cake recipe, here are some other ideas to help you celebrate and enjoy the holidays. There’s nothing like handmade for a memorable and fun Christmas. Fill it with nature crafts, recipe ideas, outings, and unique ways to mark the season. ‘Tis the season!
- Homemade Kahlua Recipe
- Creative ways to Celebrate the Winter Solstice
- Simple Christmas Table Decoration (using a colander)
- More ideas
Traditional Yule Log Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 9X13 jelly roll pan (You can use a larger pan, but the sponge will be thinner)
- stand mixer (or whisk)
- fine mesh sieve (for sifting)
Ingredients
for the Sponge
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter (to grease the pan)
- ⅓ cup plain flour (multi purpose) (60 g)
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder (unsweetened) (40 g)
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¾ cup confectioners sugar (powdered sugar) (110 g )
for the Filling
- 3 Tbsp confectioners sugar (powdered sugar) (25 g)
- 1 tsp cocoa powder (unsweetened) (optional)
- 1 cup double cream (whipping cream) (240 ml / 235 g)
- 1 Tbsp sour cream (or cream cheese / 15 ml / 15 g)
for the Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup double cream (whipping cream) (240 ml / 235 g)
- 8 oz high-quality dark chocolate (226 g / as chocolate chips or bars broken into small pieces)
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C or 160°C if you have a convection oven.
- Melt the butter and use a brush to coat the pan well, including the corners and sides. Next, line the pan with baking paper and brush the top of the paper with the remaining butter. Ensure that every part of the paper and the inside of the pan is well greased.
Make the cake sponge mixture
- Crack the eggs and separate the yolks and whites into different bowls.
- Using the sieve, sift the flour, salt, and cocoa powder for the sponge together in a large mixing bowl.
- Sift the icing sugar with the sieve into another bowl.
- Pour the egg yolks into the electric mixer's bowl. Add the vanilla and ¼ cup of the sugar and mix on medium speed for two to three minutes or until well-mixed and frothy on top. Since there's such a small amount of egg in the bowl, I use the spatula to help direct the egg into the mixer's beaters.
- Take the mixer's beaters off and rinse thoroughly. If you have a second bowl that will fit your mixer, get that out now and set the one with the egg yolk mixture aside. If not, pour the egg yolk mixture into another bowl and set aside. Clean and dry the mixer bowl thoroughly.
- Add the egg whites to the empty mixer bowl and begin beating at medium-high speed. When they begin forming soft peaks, add the remaining ½ cup of sugar a spoonful at a time. The peaks will look glossier after, and the entire step only takes a few minutes.
- With a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites. Folding simply means working from the edges of the bowl and turning the outside ingredients into the center of the bowl. Do not stir, or you'll lose the fluffiness of the mixture.
- Next, sprinkle over the sifted cocoa powder and flour and gently fold it in too.
- The cake batter will be fluffy yet fully incorporated when it's finished. Don't be tempted to over-mix it since stirring too much can flatten the airiness of the batter.
Bake the Yule Log Cake Sponge
- Pour the batter into the pan and smooth with your spatula. If the baking paper sticks out beyond the pan's edges, trim it off now to ensure it doesn't fall back into the sponge while baking.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cake springs back a little when touched. Using a 9×12" pan will take closer to ten minutes. Larger pans like the 11×16" in the photos needs less time.
- As soon as you take the cake sponge out of the oven, gently pull the sponge out of the pan and onto a damp and clean kitchen towel. It should come out fairly easily thanks to the butter used to grease the pan.
- Once the cake is on the kitchen towel, sprinkle it with sifted icing sugar.
- Lay another piece of baking or parchment paper on top of the cake, then roll it up while it is still warm. Doing this helps mold the sponge into a rolled shape and can reduce the chances of it splitting later on.
Make the Filling
- Wait until the cake cools to room temperature before moving on to the next step.
- Whip the cream, sour cream, and three tablespoons of sifted icing sugar in the mixer until it forms stiff peaks. Although optional, you could also sift 1-2 teaspoons of cocoa powder into the mix. This will give the filling a light brown color and a hint of chocolate flavor.
- Gently unroll the cake and remove the top layer of baking paper. Spread the whipped cream filling evenly over the top of the cake sponge, except for a one-inch strip on one of the shorter ends.
Roll the Yule Log Cake
- Roll the cake, beginning from the short end that is covered with cream. Lift up the edge of the sponge and pull it away from the lower layer of baking paper. Roll the sponge onto itself as gently but as tightly as you can. Peel the paper away as you go and use it to help push the sponge as you roll.
- If the cake cracks a little as you roll, don't worry. The roll should hold it in place, and the last steps can cover all manner of imperfections.
- Roll all the way to the uncreamed side. The result is a rolled-up cake, and most of the hard work is over! If the cream filling was spread a bit thin on the sides, the ends of the cake might look thinner than the middle. This is completely fine but if you are aiming for a more uniform shape, you can trim up to an inch of cake from the ends using a sharp knife. It's a great way to sample the cake before you decorate it too.
- When you've finished, lift the cake and place seam side down on a serving platter. Tuck baking paper under the edges of the cake (not too far under, though) in preparation for the next step. You surround the cake with paper to protect the plate from too much chocolate mess.
Make the Chocolate Ganache
- Place the cream in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Take it off the heat, add the chocolate and let it sit together for up to five minutes. Stay with it and stir every thirty seconds or so. The result will be a gorgeous and even chocolate mixture.
- Once the chocolate ganache is fully mixed, allow it to cool for five to ten minutes before the next step. This allows it to set up a bit so that it isn't too liquidy.
- Next, slowly pour the chocolate ganache over the yule log cake to cover it. If the ganache runs down from the cake, the paper will protect the plate from mess and you can use a silicone spatula to pull it back up on the cake.
- Wait another ten minutes for the ganache to fully set before gently pulling the paper out from under the edge of the cake. If the paper feels stuck under, you hold a spatula against the cake while you pull, and that helps to keep the ganache in place while you pull the paper out.
- To create tree bark texture, use a fork and gently run it along the chocolate ganache. If you wish, lightly sift icing sugar on top for a dusting of snow.
- Lastly, decorate the cake with optional decorations and garnishes. Creating a woodland theme is popular, but simple pine or rosemary sprigs are perfect, too. Store the finished Yule log cake in the fridge until you're ready to serve it.
Very easy to make, and taste delicious!
This was amazing! Your step by step instructions and photos made this recipe so easy to follow! The result was not only absolutely delicious, but so impressive to look at as well! Thank you for posting this recipe! 5 out of 5 stars for sure!
Amazing! I’m so pleased that it turned out so well for you, Tammy. Making a Yule log cake has a few steps but the work you put into it is well worth it. Well done :)
Thanks forr sharing. I am going to try it tomo 23rd Dec.. I got 2 swiss roll trays 12x10x1inch but will try on 1. I need at least 20 servings & wonder if i double the quantity & make 2 logs I could serve all. Instead of 2 logs can I make a Yule Cross. 😊 But since its the first time I bought ingredients just for 1 log & hope it comes out well. Will be in touch with you.
Seasons Greetings.
Cheers
Kumar
Hi Kumar and I hope you had success making your Yule cross cake :) How’d it go?
Love the recipe. My mom made this cake when we were kids. I made it a few years ago and am going to make it again this year for Christmas dinner. When I put it in the fridge to store, I notice the ganache hardens and likes to pull away from.the cake. Any tips here? Should I pull it out of the fridge several hours before serving to allow the ganache to melt back into the cake?
Hi Matt, it’s so yummy, isn’t it? I’m glad that you and your family enjoyed the recipe and are making it again! As for your question, yes, you would need to take the yule log cake out of the fridge and let it come up to room temperature before serving. The ganache will relax back against the cake as it softens. The ganache recipe I recommend for this cake is quite a firm one so that it resembles tree bark. If you wanted to make it less firm, you could increase the amount of cream called for in it. One part chocolate to two parts cream makes a much softer ganache that shouldn’t firm up or pull away.
Can this be made now and frozen
Hi Lynn, I wouldn’t recommend it. The yule log sponge will definitely survive freezing and be fine but the whipped cream filling and ganache topping might not. The whipped cream could weep and the ganache could change in texture and look.
I make chocolate butter cream frosting instead of danish! Everyone loves it
I was scared to attempt making this Yule Log. I was wrong! Everything came together as written. Look at the pictures of each step, they were helpful.
Beauitful cake and filling. Fun to make and a hit at the table.
Ended up making 2
That is so great to hear, Kim! So pleased for you and everyone who got to enjoy your cakes :)
I made this last year, was delicious! But this year my timetable has been tampered with! Do you think it could be made ahead and frozen, either with or without the ganache?
Thank you
Ooh. I’m not entirely sure how well the cream filling would hold up. I wish I could give a more definitive answer but all I can say is that I’m unsure.
I’ll let you know how it goes! I have read that if the cream is stabilised, like with cream cheese, it will be ok!
Please do! Thank you :)
I made this Yule log, my first ever. Thank you for the pictures and step by step instructions. I followed everything to the T. I was surprised that the cake was not overly sweet…it was perfect. I made some mistakes by not waiting long enough for the ganache to thicken more and had a crack in the cake as I unrolled it. Anyhow, as I rolled it up with the cream filling, a lot of the filling would come out of the very end of the cake, A LOT. I baked the cake in a jelly roll pan and spread it evenly. Is there something I can do better next time so that more of the filling will stay in place?
Hi Amy, I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake and seem like you’d like to make it again :) Hopefully next time you won’t have a crack—it tends to happen when rolling the cake up when cooled but without the memory-roll it can get with step 5 of the Bake the Yule Log Cake Sponge section. As for cream coming out the ends, it can do this if the cake is still warm, the room is very warm, the rolling was too firm (squishing it out), the filling applied too thickly, or the filling being too runny for some reason. Some cream does come out, and that’s normal, but not a massive amount. You could consider adding a bit of gelatin to the cream to keep it firm and non-melty at room temperature, if that’s the issue.
I’m going to make this the night before taking it to my son’s house for Christmas. Should I keep it in the fridge or is room temp okay?
I’d keep it in the fridge if you’re making it the day before, and take it out about an hour before serving.
This looks great but is there any way of getting the recipe without the pictures as the computer says it will take 17 pages to print out! thanks
Hi Sharon, when you press print it opens a second page where you have to press the print button again. Before you press it, untick the box ‘instructional images’ and it won’t print the photos. Hope you enjoy the Yule log cake recipe :)
I’m about to make this recipe but it doesn’t say when to add the salt. In the dry ingredients or into the egg whites.
Hi Lorraine, you sift it in with the flour and cocoa powder. Have fun making your yule log cake, and let me know how it goes? :)
I made this many years ago and it turned out wonderfully. The recipe I used was more than likely a Betty Crocker recipe, but it called for turning over the the cake onto a clean cloth towel that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar, so it won’t stick to the towel. Once cool, use the towel to help in wrapping it up – after you’ve added the sweetened whipped cream to the top of the cake.
I’ve also been known to use non-stick aluminum foil, or vegetable oil to grease the aluminum foil so that the cake is removed without any cake chunks stuck to the bottom of the pan.
I’m in a baking and pastries class, and my class was assigned to make a cake based on nature, it also had to be something that was not from\ part of your bloodline, I’m from Seoul, so I figured I’d try making yule logs, of course… I personally don’t think they looked a thing like they should’ve, but my instructor complemented how realistic my attempt was.
Fantastic, Lamar, and well done on your yule log cake!
ok to sub regular refined sugar for the confection sugar?
You need to use confection sugar for the recipe. It’s also known as powdered sugar :)
It says to mix the dry ingredients but later add the sugar… is that a mistake or am I adding more sugar. I have no baking skills, and, am very confused:(
Hi Ashley and have a look at the recipe again. There are two amounts of sugar — one for the sponge and one for the filling :)
yes
What is a jelly rolled pan and is it essential? Can I just use a regular 9x 13 pan?
If you have a pan of that size with short raised edges then it is a jelly pan :)
How many days in advance can you make the cake?
You can make it up to a couple of days in advance, but I wouldn’t recommend making it any earlier.
Is there an error in the ganache ingredients?:
This is what is says:
for the Chocolate Ganache
⅓ double (heavy) cream 240 ml
I’m assuming it must be 1 Cup of heavy cream instead of 1/3?
Yes, that was an error Tammy, and thanks for pointing it out! All fixed now
What a work of art! Such a beautiful cake. I love that you turned your fear into food. : )
I’m so glad too! It took such a long time to really feel motivated enough to try though. It’s hard to unlearn some lessons…
Was it particularly delicious? It took me nearly 40 yrs to make my *second* buche de noel, also due to a school incident!
In 7th grade we were asked to bring a dessert to a ‘potluck’ for the holidays. My mom worked but I figured I could do this on my own. I actually did really quite well with methodically measuring the ingredients beforehand, pre-heating oven, and using the required utensils. However, I could not believe that the recipe was correct when it called for Baking Soda. I mean, there was a box of it in the bathroom for my mom’s teeth! gross! So, I replaced baking soda with baking powder, sure it was an error. Yes, you imagined correctly. I was able to get the cake rolled up because it was still warm from the oven, as instructed, but by the morning, it was as hard as … a log! I was mortified to hand it in the next day but I had worked so hard and wanted a grade on it. Fortunately, there was so much food on the table, it went without much notice.
Although I’ve baked many cakes since, all without similar incident, it was only just the Solstice before last that I could bear to try it again. I very methodically measured out all ingredients, followed all instructions meticulously, and rolled it very gently. You know what? That was the best damn cake I ever made!
Oh lawd…we’ve all done something similar. Salt instead of sugar, baking powder instead of bicarb… I’m so glad you had a ‘Phew’ moment when you were able to disguise your log among the other cakes. I’d have totally felt the same :D How funny that you decided to give the ole Yule Log another go the same year as me. Something was in the air!
After sifting dry ingredients, it says to add 1/4 C of sugar to the yolk. A 1/4 C of what sugar? Was i not supposed to add the 3/4 C sugar to the dry ingredients? (It is a dry ingredient, after all) The way you have some of this recipe worded is confusing. Wish I had realized this before starting, as I now have a bowl full of sifted dry ingredients that I can’t do anything with. Thanks! ?
The ingredients list is divided into ingredients for the sponge, filling, and icing. Use the called for ingredients for the steps to make said parts of the cake. If you’re making the sponge, use the dried ingredients called for in the sponge section of the ingredients list.
The bark looks very realistic. The whole thing looks delicious!