Bûche de Noël (Yule Log Cake) is one of my favorite holiday desserts. This elegant French Christmas cake looks impressive on the table but is surprisingly straightforward to make at home.
I’ve made Bûche de Noël a few times, but this year I tried adding meringue mushrooms for the first time. They take a little extra time, but the whimsical, rustic effect they give the cake is well worth the effort.
For this version I went with a triple chocolate approach: a light chocolate sponge, a whipped chocolate filling, and a rich chocolate ganache coating. The filling is airy and balances the denser ganache, so it’s easy to enjoy more than one slice.
To finish the decoration I added a few washed fir sprigs and some pomegranate seeds for a pop of color.
How to Make Bûche de Noël – French Christmas Cake
Because meringue mushrooms need time to dry, plan ahead and make them 12–24 hours before serving. You can prepare the mushrooms, cake, filling, and ganache a day or more in advance and assemble the cake the day you’ll serve it.
Step 1: Make Meringue Mushrooms
Meringue mushrooms are easier to make than they look. Separate three eggs and let the whites come to room temperature.
Beat the egg whites on low until they begin to form soft peaks, then increase the speed and add sugar slowly. Continue until the meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks. A stand mixer with a whisk attachment is convenient, but a hand mixer works fine.
Fill a pastry bag (or a zip-top bag with a corner snipped off) and pipe mushroom caps and stems onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Pipe the caps by holding the bag straight down, squeezing gently, then lifting; pipe the stems with a quicker lift to form thinner columns. If the tops come out pointy, dip a finger in water and smooth them.
Make a variety of sizes and a few extra since meringues are delicate. Bake at 200°F (about 95°C) for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the pieces lift easily from the parchment. Turn off the oven, prop the door open slightly, and let the meringues dry in the oven for a couple of hours or ideally overnight.
Step 2: Make the Chocolate Ganache
The ganache serves as both frosting and the “glue” for the meringue mushrooms. Combine 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces with 1 cup heated heavy cream. Heat the cream until it just begins to bubble around the edges, remove from heat, pour over the chocolate, and stir until smooth. Chill until spreadable.
Step 3: Make the Cake
Beat four eggs until light and fluffy, about five minutes. Sift together 2/3 cup flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, then fold the dry ingredients gently into the eggs.
Line a 10 x 15-inch jelly roll pan with parchment and spread the batter evenly. Bake in a 400°F (200°C) oven for about 10 minutes, until the cake springs back when touched. Immediately sprinkle a clean towel with powdered sugar, invert the cake onto the towel (sugared side down), remove the pan, and peel off the parchment slowly. Dust with more powdered sugar and roll the cake up in the towel to cool for 30 minutes—this helps prevent cracking when you later fill and re-roll it.
Step 4: Make the Cake Filling
Whip 2 cups heavy cream with 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder to stiff peaks. For a vanilla filling, omit the cocoa powder. Cover and chill until ready to use.
Step 5: Assemble the Meringue Mushrooms
Using a paring knife, hollow out a small hole in the underside center of each mushroom cap. Pipe or spoon a little cooled ganache into the hole and press a stem into it. Set the assembled mushrooms aside on parchment to let the ganache set. Once set, dust the caps with cocoa powder for a natural look.
Step 6: Assemble and Decorate the Cake
Unroll the cooled cake, spread the whipped chocolate filling evenly with an offset spatula but leave a small margin at the edges. Re-roll the cake tightly and place it seam-side down on a serving plate. Trim a small diagonal piece from one end to form a “knot” and set it aside.
Spread the ganache over the log. You don’t need to smooth it perfectly; gentle ridges and texture make it resemble bark. Attach the trimmed piece to the side of the log to create a branch knot and frost it as well.
Arrange the meringue mushrooms around the log, dusting them lightly with powdered sugar and cocoa powder for contrast. Add any additional natural decorations you like — I used washed fir sprigs and pomegranate seeds for color and a festive finish.
Serve and enjoy the admiring reactions—this rustic yet elegant Bûche de Noël is as delightful to look at as it is to eat.
Bûche de Noël
This French Christmas cake looks impressive and tastes delicious, yet it’s quite simple to make with a bit of planning.
Ingredients
Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces
Meringue mushrooms
- 3 egg whites
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 3/4 cup superfine sugar
- Chocolate ganache (for assembly)
Cake
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2/3 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Filling
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Make Chocolate Ganache
- Place chocolate in a bowl. Heat cream until it bubbles at the edges, remove from heat, pour over chocolate, and stir until smooth. Chill until spreadable.
Make Meringue Mushrooms
- Preheat oven to 200°F (95°C). Separate eggs and bring whites to room temperature.
- Beat whites with cream of tartar on low to soft peaks, then increase speed and add sugar gradually until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Pipe caps and stems onto parchment. Smooth caps with a damp finger if needed.
- Bake 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Turn off oven, leave door ajar, and let meringues dry for several hours or overnight.
- Hollow out the underside center of each cap, fill with a bit of ganache, attach a stem, and let set. Dust with cocoa powder.
Make the Cake
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a 10 x 15-inch jelly roll pan with parchment.
- Beat eggs until light and fluffy. Sift flour, cornstarch, and cocoa, then fold into the eggs.
- Spread batter in the pan and bake about 10 minutes, until cake springs back when touched.
- Sprinkle a clean towel with powdered sugar, invert the cake onto the towel (sugared side down), remove the pan and parchment, dust with more sugar, and roll the cake in the towel. Let cool 30 minutes.
Make the Filling
- Whip heavy cream, vanilla, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder to stiff peaks. Chill until ready to spread. Omit cocoa for a vanilla filling.
Assemble the Bûche de Noël
- Unroll the cake, spread the filling inside, and re-roll tightly. Place seam-side down on a serving plate. Trim a small diagonal piece to use as a knot.
- Frost the log with chilled but spreadable ganache and attach the trimmed knot piece, frosting it as well.
- Arrange meringue mushrooms around the log, dust with powdered sugar and cocoa, and add any additional decorations such as washed fir sprigs or pomegranate seeds.
