Bûche de Noël, or Yule log, is the most traditional Christmas cake in France. It’s a light jelly-roll-style cake that’s filled with a decadent chocolate cream filling and rolled up into the shape of a log for an impressive holiday dessert. Yule logs are often covered with chocolate ganache to create the appearance of tree bark and dusted with confectioners’ sugar to resemble freshly fallen snow. Find lots of inspiration in this scrumptious collection of Bûche de Noël cake recipes that don’t just look beautiful—they taste wonderful, too!
Bûche de Noël
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
See how to make this heavenly gluten-free chocolate cake. You’ll fill it with chocolate whipped cream, then roll it up and decorate it to look like a Yule log. Dust the finished cake with confectioners’ sugar to resemble freshly fallen snow on a log for a show-stopping festive dessert. Home cook AGGIE2004 gave this recipe a glowing review: “This cake received applause at our Christmas dinner!”
Chocolate Yule Log
Oana Ennis/Allrecipes
Chef John’s chocolate Yule log is a must-try for the holiday season! You can drizzle the baked sponge with a splash of rum or kirsch if you are serving adults. Carve lines into the ganache using the tip of a knife to create the appearance of tree bark and garnish with meringue mushrooms and fresh rosemary sprigs to resemble tree branches.
Yule Log Cake
Allrecipes
Rich chocolate buttercream and a delicate sponge cake create this Christmas Yule log cake. “As delicious to eat as it is pretty to look at!” says Stella, the recipe submitter. “Add optional decorations, such as forest berries, meringue mushrooms, mini evergreen trees, etc.”
Chocolate Swiss Roll
Lydia
This chocolate Swiss roll cake (or roulade) is a simpler and smaller version of the French classic Bûche de Noël. It’s filled with a Nutella-flavored cream, and well worth a try if you’re looking for a deliciously light but impressive dessert for the holidays.
Chocolate Decadence Yule Log
Yan
This detailed, step-by-step recipe tells you how to create a classic French Bûche de Noël for a spectacular holiday cake. Decorate the log with edible holly leaves, berries, and meringue mushrooms. “All I can say is WOW!” says reviewer DLA IN BETHANY. “I made this for our Christmas Day dinner and it knocked people out! Chocolaty and creamy—truly decadent!”
Triple Chocolate Roll Cake
Allrecipes member
“It turned out really well!” says home cook C Joyce. “I had never made a roll cake before, but it was really easy!”
Classic Yule Log
Sarah Bossert/Getty Images
A chocolate jelly-roll style cake is filled with cream and covered in a rich chocolate frosting. Run a fork through the chocolate frosting to create a tree bark effect and have fun garnishing the Yule log with red and green marzipan leaves, cinnamon candies, and snowmen for a very festive Christmas dessert that the whole family will adore!
