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The bûche de Noël is a famous French Christmas cake created to resemble the Yule log of European tradition. It is not a difficult cake to make; there are a good number of preparations and various steps to follow. Each step can be make ahead of time and then you can assemble the cake later.
Cooking time: 25 mins | Prep time: 40 mins |
What do you need?
Ingredients for the Sponge Cake:
4 eggs
150 gr of sugar
180 gr of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons of cacao
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 tablespoon of shortening
1 teaspoon of Rum
confectioners' sugar
Ingredients for the syrup:
60 ml of water
50 gr of sugar
Rum
Ingredients for the frosting:
400 gr of Butter at room temperature
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder (you can add more if you like to have a darker cream colour)
1 big can of condensed milk (397 g)
1 teaspoon Rum or cognac
Other decoration ingredients:
Almond paste (Marzipan) to make the mushroom shape.
Confectioners' sugar for dusting.
Finely shopped bittersweet chocolate.
How to proceed?
Step 1- Prepare the Sponge Cake
Preheat the oven to 170°C
Grease a shallow Swiss roll tin (15cm x 38 cm) and line with parchment paper.
In a bowl whisk together flour baking powder and salt
Carefully separate egg yolks and egg whites
In a large clean mixing bowl beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until foams formed
With an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with the sugar, Rum and shortening on high speed, until turns pale and increases volume.
Lightly fold-in 1/3 of the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.
Sift the flour and cacao over the eggs mixture in three batches. Use a metal spoon to gently fold the mixture together.
Pour the batter into the lined shallow Swiss roll tin.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes.
Lay a clean kitchen towel on the counter and sift on top generously with some confectioners' sugar
When the cake is ready, remove from oven and directly invert the pan onto the prepared towel, carefully peel off the parchment paper.
From the long edge, roll the cake and towel together, and set aside to cool.
Step 2- Prepare the Syrup
In a small saucepan over medium heat mix sugar and water together.
Stir until sugar is dissolved.
Add one tablespoon of Rum.
Set aside to cool to room temperature.
Step 3- Prepare the frosting
In a bowl of a stand mixer add the butter at room temperature.
While mixing add little by little the condensed milk
Add one teaspoon of rum or cognac
Sift in the cocoa powder, keep adding extra little cocoa at a time and mixing till you have the desired dark color and creamy consistency.
Step 4- Prepare the marzipan mushroom decoration
Roll marzipan on work surface to soften slightly.
Roll small log-shaped pieces for stems
Roll some balls for the mushroom caps.
Use your finger to make an indentation in each ball and form a slightly domed cap.
Insert stem into underside of cap and gently squeeze two parts together.
Step 5- Prepare Chocolate Sheets
Melt the bittersweet chocolate in a bowl (make sure it’s chopped fine).
Spread the melted chocolate thinly over a sheet of wax paper and top it with another sheet of wax paper.
Roll it up and chill in the freezer for two hours.
Step 6- Assemble the cake
Unroll the cake and bruch it with the prepared syrup.
Spread 1/3 of the prepared frosting over the cake.
Roll the cake gently.
Cut the cake on diagonal for 2 unequal pieces .
Attach 1 cake piece at side of the other piece .
Spread the remaining frosting over top and sides of cake and pieces.
Using tines of fork, draw concentric circles on cake ends to resemble tree rings.
Draw fork along length of cake to form bark design.
Remove the chocolate roll from the freezer, unroll and use the chocolate sheets for decorationg your cake.
Garnish with prepared marzipan mushrooms.
Decorate with confectioners' sugar for snow effect .
Eh voila your Bûche de Noël is ready!
