Chocolate Hazelnut Bûche de Noël (Yule Log)
by Aimee
Whipping cream into soft peeks, spreading frosting on cookies, or dusting the fruitcake with powdered sugar, holiday baking has to be the ultimate opportunity to welcome the children into the kitchen and let them stir, mix and roll alongside you.
In doing so, you are making memories together and creating traditions that just might last through generations. Perhaps it is just a simple batch of shortbread, prepared a few different ways and loved by all, or cut-out gingerbread cookies, our annual holiday cookie of choice. But whatever the recipe, make sure to include little helpers when you bake – it will have a lasting impression on them.
We recently sweetened up a Saturday afternoon preparing something extra special for our weekly Sunday dinner. It was enormous fun to make with my Mateo, which is why we decided to share it here with you.
Aside from our beloved cookies and tarts, we always take on something a little more fun in the kitchen over in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Last year was the After School Gingerbread Project, where we made a gingerbread house into 5 easy steps and the boys had a blast playing in the kitchen.
This year, Mateo had his heart set on another traditional Christmas confection, a Yule Log or Bûche de Noël. He had spotted one in the new cookbook from Jane Hornby, What to Bake & How to Bake It
What could be better? Chocolate + Nutella + whipped cream all rolled into a chocolate cake and frosted with chocolate ganache. It was downright dreamy.
I made quite a few yule logs back in my restaurant days, although those are less than fond memories of being kept at work late on Christmas Eve decorating dozen and dozens of chocolate logs. Fortunately this new baking project with Mateo redeemed my Bûche de Noël experiences.
While Clara napped, we tied our aprons, put on Christmas music and started cracking eggs. By the time the cake was out of the oven and cooling, we were well advanced on the filling. As we worked, a few snowflakes began to fall, them more and more, until the ground turned white with out very first snow. It was so pretty and very timely for our holiday baking project.
You can decorate a yule log as simply or as elegantly as you like. This one is so delicious, it hardly needs embellishing. We rustled up the miniature deer from an old tin of Christmas decorations, and used elements from nature for the rest.
Pinterest has loads of ideas for meringue mushrooms and matcha moss – just be sure you’re still in the spirit of fun! That’s more important than a Pintastic project. Happy Baking, all!
| Chocolate Hazelnut Roll {Yule Log} | Print |
- a little butter, for greasing
- 6 eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 packed cup light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- a pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup good-quality cocoa powder, plus 2 tbsp for rolling
- 7 oz bittersweet chocolate, 60% cocoa solids
- 2-1/2 cups heavy cream
- 7 oz (3/4 cup) Nutella
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- confectioners' sugar, to dust
- Grease the base and sides of a 10 x 15-inch jelly roll pan or rimmed baking sheet, then line the base with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350F. Put the eggs and the sugar in a large bowl and whisk with an electric mixer at medium speed until thick, mousse-like, and doubled in volume. It will take 5 minutes or so.
- Mix the flour, salt, and cocoa in a bowl, then sift them over the whisked eggs. Fold them in using a large metal spoon or spatula, cutting and lifting rather than stirring. This will preserve the air bubbles trapped inside the batter. It might take longer than you expect to get the batter to an almost even brown.
- Holding the bowl just above the prepared baking pan (pouring from a great height will knock the bubbles flat), pour in the cake batter. Tilt the pan slowly from side to side, letting the batter run into the corners.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cake has risen all over and the sides are shrinking away from the edge of the pan. It's best to loosen the cake away from the pan carefully with an icing spatula now, in case it has stuck a little.
- Spread a large sheet of parchment paper on the work surface, then sift the 2 tablespoons cocoa powder over it. Flip the cake onto this sheet, remove the pan, then cover the cake with a clean dish towel and let cool. The cloth will trap moisture as the cake cools, helping it stay soft and moist.
- Make the filling. Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Heat 1-1/4 cups of the cream in a pan until it bubbles at the edges. Take off the heat and stir in the chocolate, Nutella, and vanilla. Let it melt until smooth, then set aside until it has cooled, but is still fairly liquid.
- Pour the rest of the cream into a bowl, add about 1/2 cup of the chocolate ganache, the whisk until very thick, but not stiff.
- When the cake has cooled, remove the dish towel, then carefully peel off the parchment paper, Trim about 1/2 inch off each edge with a serrated knife. Score a line in the cake about 1 inch in from the nearest long end.
- Spread the filling over the cake, the roll it up from the scored end. Use the paper to help make a tight roll.
- Roll the cake onto a clean piece of parchment. Cut about 4 inches off one end, at an angle.
- Transfer the large piece to a serving plate, then nestle the shorter one against it to make a branch. Spread the remaining ganache all over, adding plenty of texture with the knife. Chill for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
- Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before eating and dust with confectioners' sugar to serve.
Chestnut! Coffee! Eggnog! Peppermint! More Yule Log inspiration:
- Christmas log with chestnut cream :: Manger
- Joy the Baker Icebox Peppermint Yule Log Cake plus adorable festive video.
- Eggnog Yule Log :: Brave Tart
- Yule Log Cake with Coffee Buttercream and Ganache :: Saveur
What is your ultimate Christmas dessert?
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