Desserts
Almond-Raspberry Bûche de Noël (Yule Log Cake) with chocolate frosting
Impress your guests (and yourself) this year by making a traditional yule log cake. Simply spread jam onto a classic sponge cake, roll, and cover with a simple chocolate frosting for a cake that's as delicious as it is stunning. Yule be singing its praises!
Almond, raspberry, and chocolate create a classic flavor combo, but it’s OK to use your favorite flavor of jam, or other filling, if you prefer.
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE, WHISK:
WHISK:
DUST:
FOR THE FILLING, WHISK:
FOR THE FROSTING, SIFT:
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325°. Line a 16½×11½×1-inch baking sheet with parchment. Coat bottom and sides of pan with nonstick spray.
For the cake, whisk together flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.
Whisk together egg yolks, half-and-half, oil, and extract in a separate bowl. Add to flour mixture, and whisk until smooth.
Beat egg whites in another bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, 2 minutes; increase speed to medium-high. Gradually sprinkle in remaining 2 Tbsp. sugar and beat until whites are stiff and glossy, but not dry, 1 minute more (Step 1).
Whisk one quarter of whites into batter to combine. Fold in remaining whites (Step 2), in three additions, adding more when no streaks remain. Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading to level.
Bake cake until golden and cake springs back when lightly touched with a finger, 20–25 minutes. Let cake cool 5 minutes.
Dust a sheet of parchment with powdered sugar. Run a knife around edge of pan; invert cake onto parchment (Step 3). Peel off the parchment the cake baked on, then dust cake with additional powdered sugar. Starting at one long end, roll up cake with sugared parchment (Step 4) and let cool completely before unrolling and assembling.
For the filling, whisk together jam and extract. Once cake is cool, unroll, remove parchment, and spread filling over cake, leaving final 1-inch of long side farthest from you bare. Reroll cake (Step 5), wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill while making the frosting.
For the frosting, sift powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt together into a bowl; add butter and half-and-half, and beat with a mixer until light and fluffy.
Slice 4–6 inches off both ends of cake roll at a 45-degree angle to create knots. Place log on a serving platter. Tuck sheets of parchment under edges of cake to keep platter clean while frosting.
Spread a bit of frosting on uncut sides of knots; press them, cut sides out, on top and side of log, securing with toothpicks as needed (Step 6). Spread a thin layer of frosting over cake; chill to set. Spread remaining frosting over cake.
Sprinkle exterior of Bûche de Noël with powdered sugar, then drag a fork through the icing to resemble bark (Step 7).
Step 1. Whip eggs whites to stiff peaks. You know you’re close when the whites are moist and glossy. If they look dry or chunky, you’ve whipped them too far.
Step 2. “Sacrifice” one quarter of the whipped whites by whisking into the batter to loosen, then fold in the remaining whites in three batches.
Step 3. To prevent sticking, and absorb moisture, turn the cake out onto a sheet of parchment that’s been sprinkled with powdered sugar. Remove the parchment used for baking, then sprinkle the second side of the cake as well.
Step 4. Roll up the cake, along with the parchment, starting on one long side, while it’s still warm. This helps the cake hold the rolled shape as it cools.
Step 5. Spread jam over the surface of the cake, leaving the last inch uncovered on one long side. As you roll the cake up with the jam, excess jam will be pushed out to cover the remaining cake.
Step 6. After slicing the ends off the cake roll, adhere them to the main section of cake with frosting, then use long toothpicks to secure the ends further.
Step 7. Once the cake is frosted, sprinkle it with powdered sugar, then drag the tines of a fork through the icing to give the exterior of the cake the look of tree bark.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 580
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g 36%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Cholesterol 93mg 31%
Sodium 174mg 7%
Carbs 89g 29%
Protein 6g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.