Buche De Noel Yule Log Recipe from Real Simple

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Buche De Noel is French for “Yule Log.” This dessert will be the perfect edition to your recipe collection this Christmas season. It’s beautiful, but the balance of rich chocolate and creamy whipping cream is perfect. I found the recipe in the Real Simple December 2013 issue I purchased at Safeway. I was able to make this dessert for a fundraiser I am attending this evening.

“Buche De Noel” – Yule Log (Serves 12)

Hands-on time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Butter, for the pan

1/3 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

4 large eggs, separated

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon sour cream

Chocolate Ganache (recipe below)

1. Heat oven to 350. Butter a 9×13 jelly roll pan and line with parchment; butter the parchment. I used a silicone mat.

2. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, and salt in a small bowl.

3. Beat the egg yolks, vanilla, and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high until light yellow, 3-4 minutes.

4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites (with clean beaters) on medium-high until foamy, 1-2 minutes. Gradually add 1/2 cup of the remaining sugar and beat until stiff peaks form, 2-3 minutes or more.

5. Gently fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and use an offset spatula to smooth the surface. Bake until the cake springs back lightly when pressed, 8-10 minutes (mine actually took about 12). Cool.

6. Whip the heavy cream, sour cream, and the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high until stiff peaks form, 1-2 minutes.

7. Spread the whipped cream on the cake, leaving a 2-inch border along one of the short ends. Starting at the other short end, roll up the cake toward the uncovered border (letting the parchment fall away as you roll…I actually took off the silicone mat prior to this moment). Place the cake seam-side down on a serving platter. Drizzle with chocolate ganache over the top (recipe to follow). Let set for 5 minutes. Run the tines of afork through the ganache to create “bark.” (“Buche de Noel” is French for “Yule log”).

Chocolate Ganache

Hands on time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Makes 1/2 cup

1/3 cup heavy cream

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Bring the cream to a boil in a small pot. Do not over-cook. Remove from heat, add the chocolate and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk to combine. Cool slightly before using.

I love having a visual overview of all the steps of making a dessert.

I went to Safeway to shop to buy ingredients for a dessert I needed to make for a fundraiser at our church. A friend and her family are going on a mission trip to Uganda to work with kids. She is having a jazz night fundraiser, and I said I’d make a dessert to auction off at the event. I started in the magazine aisle to find the magazines I wanted. My kids looked at the books on the shelf while I thumbed through magazines to find something tantalizing to make for the jazz evening.

I checked-out the new issues of Real Simple, Cooking Light and Sunset magazines. I grew up in a family that had magazines. My mom would have a number of cooking magazines, and she would dog ear or mark the ones she wanted to try. I’m sure I inherited some of this from her. I rip out the recipes I am interested in, then glue them to a piece of paper, put them in a plastic cover and stick them in a binder. You can look back to see more about my methods. Cooking Light has been a staple for both my mom and myself, but I love Real Simple and Sunset too. This month, Sunset has a great edition called “Sunset Best of the West” bookazine that can be found in Safeway stores. I’d encourage you to take a look at the magazines that promises to show you “101 Amazing Destinations from Alaska to Arizona.” There is a $1 off coupon in select stores while supplies last. Although the other magazines I found had great recipes and fun travel information, I discovered this fabulous Buche De Noel recipe from the Real Simple magazine I picked up at Safeway. When I saw the image and read the recipe, I knew immediately this is what I wanted to make for the fundraiser. I would head to your Safeway store to buy these great magazines to find your own holiday cooking and baking ideas.

I cannot emphasize enough how much kids will grow, learn and create memories with you as you have them help in the kitchen. My kids love this time, and I do too.

If you need to know what stiff peaks look like, I added this helpful pictures. These were the stiff peaks with the egg whites, which do look different than stiff peaks with the whipping cream. With the whipping cream, it will stick to your beater like this but will not appear this smooth.

As you roll up the cake, it will crack a bit. Be careful and gentle as you roll, but don’t worry. This dessert is covered in chocolate ganache to cover any imperfections.

This is what your cake will look like all rolled up and ready to set on the serving dish.

Beautiful.

I’ve made ganache before, but I haven’t used the method of boiling the cream first. This was super easy. Just make sure to not over-boil the cream.

The ganache you can drizzle along the top. You will then spread the ganache to give a smooth look on the top and sides of your yule log.

Using a fork will create the log-like feel.

This “Buche de Noel” is beautiful and will promise to delight your friends and family this Christmas season.