Homemade Chocolate Yule Log
Bringing a Chocolate Yule Log (or Bûche de Noël) to the holiday table is like serving a slice of winter magic. This classic French dessert, with its rich cocoa sponge and velvety chocolate ganache, mimics the appearance of a festive log nestled in the snow.
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs separated
- ½ cup granulated sugar divided
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream for filling
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar for filling
- 8 oz semisweet chocolate chopped (for ganache)
- ¾ cup heavy cream for ganache
- Fresh cranberries and rosemary for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan and line with parchment paper.
- Beat egg yolks with ¼ cup sugar and vanilla until thick and pale. Sift in cocoa powder and salt; fold gently.
- In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining ¼ cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Spread evenly in the pan.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes. Immediately turn out onto a cocoa-dusted towel, remove parchment, and roll up. Let cool completely.
- Whip 1 cup cream with powdered sugar until stiff. Unroll cake, spread with cream, and re-roll.
- Make ganache by pouring hot cream over chopped chocolate; let sit 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. Let cool until spreadable.
- Frost the log with ganache, create bark textures with a fork, and garnish with rosemary and cranberries.