French Christmas cake

French Christmas cake, you get a big ‘OUI!’ from us.

Julia Tanevski

2 min read

November 16, 2022 - 2:07PM

Buche de Noel

Every country has an iconic cake that is served at Christmas. The Brits have their traditional fruit cake, the Italians panettone, but the French… they have a Bûche de Noël. “What is that?”Â you ask? Well, it turns out that it’s a Christmas dessert that all of us know, love and have probably made before.

What is a Bûche de Noël?

You might know it as a Yule log, but to the French, it’s a Bûche de Noël. Made with a flourless chocolate cake, this traditional festive dessert is rolled with fluffy cream, to create a beautiful spiralled effect. It’s then usually topped with a dusting of icing sugar and decorated with other sweet treats.

The Bûche de Noël story

This French Christmas cake was first created by Parisian pastry chef, Pierre Lacan, in 1895. That means the Bûche de Noël is over 125 years old, but the festive dessert was actually inspired by a ceremony that dated all the way back to Celtic times.

This pagan ritual saw Celts burn a log of wood on Christmas eve, whilst sprinkling ingredients like holy water, sparkling wine, and even salt on top. The log would burn for at least three days, for good luck, and then the ash would be used as protection against lightning, and the coal as a form of medicine. That’s where the French Christmas cake gets its log-like appearance!

Here’s how to make a classic French Christmas cake:

How to make Bûche de Noël

https://www.taste.com.au/recipes/buche-de-noel-2/3b2dfeed-aad1-46cf-9a31-6f4b2d7bcab5

Ingredients

4 eggs
2/3 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup self-raising flour, sifted
2 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
100g dark chocolate, melted, cooled
2 tbsp caster sugar, extra
1/3 cup strawberry jam
300ml thickened cream, whipped
Icing sugar mixture, to decorate

Ganache

180g block dark chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup thickened cream

Method

Step 1: Preheat oven to 180C/160C. Grease a 23cm x 32cm baking tray with sides. Line base and sides with baking paper.

Step 2: Using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar for 6 to 8 minutes or until thick and creamy (mixture will form ribbons when falling from beaters). Fold in sifted flour and cocoa until just combined. Fold in chocolate. Pour mixture into prepared pan, spreading gently to level.

Step 3: Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until just firm to touch.

Step 4: Meanwhile, dust a sheet of baking paper that’s slightly larger than the pan with extra sugar. Turn out cake immediately onto paper. Remove lining paper. Using paper as a guide, roll up from 1 short end. Wrap in a clean tea towel and set aside to cool completely.

Step 5: Meanwhile, make Ganache: Place chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH (100%) for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring with a metal spoon every 30 seconds, or until smooth and combined. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until a thick spreadable consistency.

Step 6: Unroll cake. Trim edges to neaten, if required. Leaving a 2cm border, spread cake with jam, then top with cream. Roll up cake to enclose filling. Discard paper. Place on a serving plate. Spread ganache all over cake. Refrigerate for 10 minutes or until just starting to set. Run a fork through the ganache to resemble wood. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or until ganache is set. Dust liberally with icing sugar. Serve.

Aussie alternatives to the French Christmas cake:

Originally published as French Christmas cake