Christmas yule log two ways | Bûche de Noël recipe | festive Swiss roll cake

Hello everyone! In this video, I’ll share two versions of Christmas yule logs. Please turn on subtitles and select your preferred language. For the classic version, start by separating 2 eggs. In the yolk bowl, add 1 whole egg, 50g of sugar, and a pinch of salt. Mix vigorously until creamy and pale. Weight 30g of flour and 8g of cocoa. Add 1 tsp of coffee. Sift the dry ingredient into the mixture. Fold gently until combined, do not overmix. Add 15g of sugar to the egg whites. Whip until stiff peaks are formed. Fold the egg whites into the batter gently. Do it in 2 batches. Line a flat pan with parchment paper (mine is 37x24cm). Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly. The thickness of the dough should be about 4-5 mm (it’ll rise to 5-7 mm in the oven). Put the pan in the oven preheated to 180°C (350°F). Bake for 10-12 minutes. When the cake is ready, it’ll spring once you touch it. When it’s still hot, cover the cake with parchment paper and roll it carefully. Let it rest for 30-60 minutes. Meanwhile, I’ll make whipped ganache for 2 yule logs. Halved proportions are given in the description section. Dice dark chocolate and melt it with butter (use either microwave or bain-marie). When the ingredients are melted, add heavy cream. Combine them well. We need to let it cool down completely before whipping (it takes 15-20 minutes). Whip chocolate ganache for a couple of minutes until it’s silky and mousse-like. Soak 4g of gelatin in water (ratio 1 to 6, check your package to be sure). It’ll swell in a few minutes. Melt it on bain-marie or in the microwave. Meanwhile, start whipping 200g of heavy cream with 1 tbsp of powdered sugar. Stop when soft peaks are formed. The gelatin should melt by then. Add 1 tbsp of Amaretto and 1 tbsp of the cream to cool down your gelatin. Add the mixture to the cream while whipping. Unroll the cake very carefully and spread the stabilized whipped cream. Roll it back gently and the yule log#1 is almost ready. Cut a small bit of the cake off the end at an angle and stick it to make the cake look more loglike. You can totally ice your yule log with chocolate buttercream if you like it. I’m not a fan though so I prefer whipped ganache. I leave beautiful swirl ends exposed. Use a chopstick to make characteristic grain lines of a log. I decorate the log with moss sponge, fir-cone cakes, and candied rosemary (I shared their recipes before). The final touch of powdered sugar and the classic yule log is ready. It’s super soft and airy, a perfect Christmas dessert. I have a more experimental version as well – a vertical yule log. I’ll use a super easy vanilla sponge this time. I weight 190g of flour and add 1sp of baking powder to it. Mix eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, water, and salt. When the mixture is light and pale, sift the dry ingredients. Mix well. Line a pan with parchment paper and use a spatula to spread the batter evenly. I use a standard sheet tray for my oven and it’s a bit too big, so I use tin foil to modify it a little. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes in the oven preheated to 180°C (350°F). Cover with cling film and let the cake cool down. Use this time to make chocolate cream. Whip 100g of butter and 50g of powdered sugar until the mixture doubles in size and becomes pale. Sift 50g of cocoa and mix well. Add 400g of cream cheese (room temperature) and mix until homogenous. Remove the film and cut the dry edges of the cake. Cut the cake lengthwise into 3 even parts (mine are 8cm each). Brush sweetened coffee on the cake sheets. Add a thin layer of whipped chocolate ganache. Spread cream cheese frosting evenly with a spatula. Gently roll up 1 horizontal piece. Place the rolled cake on the serving plate and continue rolling with the other 2 sheets. Secure the cake with tin foil and let it stabilize in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. I decided to cut the top for a more prominent swirl. Frost around the cake. Once again, I use a chopstick to draw a log pattern. Adorn the cake using the same forest-themed edible decor. Dust the cake with powdered sugar and the vertical yule log is ready. This desert is considered a Christmas classic for a reason. Whether you opt for a traditional yule log or a less conventional vertical version, this cake will bring cheer to your celebration. I hope you found this video helpful. Thank you for watching and see you soon!