Bûche de Noël
Classic Yule Log
Equipment
- Medium bowls
- Small saucepans
- Standing mixer with whisk attachment
- Rubber spatula
- Pastry bag with a 1/4″ plain pastry tip
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheets
- paring knife
- Heavy baking pan (16 1/2″ × 12″)
- Metal spatula
- Waxed paper strips
Ingredients
For the Icing:
- 12 oz. semisweet chocolate
- 8 tbsp. unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
For the Meringue:
- 10 tbsp. sugar
- 2 large egg whites
- 2 pinches cream of tartar
- Pinch salt
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
For the Roulade:
- 2 tbsp. softened butter
- 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 7 egg whites
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 2 tbsp. dark rum
For the Filling:
- 4 oz. semisweet chocolate
- 6 tbsp. sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 12 tbsp. unsalted butter
Instructions
For the Icing:
- Melt the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water over medium-low heat, whisking often.
- Remove from heat and gradually whisk in the cream.
- Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until icing thickens, about 4 hours.
- (Don’t refrigerate; it makes icing hard to spread.)
For the Meringue:
- Preheat oven to 200°F (95°C).
- Combine sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan, cover, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, swirling pan several times until sugar has dissolved, 1–2 minutes.
- Uncover pan and continue to boil until syrup reaches softball stage or 236°F (113°C) on a candy thermometer, about 4 minutes more.
- Put egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk and beat on medium speed until frothy.
- Add cream of tartar and salt.
- Gradually increase speed to high and beat until soft peaks form, about 30 seconds.
- Slowly pour in sugar syrup while continuing to beat until whites cool to room temperature and become thick and shiny, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in vanilla.
- Use a rubber spatula to transfer meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4″ plain pastry tip.
- To make meringue mushrooms, hold the pastry tip perpendicular to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and pipe meringue into the shapes of mushroom caps and stems of various sizes.
- Set aside for 5 minutes.
- Lightly moisten a fingertip in cold water and smooth out any “tails” left behind on mushroom caps.
- Bake meringues for 1 1/2 hours.
- Turn off oven and allow meringues to rest in the oven until dry and crisp, about 1 hour.
- Bore a small, shallow hole in the center of the underside of each mushroom cap with the tip of a paring knife.
- “Glue” stems to caps by dipping tips of stems into icing, then sticking into holes in caps.
- Sift a little cocoa powder on tops of caps.
- Meringues can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several days.
For the Roulade:
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Line a 16 1/2″ × 12″ heavy baking pan with buttered parchment paper, cut large enough to hang over the sides of the pan by about 1″.
- Put chocolate in a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Bring cream just to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat, then pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth.
- Set aside to cool.
- Beat egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk on medium speed until frothy; increase speed to medium-high and gradually add sugar, beating constantly.
- Increase speed to high and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, 30-40 seconds more. (Don’t overbeat.)
- Mix one-third of the whites into chocolate using a rubber spatula, then gently fold in remaining whites in two batches, taking care not to deflate batter.
- Spread in prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 10–12 minutes.
- Set aside to cool in the pan.
For the Filling:
- Melt chocolate with 2 tbsp.
- water in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water over medium heat.
- Stir to combine, then set aside to cool.
- Combine sugar and 3 tbsp.
- water in a small heavy saucepan; cover and bring to a boil over medium heat, swirling pan several times until sugar has dissolved, about 1 minute.
- Uncover and continue to boil until syrup reaches the softball stage or 236°F (113°C) on a candy thermometer, about 5 minutes more.
- Meanwhile, beat yolks in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk on high speed until thick and pale yellow, about 3 minutes.
- Reduce speed to medium and gradually pour in hot syrup.
- Beat constantly until mixture cools to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
- Allow butter to soften, then beat into egg mixture 1 tbsp.
- at a time, waiting until it’s completely incorporated before adding more; continue beating until thick and smooth, about 5 minutes total.
- Stir in cooled chocolate and set aside.
To Assemble the Bûche:
- Transfer roulade with parchment to a clean work surface, sprinkle with rum, then spread filling evenly over top using a metal spatula.
- Grab the long edge of the parchment paper with two hands and gently roll roulade onto itself, pulling off paper as you roll.
- To make stumps, diagonally cut a 2″ length from each end of bûche.
- To make the stumps thinner than the bûche, partially unroll each piece, trim off the flap, and discard.
- Set stumps aside.
- Using two long metal spatulas, carefully transfer bûche to a serving platter lined with strips of waxed paper.
- “Glue” stumps onto bûche with some of the icing.
- Melt 1/4 cup of icing in a saucepan over low heat, then spoon it over stumps to coat completely.
- Spread remaining icing on bûche, dragging spatula along icing to simulate tree bark.
- Remove waxed-paper strips.
- Decorate with mushrooms, then sift confectioners’ sugar over mushrooms and bûche.
Notes / Tips / Wine Advice:
Wine Advice:
Pair with a dessert wine such as a late-harvest Riesling or a rich, full-bodied Port.Nutritional Information
Calories: 450 kcal | Carbohydrates: 50 g | Protein: 8 g | Fat: 28 g | Fiber: 4 g | Sugar: 40 g | Salt: 0.4 mg
