The Yule log dessert, or Bûche de Noël, is a French Christmas cake symbolizing the ancient tradition of burning a large log for the winter solstice.
The dessert evolved from burning a real log to eating a rolled sponge cake decorated like bark to bring good luck and prosperity, with bakers adding creative designs like mushrooms and holly from sugar or marzipan.
Many times I give you my recipe for Christmas Pudding, but I am going a little deeper into the art of french cooking with this yule log. I'm going to assume if you intend to try making a Yule Log that you are a skilled baker of cakes already, so I will not be providing detailed lists of ingredients or 'how to', this is more of a 'tips' recital.
Underneath all the holiday decorations is a soft and airy sponge cake, essentially a sheet of angel food cake that you roll up into the log. While I say angel food cake, unlike most cake recipes, it’s (usually) made without butter or oil. The magic happens with the eggs, a crucial ingredient in any sponge cake recipe. Some bakers leave the cake plain and form a white yule log which they will frost with white icing, powdered sugar and perhaps even a little coconut. But the traditional cake actually contains cocoa so it becomes a brown log. Brown or white, as soon as the cake comes out of the oven, dust it with confectioners' sugar.
The filling is really up to you. Many white cakes will have either a raspberry or strawberry filling. They will also have a buttercream filling. If you are making the more traditional brown log, a cocoa hazelnut whipped cream is perfect to serve as the filling. Try adding a touch of your favorite liquor like Kailua or Bailey's. The frosting is either a smooth chocolate or smooth white chocolate ganache. I almost always give brown logs a light dusting with powdered sugar, and white logs a light dusting of cocoa powder or finely shaved dark chocolate.
The process of rolling the log really is no different than making a pumpkin rolls. Take you time, don't get the filling layer too think. Roll slowly to perfection, then frost with the ganache. You can try variations if you wish, like a brown cake with the white icing, or a white cake with the brown icing.
Decorate with small seasonal decorations, like miniature ornaments, bells and other non-edibles. If you want to take the time to make meringue garnishes do so, but they are best not consumed (that's a good way to crack a tooth). This is a refrigerated cake so keep it well chilled until about 30 minutes prior to serving.
With all of this said, don't waste you time trying to do it yourself, head down to your favorite bakery, chances are they make them by the dozens for reasonable prices and they are typically very good if you go ahead and sprinkle them lightly with some Kailua, Bailey's or Dark Rum.
Whether you make it yourself, or buy it from the baker, everyone here at Insightful Accountant wants to wish you "Happy Holidays."
