Bûche De Noël Au Chocolat

By Juhi Sharma · Dec 8, 2018 · 4 min read

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For prepping your baking tray

(3) Tbsp. of Salted Butter, melted
(2) Tbsp. of All-purpose Flour

For the Chocolate Frosting

(1) Stick of Salted Butter, melted
(1¼) Cup of Dark Chocolate Chips by Ghirardelli
(¾) Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream (35%)

For the Sponge Cake

(3) Large Egg Yolks
(2) Large Egg Whites
(2) Large Eggs
(3) Tbsp. Cocoa Powder by Green & Black’s
(2) Tsp. Vanilla Extract
(⅓) Cup of Granulated Sugar & (1) Tbsp. of Granulated Sugar, for later
(¼) Cup of All-purpose Flour

For the Chocolate Whipped Cream

(6) Tbsp. Granulated Sugar
(4) Tbsp. Cocoa Powder by Green & Black’s
(2) Cups of Heavy Whipping Cream (35%)
(2) Tsp. Organic Vanilla Extract by Pure Organics

Garnish

Your choice of sprinkles or Icing Sugar

Prepping your baking tray & oven

Preheat your oven to 450°F. To prep your pan, thoroughly brush on the melted butter on the entire base and the four walls of the pan. Be generous while doing so because this ensures how well your sponge cake bakes. Then, place a sheet of parchment, horizontally on the base of the pan. Thoroughly brush the sheet of parchment with melted butter and place another sheet of parchment paper vertically over the sheet below. Thoroughly brush the sheet of parchment with melted butter. To finish off, sift on all-purpose flour throughout the baking tray and dust off all the excess.

For the Chocolate Frosting

Melt the butter and whipping cream in a pan over medium heat. Place your Dark Chocolate Chips in a separate mixing bowl and pour over the heated butter and whipping cream mixture over the chocolate chips. Stir all the ingredients thoroughly and allow the mixture to cool.

For the Sponge Cake

In a mixing bowl (#1), whip together 3 large egg yolks, 2 large eggs, 2 tsp. of pure vanilla extract and ⅓ cup of granulated sugar. You are looking to achieve the texture of thick ribbon like affect. You then want to sift in your all-purpose flour and cocoa powder over the egg and sugar mixture and fold it in together. Be gentle while folding everything together as you don’t want to deflate all the air created while whipping the eggs and sugar together. Place this bowl aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, whip together 2 large egg whites and 1 tbsp. of granulated sugar. Whip until you achieve stiff peaks. Take approximately half of the egg white and sugar mixture and gently fold it into the mixture you created in mixing bowl (#1). Once you’ve thoroughly folded that in, take the remaining half and fold that in as well.

And voila – your sponge cake batter is ready to bake!

Chocolate sponge cake batter ready to bake Preparing the chocolate sponge cake

To bake the Sponge Cake

Pour your sponge cake batter into the prepped baking tray and spread the batter evenly using a spatula. Hold both ends of the baking tray and give it a couple of hard whacks on a flat surface (I used my countertop) to burst any air bubbles. Place the baking tray in the oven and allow the batter to bake for 6 minutes at 450°F. You will notice the cake drastically rise, but there’s no reason to worry. When the cake has baked for 6 minutes, open the oven and carefully poke a bamboo skewer into the cake and pull out; the bamboo skewer should come out clean. If your bamboo skewer comes out with some batter, allow it to bake for another minute or two.

For the Chocolate Whipped Cream

Combine the granulated sugar, cocoa powder, heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl and whip until you achieve extremely stiff peaks.

Putting the Bûche De Noël Au Chocolat together

Once you’ve pulled out your baking tray from the oven, set it aside for a few minutes and let it cool. Then, use a spatula and run it between the sponge cake and the 4 walls of parchment paper (the goal is to ensure that the sponge cake isn’t sticking to the parchment paper). Thoroughly sift on some cocoa powder on the sponge cake, Take a clean dishtowel and place it over the top of your sponge cake and flip it over on a flat surface (ideally your countertop). Sift on some cocoa powder on this side of the sponge cake as well (be sure to not skip this step as it prevents the sponge cake from sticking to the dishtowel). Then, gently roll your sponge cake and dishtowel together; set it aside and let it cool for approximately an hour.

After an hour, unroll your dishtowel and sponge cake and evenly spread half a centimeter layer of chocolate whipped cream over top. Roll your sponge cake again, allowing the chocolate whipped cream to seal in between. Lay your cake on a dish and generously spread on a layer of chocolate frosting overtop. Garnish with sprinkles of your choice or simply sift on some icing sugar, to create a snowy effect.

Recipe

Bûche De Noël Au Chocolat

Cookbook By Juhi Sharma

Ingredients

(3) Tbsp. of Salted Butter, melted
(2) Tbsp. of All-purpose Flour
(1) Stick of Salted Butter, melted
(1¼) Cup of Dark Chocolate Chips by Ghirardelli
(¾) Cup of Heavy Whipping Cream (35%)
(3) Large Egg Yolks
(2) Large Egg Whites
(2) Large Eggs
(3) Tbsp. Cocoa Powder by Green & Black’s
(2) Tsp. Vanilla Extract
(⅓) Cup of Granulated Sugar & (1) Tbsp. of Granulated Sugar, for later
(¼) Cup of All-purpose Flour
(6) Tbsp. Granulated Sugar
(4) Tbsp. Cocoa Powder by Green & Black’s
(2) Cups of Heavy Whipping Cream (35%)
(2) Tsp. Organic Vanilla Extract by Pure Organics

Method

Preheat your oven to 450°F. To prep your pan, thoroughly brush on the melted butter on the entire base and the four walls of the pan. Be generous while doing so because this ensures how well your sponge cake bakes. Then, place a sheet of parchment, horizontally on the base of the pan. Thoroughly brush the sheet of parchment with melted butter and place another sheet of parchment paper vertically over the sheet below. Thoroughly brush the sheet of parchment with melted butter. To finish off, sift on all-purpose flour throughout the baking tray and dust off all the excess.
Melt the butter and whipping cream in a pan over medium heat. Place your Dark Chocolate Chips in a separate mixing bowl and pour over the heated butter and whipping cream mixture over the chocolate chips. Stir all the ingredients thoroughly and allow the mixture to cool. For the Sponge Cake:
In a mixing bowl (#1), whip together 3 large egg yolks, 2 large eggs, 2 tsp. of pure vanilla extract and ⅓ cup of granulated sugar. You are looking to achieve the texture of thick ribbon like affect. You then want to sift in your all-purpose flour and cocoa powder over the egg and sugar mixture and fold it in together. Be gentle while folding everything together as you don’t want to deflate all the air created while whipping the eggs and sugar together. Place this bowl aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, whip together 2 large egg whites and 1 tbsp. of granulated sugar. Whip until you achieve stiff peaks. Take approximately half of the egg white and sugar mixture and gently fold it into the mixture you created in mixing bowl (#1). Once you’ve thoroughly folded that in, take the remaining half and fold that in as well.
And voila, your sponge cake batter is ready to bake!
Pour your sponge cake batter into the prepped baking tray and spread the batter evenly using a spatula. Hold both ends of the baking tray and give it a couple of hard whacks on a flat surface (I used my countertop) to burst any air bubbles. Place the baking tray in the oven and allow the batter to bake for 6 minutes at 450°F. You will notice the cake drastically rise, but there’s no reason to worry. When the cake has baked for 6 minutes, open the oven and carefully poke a bamboo skewer into the cake and pull out; the bamboo skewer should come out clean. If your bamboo skewer comes out with some batter, allow it to bake for another minute or two. For the Chocolate Whipped Cream:
Combine the granulated sugar, cocoa powder, heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl and whip until you achieve extremely stiff peaks. Putting the Bûche De Noël Au Chocolat together:
Once you’ve pulled out your baking tray from the oven, set it aside for a few minutes and let it cool. Then, use a spatula and run it between the sponge cake and the 4 walls of parchment paper (the goal is to ensure that the sponge cake isn’t sticking to the parchment paper). Thoroughly sift on some cocoa powder on the sponge cake, Take a clean dishtowel and place it over the top of your sponge cake and flip it over on a flat surface (ideally your countertop). Sift on some cocoa powder on this side of the sponge cake as well (be sure to not skip this step as it prevents the sponge cake from sticking to the dishtowel). Then, gently roll your sponge cake and dishtowel together; set it aside and let it cool for approximately an hour.
After an hour, unroll your dishtowel and sponge cake and evenly spread half a centimeter layer of chocolate whipped cream over top. Roll your sponge cake again, allowing the chocolate whipped cream to seal in between. Lay your cake on a dish and generously spread on a layer of chocolate frosting overtop. Garnish with sprinkles of your choice or simply sift on some icing sugar, to create a snowy effect.

Questions

How long do you bake the sponge for a yule log?

I bake mine for 6 minutes at 450°F. Poke a bamboo skewer into the cake and it should come out clean. If there's still batter on it, bake it for another minute or two.

How do you roll and fill a Bûche de Noël?

Let the sponge cool for a few minutes, dust it with cocoa, flip it onto a clean dishtowel, dust the other side and roll the sponge up with the towel. After about an hour, unroll it, spread on a half centimetre layer of chocolate whipped cream and roll it up again.

How do I keep the sponge from sticking?

Run a spatula between the sponge and the parchment so it isn't stuck to the paper. Then sift cocoa powder on both sides before rolling it in the dishtowel. Please don't skip the cocoa, it's what stops the sponge sticking to the towel.

What is the chocolate frosting made of?

I melt butter and whipping cream together over medium heat, pour it over Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips, stir well and let it cool.

How do you decorate a Bûche de Noël?

I spread a generous layer of chocolate frosting over the whole cake, then add sprinkles or simply sift on some icing sugar for a snowy effect.

Bûche De Noël Au Chocolat

For prepping your baking tray

For the Chocolate Frosting

For the Sponge Cake

For the Chocolate Whipped Cream

Garnish