Bûche de Noël/Buche de Noel/Yule Log

[CanadianBakin']

Check out this previous thread for some ideas: Buche de Noel $$$

[Wendy DeBord]

Sorry, I meant to post on this thread a while ago. I honestly use any cakes and fillings and call them a buche de noel............so long as they are decorated that way (as a log). This year I made some as german chocolate cakes (by request) and one that was yellow cake with chocolate mousse filling.

[chezcherie]

espresso whipped cream filling, 70% bittersweet/creme fraiche ganache "bark"...it was goood.

[mkfradin]

Pretty!

We made chocolate with espresso buttercream for one cake and used yellow cake with raspberry buttercream and a chocolate raspberry frosting for the other. The espresso one was a really poor seller, believe it or not. I'm not the biggest fan of the chocolate/raspberry combination, but I guess I'll have to get over it for next year.

BTW, we used Annie's method of carving sheet cakes to look like the log rather than rolling a sponge, and it made my life a million times easier. i'll try to post a picture sometime.

Marjorie

[pnapoli]

i was always a little hesitant to make a buche, but this thread inspired me, so i finally did it this year. i basically followed the "Yule Log" recipe in Rose Berenbaum's "Cake Bible" but used marzipan for mushrooms & leaves instead of meringue.

[nightscotsman]

We did mini buches in plated dessert form for one of our restaurants. They were molded mousse cakes rather than rolled, and had chocolate mousse, chocolate cremeux, vanilla cremeux, and chocolate cake soaked with frangelico on a base of chocolate hazelnut praline croquant. We included the traditional meringue mushrooms and dusting of powdered sugar, but what made them over-the-top cute were the tiny chocolate sleighs and christmas trees that were perched on top. Wish I had had my camera to take a picture.

[amccomb]

So I've decided to make a Buche de Noel for Christmas. Ok, not for December 25th, but for December 29th, which will be Christmas with my mom and dad.

I'm looking for recommendations for recipes for the jelly roll and ideas and recipes for fillings.

I'm planning on making meringue mushrooms and chocolate/sliced almond/marzipan "pinecones" and decorating the plate with some rosemary to look like pine sprigs. Maybe a light dusting of "snow", too.

Does anyone have pictures of past versions, so I could also get some other decorating ideas?

[rickster]

I've made them a couple of times and did a plain yellow genoise sponge with a filling of hazelnut praline or pistachio buttercream. The icing dark on the outside was chocolate ganache. did the mushrooms and pinecones, also holly & berries made out of marzipan.

[Jaymes]

Does anyone have pictures of past versions, so I could also get some other decorating ideas?

We've actually had several previous threads about this, and I do think that there are some photos included. There's plenty of good ideas about methods, fillings, etc.

I did a search and rounded up some of them:

Click here.

[amccomb]

I talked to my mom last night and decided to use up the remainder of my italian cherries. I guess this will be sort of a Black Forrest yule log with a chocolate cake (from The Cake Bible), a vanilla filling of some sort with the cherries folded in, and chocolate ganache for the "bark".

I'm undecided if I should use a vanilla buttercream or a vanilla mousse for the filling. I don't think a whipped cream would hold up through two days plus 4 hours of traveling. Does anyone have a vanilla mousse recipe they would recommend that would be easy for a beginner?

[CanadianBakin']

I'm undecided if I should use a vanilla buttercream or a vanilla mousse for the filling.  I don't think a whipped cream would hold up through two days plus 4 hours of traveling.  Does anyone have a vanilla mousse recipe they would recommend that would be easy for a beginner?

←

I'm not an expert but if it's going to be at room temp for that long I think you're going to have to use an Italian Meringue Buttercream or just a basic icing made with confectioner's sugar.

[amccomb]

I'm not an expert but if it's going to be at room temp for that long I think you're going to have to use an Italian Meringue Buttercream or just a basic icing made with confectioner's sugar.

←

I will have the cake in a big tupperware container with freezer packs in the trunk, but I was thinking that whipped cream still wouldn't hold up, even in the cold environment?

I may do the IMB. I don't want to do plain icing, though - I think it would be too sweet. My husband really wants me to do bavarian cream, which has some gelatin in it. I think I may try it. the hard part will be catching the bavarian cream at just the right point - it will have to be thick enough to spread a substantial layer on the chocolate cake to roll up, but not all the way set. Or maybe it wouldn't matter if it's all the way set? Could I wait until it's set, stir it up and stir in the cherries, and spread it on the roll and roll it up?

[JeanneCake]

When I first opened, I used mousse in the buche de noel - I wanted to be different. But several people reported it was messy to serve with a whipped cream fruit mousse so I went back to buttercream.

I would go with a white chocolate buttercream (rather than whipped cream if you are doing the Black Forest version) with chopped brandied cherries - use some of the kirsch in the buttercream for a little more oomph.

[onehsancare]

And for photos, go to Google Images and you'll get hundreds. (Try "yule log", too.)

[bleachboy]

My wife made one for our Christmas Eve banquet. It was really stunning to look at and delicious to eat.

She basically followed the recipe from The Cake Bible as far as I know. It was a chocolate sheet cake with whipped cream in the middle and a chocolate ganache on the outside. She used a cut off end to make a little "stump" on the side, and decorated it with meringue mushrooms and sprigs of rosemary coated in raw sugar and red hots. Obviously the rosemary sprigs were just a garnish and discarded during serving.

[CanadianBakin']

Annie - Can you please repost a picture of your Buche de Noel? I can't get the image to appear.

I was wondering if I can use a thin layer of the Epicurious chocolate cake in the Best of thread or do I have to use a genoise of some sort. I don't know what it is with me but I haven't mastered sponge type cakes yet. I think there might be something wrong with my folding technique. Maybe I fold too long or something. So, can I just use regular chocolate cake in a sheet pan?

[JeanneCake]

I used to have problems with sponge rolls before I realized I didn't have to follow the instructions that usually come with the recipes - I use a strainer to add the flour to the beaten eggs (to prevent lumps of flour) and use a large spatula to fold everything together (whites, eggs, flour). I don't use the towel over the baked cake, I just throw some sugar on the top and wrap in cling film when it's cool.

Here's what works for me. It makes two half sheets or one full sheet. You want to spray the pan well with a release spray, line with a sheet of parchment then spray liberally again. I use large eggs.

5 egg whites in a mixer bowl - whip with 75 grams of granulated sugar (added slowly once the beaters leave a trace) - beat to firm but not dry peaks

5 whole eggs and 5 yolks in a second mixer bowl (if you beat the whites first, you can use the same beater); add 250 grams of sugar, beat to a ribbon.

Use a strainer to add 125 grams of all purpose flour (you can add an additional 50 grams of cocoa if you want a chocolate sponge) to the whole eggs, then plop the whites in and use a spatula to fold until there are no streaks left. Usually the flour wants to sink to the bottom.

Pour/spoon out onto pan(s); bake at 375 for 13-15 minutes (use 300 in a commercial convection oven). Watch for low spots, those will overbake. When you pull it out, throw a tablespoon or so of sugar over the top and when cool wrap in plastic. You don't have to refrigerate this but use it in a day or so. I've never kept it longer than a day before I used it to be honest.

Edited November 25, 2007 by JeanneCake (log)

[CanadianBakin']

Thanks so much JeanneCake! I'm going to try it tonight.

You want to spray the pan well with a release spray, line with a sheet of parchment then spray liberally again. 

←

I've always wondered why you have to spray twice?

[JeanneCake]

First time so the parchment sticks to the pan, second time so the cake releases from the parchment Anyplace you don't spray the parchment, the cake is sure to stay there!

[CanadianBakin']

Thank so much JeanneCake! Your recipe worked a treat. I've figured out what I've been doing wrong...you mentioned firm but not dry whites. I think I've been beating them just a touch too long which is why I have to fold them so much to get rid of the streaks and in the end wreck my batter. My mother-in-law is the queen of sponges and she said this one was good.

Edited November 26, 2007 by CanadianBakin' (log)

[chefpeon]

Annie - Can you please repost a picture of your Buche de Noel? I can't get the image to appear.

Ok, here it is.......new and improved, since I blurred out the cruddy background.

[gfron1]

Perfect Annie! What is the bird made out of? I love the coloring on the bark too.

[chefpeon]

Perfect Annie! What is the bird made out of? I love the coloring on the bark too.

The cardinal is made out of modeling chocolate, as are the holly, berries and the banner.

You had asked me in a PM if I happened to have more pics so I could post a demo. Well, I don't at the moment, but since I'll be making a ton of these things over the next few weeks I'll snap some pics during the process when I make some this week.

You wouldn't believe how easy it is to make a Yule Log like this. I actually did the one in the picture about 13 years ago, when I was first starting out. My cardinals actually look a lot better now.

Demo coming.

[jgarner53]

Wow, really beautiful Annie!

The buche we do are much more streamlined - they have to be when you're making 2000 of them! Mousse in a mold with sponge on the bottom. We used to pour ganache over them, then pipe buttercream on and decorate with plastic toys, but we're spraying them with cocoa butter this year and using different molds. Quite a different effect overall than your work of art! (and I only have about 1350 left to make!)

[chefpeon]

Wow, really beautiful Annie!

The buche we do are much more streamlined - they have to be when you're making 2000 of them! Mousse in a mold with sponge on the bottom. We used to pour ganache over them, then pipe buttercream on and decorate with plastic toys, but we're spraying them with cocoa butter this year and using different molds. Quite a different effect overall than your work of art! (and I only have about 1350 left to make!)

←

How many can you make at a time, Jennifer? What are your molds shaped like? Sort of half

cylindrical? Personally I think mousse in a mold with sponge on the bottom sounds far tastier

than the ganache filled, rum soaked sponge roll that I use......! I also love that look of the

velvety sprayed cocoa butter! You don't happen to know where your bakery purchased their

molds, do you?