Bûche de Noël Recipe

Bûche de Noël – is a French Christmas cake shaped like a log. You may know it better as a Yule log or Christmas log. Originally, the Yule log was an actual log that was specially selected to burn on the hearth on Christmas day. This dessert is intended to resemble it – the bark-like texture is created by dragging a fork through the icing, and icing sugar represents the falling snow.

Ingredients

For the roulade

• knob of butter, for greasing
• 180g/6¼oz dark chocolate (about 40% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
• 6 free-range eggs, separated
• 175g/6oz caster sugar
• 25g/1oz cocoa powder, sieved, plus extra to dust
• 2 tbsp whisky (optional)
• 150ml/5½oz double cream, whipped to soft peaks

For the ganache

• 300ml/½ pint double cream
• 300g/10½oz dark chocolate, broken into pieces

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Lightly grease a 33x23cm/13x9in Swiss roll tin and line with non-stick baking paper.
2. To make the roulade, place the chocolate pieces in a heatproof bowl suspended over a pan of just simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir the chocolate and, once fully melted, remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly, until it’s warm but still runny.
3. Whisk the egg whites in a large mixing bowl with an electric whisk on high speed, until stiff but not dry.
4. In a separate large bowl, whisk the sugar and egg yolks until light, thick and creamy. Add the melted chocolate and gently stir until combined. Add two large spoonfuls of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to slacken it, mixing gently, then fold in the remaining egg whites. Finally, fold in the sifted cocoa.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and gently level the surface. Bake for about 25 minutes, until risen and firm in the centre. Remove from the oven, leave in the tin (expect the roulade to dip and crack a little) and set aside until cold.
6. Meanwhile, make the ganache. Measure the cream into a pan and place over a medium heat until hot and steaming. Then remove from the heat and add the chocolate pieces, stirring until melted.
7. Set aside to cool, then chill in the fridge until it is stiff but spreadable.
8. Put a large piece of baking paper onto a work surface and dust with cocoa powder. Turn out the roulade onto the paper. Remove the tin and paper, then brush the surface of the roulade with the whisky.
9. Run a knife along one of the long sides of the roulade, about 2cm/¾in from the edge, being careful not to cut all the way through. Spread the whipped cream all over. Using the paper, roll the roulade up tightly, starting at the long side that you scored, like you would a Swiss roll.
10. Slice off a quarter of the roulade at one end, on an angle. Put the large piece on a serving plate and place the quarter at angle to look like a branch (optional) you can leave it as a whole.
11. Spoon the ganache topping into a large piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe rows of ganache icing over the roulade to create a bark effect. Dust with icing sugar and place a sprig of holly on top to serve.