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Former Google Contributor

Discovering bûche de Noël cake

A photo of a display case in a bakery with rows of small bûche de Noël cakes in flavors like traditional chocolate, vanilla, coffee, or Grand Marnier-chocolate with Christmas decorations on top. (Local Guide Robin Rainton)A photo of a display case in a bakery with rows of small bûche de Noël cakes in flavors like traditional chocolate, vanilla, coffee, or Grand Marnier-chocolate with Christmas decorations on top. (Local Guide Robin Rainton)

Growing up, my sister was always the type to do her homework right when she got home from school while I was more of the type who pushed it off until the last minute, sitting at the kitchen table panicking about how much I had to do as bedtime drew nearer. So, it was particularly surprising that one day after dinner, a few days before our school’s winter break, my sister casually mentioned that she had one more thing to do for school the next day: bake the bûche de Noël she had volunteered to bring to her French class’s holiday party.

 

My mom tried to explain that it wasn’t possible to do that because she had no idea what that was and anyway, it was getting late—too late to bake a cake. My sister, having never not completed an assignment in her entire life, panicked and my mom eventually gave in. We somehow tracked down a recipe and I still remember the look of fear on my mom’s face as she first laid eyes on her new baking nemesis.

 

Bûche de Noël—or yule log—is a classic French dessert for the Christmas season that resembles, well, a log. It’s traditionally made by covering sponge cake in raspberry jam and then rolling up the cake into a roulade and covering the entire thing in chocolate icing meant to look like bark. Meringue mushrooms typically dot the top to add to the log theme.

 

True to its name, yuletide bûche de Noël was born out of the tradition of burning a yule log to symbolize the triumph of good over evil. Presumably, the log was switched out for a cake because that’s much more exciting than a piece of wood. Bakers in Paris popularized the cake in the 19th century and it’s stuck around ever since.

 

Today, there are many variations of bûche de Noël and every year bakers unofficially compete to be the most innovative. Flavors range from classic chocolate to coffee liqueur to fruity flavors, and the shape is no longer confined to log-esque. Below are a few of our favorite photos of both traditional and not-so-traditional bûche de Noël cakes taken by Local Guides.

 

Caption: A photo of large and small bûche de Noël cakes iced in white caramelized meringue topped with Christmas trees, holly, or plastic axes from Boulangerie L'epi D'or Épargnes in Épargnes, France. (Local Guide Nikll Nikll)Caption: A photo of large and small bûche de Noël cakes iced in white caramelized meringue topped with Christmas trees, holly, or plastic axes from Boulangerie L'epi D'or Épargnes in Épargnes, France. (Local Guide Nikll Nikll)

 

Caption: A photo of rows of mini pistachio bûche de Noël cakes and moon-shaped bûche de Noël cakes alongside St. Honoré cakes at Ladurée in New York City. (Local Guide Ahmad A)Caption: A photo of rows of mini pistachio bûche de Noël cakes and moon-shaped bûche de Noël cakes alongside St. Honoré cakes at Ladurée in New York City. (Local Guide Ahmad A)

 Caption: A photo of a pink bûche de Noël cake from Lenôtre in Paris, France with pink marshmallows, raspberries, white chocolate and a white snowflake. (Local Guide Ako R)Caption: A photo of a pink bûche de Noël cake from Lenôtre in Paris, France with pink marshmallows, raspberries, white chocolate and a white snowflake. (Local Guide Ako R)

Caption: A photo of rows of pastries and cakes in a display case at Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York, including rows of mini bûche de Noël cakes in flavors like double chocolate, cherry pistachio with a reindeer decoration, and chestnut. (Local Guide Byron)Caption: A photo of rows of pastries and cakes in a display case at Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York, including rows of mini bûche de Noël cakes in flavors like double chocolate, cherry pistachio with a reindeer decoration, and chestnut. (Local Guide Byron)

 

Caption: A photo of a traditional bûche de Noël cake topped with a candy mushroom, holly, a plastic deer toy, a small Christmas tree, and a small present. (Local Guide catherine senechal)Caption: A photo of a traditional bûche de Noël cake topped with a candy mushroom, holly, a plastic deer toy, a small Christmas tree, and a small present. (Local Guide catherine senechal)

My mother’s attempt certainly did not look like any of these. It didn’t have meringue mushrooms and was only mostly rolled up, but it was edible and my sister was happy—and the best part was no one complained about my homework procrastination again.

 

What’s your favorite holiday dessert? Tell us in the comments below!

 

42 comments
Level 10

Re: Discovering bûche de Noël cake

there mid night (Bangladesh GMT6+ )  after saw this feel my stomach full empty  🙂 😛 , and sometime feel ah if i born there must do this / or eat , maybe same other friends feel same when saw our post , Local guides really a perfect platform for learn other culture and local , thanks for share @kmajewski

Mahabub Hasan
Level 8

كيك شهي ولذيذ

كيك ولا أطيبكيك ولا أطيب

 

 

Level 10

Re: Discovering bûche de Noël cake

@kmajewski

Very impressive indeed!

I heard about it while studying. But never had it. If at all any Plans for Paris visit, shall try it out.

Excellent pictures and write up.

 

Thanks & Regards

aaryesdee

R S Dev
Connect Moderator

Re: Discovering bûche de Noël cake

Wow, there are a lot of kinds of bûche de Noël! @kmajewski

Are they have different tastes? Usually, I hardly eat cake but I become to want to eat cake like them in this season.

This article was a good trigger for me. Thank you for sharing!

Google Moderator

Re: كيك شهي ولذيذ

Hey @Thaaer,

 

Thank you for sharing this delicious cake. Did you make it? I love chocolate cake, the more chocolate, the better. Perhaps you or @BorrisS can share some traditional desserts in your region. 

 

Check out this new post on Discovering bûche de Noël cake and you will see some gorgeous cakes there.

 

Take a look at this one too The lighting tip that makes food look delicious. It gives you great advice on food photography that you may use for your next post. 

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Google Moderator

Re: Discovering bûche de Noël cake

Hey @kmajewski,

 

These photos of cakes make me drool over my desk just by looking at them. I love every Christmas dessert there is, especially if it is covered in chocolate. 

 

I laughed sincerely while reading your story. But if the cake was tasty then the family time you three girls spent together was worthwhile! 🙂

 

We have a traditional Bulgarian dessert for Christmas called "баница с късмети". It is prepared by layering pumpkin, walnuts, raisins, sugar and cinnamon between filo pastry and then it is baked in the oven. The difference is that we put some happy wishes written on small pieces of paper for Christmas. They are for health, well-being, luck, money, success, etc. 

 

What is more, you can eat it on New Year's Eve too and the luck charms apply for the upcoming year.

 

Here is a photo which shows you this delicious pastry.

 

Caption: A photo of banitsa cut into a small piece covered with caster sugar (Local Guide Velko Alexiev)Caption: A photo of banitsa cut into a small piece covered with caster sugar (Local Guide Velko Alexiev)

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Former Google Contributor

Re: Discovering bûche de Noël cake

Hi @kmajewski,

 

I must say that all those photos of Bûche de Noël are looking so delicious. I have never tasted this dessert, but it is definitely on my list. The only problem is that I am not sure I can find it in Bulgaria, so far I have never found a place to buy this delicacy.

 

A big bravo for your mum and that she tried to prepare the yule log. It must have been quite hard.

 

I would like to share a photo with biscuits in different Christmas thematic shapes - Christmas tree, snowman, gloves, etc. I think it is a great small present for those people like me who still haven't mastered their cooking skills. : )

 

Caption: A photo of colorful Christmas biscuits in a box. (Local Guide @TsekoV)Caption: A photo of colorful Christmas biscuits in a box. (Local Guide @TsekoV)

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Level 9

Re: Discovering bûche de Noël cake

Hello @kmajewski yummy and delicious post,Thank you for sharing with us...

Former Google Contributor

Re: كيك شهي ولذيذ

السلام عليكم @Thaaer,

 

على ما يبدو فالكعكة لديدة جدا. من الذي أعدها ؟ 

 

Discovering bûche de Noël cake سوف أنقل مشاركتك هذه الى

 

@MoniDi, شكرا لك

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