Also referred to as a bûche de Noël, this Christmas roulade features sponge cake made from a devil’s food cake mix and spread with Vanilla Filling.
Yule Log Cake
Serves: 1 (13-inch-long) cake
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 (15.25-ounce) box devil’s food cake mix*
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup canola oil
- Vanilla Filling (recipe follows)
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (recipe follows)
- ¼ cup white melting wafers
- Garnish: confectioners’ sugar, fresh cranberries, and fresh mint
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a 18×12-inch rimmed baking sheet with baking spray with flour. Line with parchment paper, spray again, and dust with flour. Sift confectioners’ sugar over a clean dish towel.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs with a mixer at medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add cake mix to beaten eggs, alternately with ½ cup water and oil, beginning and ending with cake mix, beating at low speed until just combined after each addition. Pour batter onto prepared baking sheet. Using an offset spatula, spread batter in an even layer.
- Bake until cake springs back when lightly touched in center, 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife along edges of baking sheet to release cake. Turn out cake onto prepared dish towel. Gently peel off parchment paper from cake bottom. Starting at one long side, roll up cake and towel together jelly roll style, and place seam side down on a wire rack. Let cake cool completely.
- Unroll cake. Using an offset spatula, spread cake with Vanilla Filling. Reroll cake without towel, and place seam side down on a cutting surface. Using a serrated bread knife in a gentle sawing motion, cut a 5-inch-long piece from one end of cake. Cut 5-inch piece in half diagonally.
- Place 13-inch-long cake log on a serving platter. Attach diagonally cut sections (branches) to one long side of cake log with a thin layer of Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, pressing branches into sides of cake log.
- Place remaining Chocolate Buttercream Frosting in a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (Wilton #12). Pipe a thin layer of frosting onto cake log and branches. Using an offset spatula, smooth frosting to cover cake log and branches completely. Drag an icing comb or a fork with even pressure across frosting to make a bark pattern.
- Melt wafers according to package directions. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (Wilton #3). Pipe white chocolate swirls to resemble tree rings on ends of cake log and branches.
- Just before serving, garnish with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar and with cranberries and mint, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
*We used Pillsbury.
Make-Ahead Tip: Cake can be baked, assembled, frosted, covered, and refrigerated until needed, up to a day. Let come to room temperature before garnishing and serving.
Make-Ahead Tip: Cake can be baked, assembled, frosted, covered, and refrigerated until needed, up to a day. Let come to room temperature before garnishing and serving.
Vanilla Filling
Serves: Approximately 2 cups
A combination of cream cheese, white chocolate pudding mix, and cream creates an easy-to-assemble filling that is a tasty surprise waiting to be discovered inside the cake.
Ingredients
- ½ cup cream cheese, softened
- 1 (3.4-ounce) box white chocolate instant pudding mix
- 1½ cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and pudding mix with a mixer at medium-low speed until combined, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cream in ¼-cup increments, mixing well after each addition. Store in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Let come to room temperature before using.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Serves: Approximately 1½ cups
This thick chocolate frosting is perfect on a Yule Log Cake or a multitude of other baked goods.
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat together butter, cocoa powder, and salt with a mixer at low speed until well combined, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, alternately with cream, beating until combined. Increase mixer to medium-high speed, and beat mixture until smooth, approximately 1 minute. Store in an airtight container, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Let come to room temperature before using.
