Yule Log Cake Recipe (Easy Bûche de Noël)

By Warm Oven Bakes Editorial Team · Updated 1 November 2026

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A yule log, or bûche de Noël, is a rolled sponge cake decorated to look like a log. It looks impressive on the Christmas table, but it's built from three simple parts: a thin chocolate sponge, a whipped cream filling and a chocolate ganache "bark."

The key is rolling the sponge while it's still warm. That sets its shape, so it rolls up again later without cracking.

Ingredients

Serves 10 to 12. You'll need a 10x15-inch (25x38 cm) jelly roll pan.

Chocolate sponge

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup (130 g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (60 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• Powdered sugar, for the towel

Whipped cream filling

• 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) cold heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate ganache bark

• 6 ounces (170 g) semisweet or dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy cream

Instructions

1. Make the sponge

1. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease the jelly roll pan, line it with parchment, and grease the parchment.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on high speed for 6 to 8 minutes, until very pale, thick and roughly tripled in volume. When you lift the beaters, the batter should fall in a ribbon that sits on the surface for a few seconds. Beat in the vanilla.
3. Sift the flour, cocoa and salt over the eggs in two additions, folding gently with a large spatula after each until no streaks remain. Fold from the bottom up so you keep as much air as possible.
4. Spread the batter evenly into the pan, right into the corners.
5. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, until the top springs back when lightly touched. Don't overbake, or the sponge will be dry and crack when rolled.

2. Roll it while warm

1. While the cake bakes, lay a clean, thin kitchen towel on the counter and dust it generously with powdered sugar.
2. As soon as the cake comes out, run a knife around the edges and turn it out onto the towel. Peel off the parchment.
3. Starting from a short end, roll the warm cake up with the towel inside. Leave it rolled, seam side down, on a rack until completely cool, about 1 hour.

3. Make the ganache

1. Put the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until it just begins to simmer, then pour it over the chocolate.
2. Leave for 2 minutes, then stir slowly from the center until smooth and glossy.
3. Let it cool at room temperature, stirring now and then, until it's thick enough to spread like frosting. This usually takes 1 to 2 hours, depending on your kitchen.

4. Fill and roll

1. Whip the cold cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla to medium-firm peaks.
2. Gently unroll the cooled cake. Don't worry if it stays slightly curved.
3. Spread the whipped cream over the cake, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border along the far short end.
4. Re-roll the cake without the towel, using the towel underneath to help guide it. Place it seam side down on a serving plate.

5. Decorate

1. For a classic look, cut a short diagonal piece off one end and set it against the side of the log as a "branch."
2. Spread the ganache over the log and branch. Drag a fork along the length to make bark lines, and swirl the cut ends to look like tree rings.
3. Chill for at least 30 minutes so the ganache firms up before slicing. Just before serving, dust with powdered sugar for snow.

How to roll a cake without cracking

• Don't overbake. A dry sponge cracks. Pull it as soon as the top springs back.
• Roll it hot. Rolling the warm cake in the towel "trains" it into a spiral, so it rolls again easily once filled.
• Use a thin sponge. Spread the batter evenly so no part of the cake is too thick to bend.
• Small cracks are fine. The ganache covers them. That's part of why a yule log is a forgiving holiday bake.

Make-ahead plan

• Up to 1 day ahead: fill, roll and cover the log with ganache, then keep it loosely covered in the fridge. Add the powdered sugar snow just before serving.
• Up to 1 month ahead: wrap the filled, un-decorated log well and freeze it. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then decorate.

Because the filling is whipped cream, keep the finished cake refrigerated and take it out about 20 minutes before serving. See our holiday baking timeline for fitting it around the rest of your Christmas baking.

Decoration ideas

• Meringue mushrooms dusted with cocoa
• Sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs for "holly"
• Chopped pistachios for moss
• A light dusting of powdered sugar for snow

What you'll need

• A 10x15-inch jelly roll pan
• An offset spatula for spreading batter and ganache
• Parchment paper sheets
• A hand mixer to whip the eggs and cream

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