Yule Log Cakes: 13 Bûche de Noël Showstoppers That Look Like They Came Straight From a French Bakery

Yule log cakes are the Christmas desserts that make people stop talking when they reach the table. A simple sheet of sponge, rolled around a soft filling and frosted to look like bark, turns into something that looks like it came from a Paris pastry window. Millions of people have been watching home bakers try them on YouTube, and the secret is that they are far easier than they look. Below are 13 versions, from the classic chocolate bûche de Noël with meringue mushrooms to peppermint, gingerbread, pumpkin, ice cream and a shortcut that starts with a store-bought Swiss roll. Each one comes with a short list of what you need and simple steps. Bake the sponge, roll it warm, fill it, frost it, and let everyone think you trained in France..

Classic Chocolate Bûche de Noël, the Original of All Yule Log Cakes

This is the one French families have set on the Christmas table for well over a century: a light chocolate sponge rolled around whipped cream, then covered in ganache and scraped with a fork until it looks like tree bark. Meringue mushrooms, sugared cranberries and a snowfall of powdered sugar finish the woodland look. The cake grew out of the old custom of burning a giant log through the holidays, and you can read the full history of the Yule log cake on Wikipedia. Start here, and every other log on this list is just a variation..

You will need: 4 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 2 tbsp powdered sugar, 6 oz dark chocolate, 1/2 cup hot cream for ganache, meringue mushrooms, cranberries and rosemary to decorate.

How to make it: 1. Whip eggs and sugar until thick and pale, fold in flour and cocoa, spread in a lined 10×15 pan and bake at 375°F for 9 to 10 minutes. 2. Roll the warm cake in a towel dusted with powdered sugar and cool. 3. Unroll, spread with sweetened whipped cream and roll back up. 4. Pour hot cream over the chocolate, stir smooth, cool until spreadable and frost the log. 5. Drag a fork along the frosting for bark, decorate and chill 1 hour.

Peppermint Whipped Cream Bûche With Crushed Candy Canes

If your family lives for candy canes, this is the log that disappears first. A chocolate sponge is rolled around peppermint whipped cream, then covered in more cream and a crunchy shower of crushed peppermint candy. The dark swirl against the snowy white outside looks stunning when you cut the first slice, and the cool mint keeps the whole thing tasting light after a heavy holiday dinner. Add the crushed candy just before serving so it stays crisp and does not bleed red into the cream. Of all the Yule log cakes here, this is the most refreshing.

You will need: 1 chocolate sponge sheet (from the classic recipe), 2 cups heavy cream, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp peppermint extract, a drop of pink food coloring (optional), 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies.

How to make it: 1. Bake and roll the chocolate sponge warm, then let it cool in the towel. 2. Whip the cream with powdered sugar and peppermint extract to stiff peaks. 3. Tint half pink, spread it over the unrolled cake and roll up. 4. Cover the log with the white cream. 5. Chill 1 hour and scatter crushed peppermint over the top just before serving.

Gingerbread Yule Log Cake With Cream Cheese Filling

All the cozy spice of a gingerbread house, rolled into a cake. Molasses, ginger, cinnamon and cloves go into the sponge, and a tangy cream cheese filling balances the deep spice perfectly. Dust the top with cinnamon, tuck a few little star cookies on top and add sugared cranberries for color. This one tastes even better the next day, so it is a smart choice if you want to bake on Christmas Eve and simply slice and serve after the big meal, one of the most forgiving Yule log cakes to make ahead.

You will need: 4 eggs, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 3 tbsp molasses, 3/4 cup flour, 2 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cloves, 8 oz cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, small gingerbread cookies.

How to make it: 1. Beat eggs, brown sugar and molasses until thick, fold in flour and spices. 2. Bake in a lined 10×15 pan at 375°F for 10 minutes and roll warm in a towel. 3. Beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. 4. Unroll, spread with half the frosting, roll up and cover with the rest. 5. Dust with cinnamon and top with cookies and cranberries.

Raspberry Chocolate Bûche de Noël

Bright red raspberries lined along the top of a dark chocolate log look just like holly berries on a winter branch. Inside, a layer of raspberry jam and whipped ganache gives every bite a little tartness that cuts through the rich chocolate. This is the kind of bûche you see in French home kitchens at Christmas, simple but elegant. A light dusting of powdered sugar right before serving makes it look like the first snow fell on it. Fruit-topped Yule log cakes like this also look lovely on a brunch table.

You will need: 1 chocolate sponge sheet, 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam, 1 cup heavy cream, 4 oz dark chocolate, 1 cup fresh raspberries, powdered sugar for dusting.

How to make it: 1. Bake and roll the chocolate sponge warm, then cool. 2. Heat the cream, pour over chopped chocolate, stir and chill, then whip until fluffy. 3. Unroll the cake, spread with jam and a thin layer of whipped ganache, and roll up. 4. Cover with the remaining ganache. 5. Line raspberries along the top and dust with powdered sugar.

Pumpkin Spice Roll Turned Yule Log

The pumpkin roll everyone makes at Thanksgiving gets a Christmas makeover here. Keep the same moist spiced sponge and cream cheese filling, then frost the outside, drag a fork through it for bark and add a few meringue mushrooms. Suddenly it is a holiday centerpiece. If you love the spiral look, you will also enjoy these cake roll recipes with the prettiest swirl. Use canned pumpkin puree, not pie filling, so you control the sugar and spice. It is one of the easiest Yule log cakes to master.

You will need: 3 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 2/3 cup pumpkin puree, 3/4 cup flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 8 oz cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla.

How to make it: 1. Beat eggs and sugar, mix in pumpkin, then fold in flour, soda and spice. 2. Bake in a lined 10×15 pan at 375°F for 13 to 15 minutes and roll warm in a sugared towel. 3. Beat cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. 4. Unroll, spread with filling and roll up. 5. Chill, then frost or dust with powdered sugar and decorate like a log.

Woodland Yule Log Cake With a Meringue Mushroom Forest

Kids go wild for Yule log cakes, and this one most of all. Instead of a few mushrooms, cover the whole log and the platter around it with a little forest of white meringue mushrooms so it looks like a fallen tree in the snow. Cut a short piece from one end at an angle and set it on top as a branch stump, a classic bakery trick that instantly makes it look more like real wood. Let the kids place the mushrooms; nobody minds if they are a little crooked.

You will need: 1 filled chocolate roll cake, 1 batch chocolate buttercream or ganache, 12 to 20 meringue mushrooms, powdered sugar.

How to make it: 1. Fill and roll your chocolate sponge, then chill 30 minutes. 2. Cut a 2 inch piece off one end at an angle. 3. Frost the log, attach the cut piece on top as a branch and frost it too. 4. Make bark lines with a fork. 5. Press meringue mushrooms all over and dust with powdered sugar.

Yule Log Cakes Need Meringue Mushrooms, and They Are Easy

Those little mushrooms are what make Yule log cakes look like they came from a French bakery, and they are just egg whites and sugar. Pipe round caps and pointed stems, bake them low and slow until crisp, then glue them together with a dab of melted chocolate. A light dusting of cocoa makes them look wonderfully real. Make them a week ahead and keep them in an airtight tin; they also make a cute edible gift on their own.

You will need: 2 egg whites, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp cream of tartar, 2 oz melted chocolate, cocoa powder for dusting.

How to make it: 1. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar to soft peaks, add sugar slowly and beat until glossy and stiff. 2. Pipe round caps and upright stems onto a lined tray. 3. Bake at 200°F for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, then cool in the oven. 4. Dip stem tips in melted chocolate and press onto the underside of caps. 5. Dust caps lightly with cocoa.

No-Bake Ice Cream Bûche Glacée

When the oven is full of turkey and sides, the freezer saves Christmas dessert. The French call this a bûche glacée: two flavors of ice cream pressed in layers into a loaf pan, frozen hard, then turned out and covered in fluffy whipped cream. A cookie crumb base keeps it from sliding on the plate, and a few chocolate stars and a frosted raspberry dress it up. Vanilla with coffee or chocolate is the classic pairing, and you can make it a full week before the party. Frozen Yule log cakes also travel well to potlucks in a cooler.

You will need: 1 pint vanilla ice cream, 1 pint coffee or chocolate ice cream, 1 cup crushed chocolate wafer cookies, 2 tbsp melted butter, 1 1/2 cups heavy cream whipped with 2 tbsp sugar, chocolate stars and frozen raspberries to decorate.

How to make it: 1. Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap and soften both ice creams for 10 minutes. 2. Spread the vanilla in the pan, freeze 30 minutes, then add the coffee or chocolate layer. 3. Press the cookie crumbs mixed with butter on top as the base and freeze at least 6 hours. 4. Turn out onto a platter, remove the wrap and cover with whipped cream. 5. Decorate, freeze 30 minutes more and slice with a hot knife.

Shortcut Yule Log Cakes From a Store-Bought Swiss Roll

No time to bake? Buy two chocolate Swiss rolls from the bakery section and nobody will ever know. Line them up end to end, trim one at an angle for a branch, and cover everything in a quick chocolate frosting. A fork makes the bark, a snowfall of powdered sugar hides any seams, and a few berries and rosemary sprigs make it look like you spent all afternoon on it. This is the version busy parents and first-time bakers swear by.

You will need: 2 store-bought chocolate Swiss rolls, 1 tub (16 oz) chocolate frosting or homemade ganache, powdered sugar, fresh berries, rosemary sprigs.

How to make it: 1. Chill the Swiss rolls so they are firm. 2. Line them end to end on a long platter and trim one end at an angle to make a branch. 3. Frost all over with chocolate frosting. 4. Drag a fork through it for bark. 5. Dust with powdered sugar and decorate with berries and rosemary.

Mini Yule Log Cakes Sliced for Christmas Parties

For a cookie swap or office party, skip the big centerpiece and serve the log already sliced. Bake a thin chocolate roll, fill it with vanilla cream, chill it well and cut neat rounds about an inch thick. The swirl is the star, so a quick dusting of powdered sugar is all they need. Set them on a tray with paper liners and guests can grab one without needing a plate, a fork or anyone to cut the cake.

You will need: 1 chocolate sponge sheet, 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, extra powdered sugar or cocoa for dusting.

How to make it: 1. Bake and roll the chocolate sponge warm and let it cool. 2. Whip cream with powdered sugar and vanilla. 3. Unroll, spread with cream and roll tightly. 4. Wrap and chill for at least 2 hours so it slices cleanly. 5. Cut into 1 inch slices with a serrated knife and dust with powdered sugar.

Glossy French Bakery Bûche de Noël Yule Log Cakes

Walk past a pastry shop in Paris in December and the windows are lined with modern bûches like these: sleek, glossy, with a mousse center and a crunchy base. The home version is easier than it looks. A chocolate mousse is set in a loaf pan around a strip of sponge, frozen, then turned out and covered with a shiny glaze. Yule log cakes like this are perfect for bakers who want a showstopper without having to roll anything at all.

You will need: 1 thin sponge strip or a row of ladyfingers, 6 oz dark chocolate, 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 2 tbsp sugar, 1/2 cup crushed wafer cookies mixed with 2 tbsp melted chocolate, 4 oz chocolate and 1/2 cup cream for glaze.

How to make it: 1. Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap. 2. Melt chocolate, cool slightly and fold into the cream whipped with sugar. 3. Spoon mousse into the pan, press in the sponge strip, then top with the cookie crunch. 4. Freeze overnight. 5. Turn out, pour warm glaze over the frozen cake and thaw in the fridge 2 hours before serving.

Tiramisu-Style Coffee Yule Log With Marzipan Mushrooms

Coffee lovers, this is your log. Brush a plain sponge with sweet espresso the way you would soak ladyfingers for tiramisu, fill it with mascarpone cream and cover it in silky mocha buttercream. Little marzipan mushrooms make a sweet almond surprise on top. The coffee flavor gets deeper after a night in the fridge, so this is another make-ahead winner for a busy holiday week. Of all the Yule log cakes in this list, it is the one adults ask for again.

You will need: 1 vanilla sponge sheet, 1/2 cup strong espresso with 2 tbsp sugar, 8 oz mascarpone, 1 cup heavy cream, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, 1 cup butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tbsp cocoa, 2 tbsp espresso, marzipan.

How to make it: 1. Bake and roll the sponge warm, then cool. 2. Unroll and brush with sweetened espresso. 3. Whip mascarpone, cream and powdered sugar, spread over the cake and roll up. 4. Beat butter, powdered sugar, cocoa and espresso and frost the log with bark lines. 5. Shape marzipan into mushrooms, dust with cocoa and place on top.

Dark Chocolate Forest Log With Rosemary and Mushrooms

For a moody, grown-up table, go dark. Use bittersweet chocolate for the ganache, keep the bark rough and rustic, and set the log on a plain wooden board with a few rosemary sprigs and white mushrooms. It looks like a scene from an old European forest, and the deep chocolate is not too sweet. Serve thin slices with a little lightly sweetened whipped cream on the side, and it pairs perfectly with coffee after dinner. Rustic Yule log cakes like this prove that imperfect bark only looks more real.

You will need: 1 chocolate sponge sheet, 1 1/2 cups heavy cream for filling, 8 oz bittersweet chocolate, 3/4 cup hot cream for ganache, meringue mushrooms, rosemary sprigs, cocoa powder.

How to make it: 1. Bake and roll the chocolate sponge warm, then cool. 2. Whip cream lightly sweetened, spread on the cake and roll up. 3. Pour hot cream over chopped bittersweet chocolate, stir smooth and cool until thick. 4. Frost the log roughly and make deep bark lines with a fork. 5. Decorate with mushrooms and rosemary and dust with cocoa.