Christmas Eggnog Yule Log Cake – Buche de Noel
A yule log is a traditional Christmas cake also know as Buche de Noel in France. This eggnog yule log cake is a wonderful twist with a modern touch. A simple and easy recipe using vanilla Swiss roll as a base and chocolate bark for that log effect. Eggnog being a very Christmas flavor makes the eggnog buttercream as the icing on this cake perfect.
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Just over a month left for Christmas. Have you decided what Christmas cake you want to make this year? Well, here’s a hint. Think yule log. Why not make it an eggnog. Eggnog is such a Christmas flavor, isn’t it? Who doesn’t love eggnog?
As a kid, we had eggnog every year for Christmas, but we weren’t allowed to have the grown-ups eggnog. Mom made some non-alcoholic one for us. It was so delicious and yet we complained every year!! Why we do not get the one that you made for everybody else. Why do we children not get the special eggnog?
Don’t we always want that forbidden fruit? Well, we really did complain a lot until now I have the grown-up eggnog with rum every year for Christmas. Of course, my kids now complain they don’t get the grown-up eggnog. Just makes me miss my mom even more.
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About this Eggnog Yule log cake (Save/Pin)
This year, I wanted to share with you this cake which is all about eggnog. There is eggnog in the cake, which is again brushed with eggnog instead of sugar syrup and then we have eggnog buttercream inside and out. Which means you have to love eggnog to enjoy this recipe. If you do not like eggnog, do not make this cake.
Oh, but I do have another recipe – Chocolate Christmas Yule Log Cake with chocolate whipped cream over on the other site Cake Decorating Tutorials
If you look at the recipe below it sounds complicated and difficult but don’t you worry. It really is very simple and easy. I have a video and as you can see the process is pretty simple.
You bake the cake and let it cool while you prepare the buttercream and chocolate bark. Can you believe this eggnog Yule log cake takes no more than 20 minutes to cool because it’s light and thin? Lightly glaze the cake with more eggnog and give it a generous spread buttercream inside and out. Place the bark on and dust with cocoa and sugar. Voila, the cake is done.
You can do so much more for decorations but I kept it to a simple Christmasy theme with some Christmas berries and holly leaves. Again you can use some ready-made decorations that are easily available these days. You can even add a little Merry Christmas sign to make this center of your dessert table for Christmas.
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Let’s talk ingredients and substitutes (Save/Pin)
- All-purpose flour – Often cake flour is most commonly used for this cake but I make mine with all-purpose flour and it always turns out perfect. Light and fluffy.
- Butter – There is not much of butter in this recipe so honestly, you can use both salted or unsalted and it would be ok.
- Eggnog – you can make homemade eggnog or buy the commercially available brand in most sugar markets these days. I will share my eggnog recipe with you soon as well.
- Eggs – It is important that you use good large eggs for this recipe. The real light and airy texture for this cake come from whipping the egg whites to stiff peaks. Which is why it is very important to separate the eggs carefully. Make sure no egg yolks get mixed with the whites or they won’t whip to stiff peaks.
- Cream of tartar – helps stabilize the egg whites but if you can’t find it just omit it. A pinch of salt works just fine.
- Vanilla extract – a good quality vanilla extract goes a long way in recipes like this.
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Recipe – Eggnog Yule Log Cake – Buche de Noel (Save/Pin)
Tools
- I’m not a slave to mixers. And yet, when you need some good whisking I have to insist that you use the K-Mix or Kitchen Aid. So, yes, bring that stand-mixer from the back of the cabinet for this recipe.
- A good baking tray is always important. A sheet pan is used for baking Swill roll cakes. The most common size used is 10 x 15 sheet pan often also referred to as Swiss roll pan. This size is important because a small pan with make a thicker Swiss roll which may crack when baking. If you have to error on the size I’d rather go with larger than smaller for the pan.
- Personally, I believe in weighing ingredients by weight, which makes my kitchen scaleone of the most valuable items when baking. The same goes for mymeasuring cups and measuring spoons. It’s always a good idea to have these handy and use them when baking rather than trying to guess measurements.
- Every oven works differently. So the baking times are just guidelines. In case of breads a hollow sound on the bottom of the bread is a great indication. If your cakes bakes too quick or too slow compared to the time given it might be a good idea to check if you oven need calibration. An oven thermometer is a great little gadget to help keep the oven temperature in check. All you need to do is adjust the temperature accordingly.
- A parchment paper is a necessity with this cake so it will release from the pan. Make sure it extends to the side of the pan for easy release as well.
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Ingredients
- 5 large Eggs
- 60 grams white sugar
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 60 grams All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
- 60 grams brown sugar
- 1/8 tsp Cream of Tartar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 tbsp melted cooled butter
- 60 ml Eggnog
Extra
- Eggnog Buttercream Frosting – Recipe and video here.
- 200 grams dark chocolate (for bark)
- 60 ml Eggnog (to use as syrup)
- 2 tbsp Cocoa Powder (for dusting)
- 1 tbsp Powdered sugar (for dusting)
- Red and Green fondant (for berries and leaves)
Method
Prepare
- Preheat the oven to 170 °C / 340 °F
- Line a spring roll pan 15 x 10 inches with parchment paper. Make sure the parchment covers the sides of the baking tray too.
- Separate the eggs. White from yolks making sure no egg yolks get mixed with the white – set aside.
Prepare flour mixture
- Combine flour, baking powder, and half the salt – set aside.
- You will need to sift this later.
Whip egg whites
- Start whipping the egg whites with cream of tartar and remaining salt on medium-low speed.
- Gradually add the white sugar and continue to whip on medium speed.
- Once all the sugar is added – turn the speed to medium-high and whip to stiff peaks.
- Set aside
Whip egg yolks
- Working quickly whip the egg yolks with the brown sugar until sugar is almost melted.
- Add the eggnog mixture, vanilla, and melted cooled butter.
- Sift in the flour mixture and combine well.
Combine both mixtures
- Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the yolk mixture in three or four additions.
- Pour into the prepared baking tray
- Spread evenly with a spatula.
- Tap the tray three times on the counter-top
- Bake in the preheated oven for 11 to 12 minutes until the top is springy and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool
- Add soon as the cake is out of the oven, carefully slide the parchment paper from the baking tray to the cooling rack.
- Wait five minutes then flip the cake over using a second cooling rack.
- Gently peel the bottom parchment paper.
- Dust with powdered sugar and place a clean cheesecloth on top. (the powdered sugar prevents sticking)
- Flip the cake over again and roll the cake into a jelly roll with the help of the cheesecloth (as shown in the video)
- Set aside to cool.
Prepare Eggnog buttercream
- When ready to frost -prepare buttercream frosting as directed in this recipe and video –Eggnog Buttercream Frosting here
Prepare Chocolate Bark
- Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at 30-sec interval.
- Spread evenly over a parchment paper
- Roll into a log (as shown in the video)
- Let set in the fridge for 10 to 20 minutes until firm
- When set – unroll and let the chocolate break naturally
- Set aside until ready to use.
Assembly
- Unroll the cake and remove the cheesecloth.
- Generously brush with eggnog all over.
- spread a generous amount of buttercream.
- Roll the cake back firmly into a jelly roll.
- Cut both ends of the roll at an angle or diagonal cuts (as shown in the video)
- Attach the cut pieces to create branches with the diagonal side towards the log.
- Spread a generous amount of buttercream all over the log.
- This does not need to be smooth.
- Attach chocolate bark pieces all over on the buttercream as shown
- Dust with cocoa powder all over.
- Then give a light dusting of powdered sugar for a snowy effect.
- Decorate with little Christmas berries and leaves as shown in the video.
- Use Rosemary for garnish too.
- Enjoy!
Don’t forget to save this recipe on Pinterest for later.
You can find a collection of my tutorials and recipes here on Pinterest.
Classic Christmas cake, Eggnog yule log Cake, Christmas yule log cake, Bouche De Noel.
Christmas Eggnog Yule Log Cake - Buche de Noel
Ingredients
For the cake
- 5 large Eggs
- 60 grams white sugar
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 60 grams All-Purpose Flour
- 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
- 60 grams brown sugar
- 1/8 tsp Cream of Tartar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 tbsp melted cooled butter
- 60 ml Eggnog
Extra
- 4 cups Eggnog buttercream frosting
- 200 grams dark chocolate for bark
- 60 ml Eggnog to use as syrup
- 2 tbsp Cocoa Powder for dusting
- 1 tbsp Powdered sugar for dusting
- Red and Green fondant for berries and leaves
Instructions
Prepare
- Preheat the oven to 170 °C / 340 °F
- Line a spring roll pan 15 x 10 inches with parchment paper. Make sure the parchment covers the sides of the baking tray too.
- Separate the eggs. White from yolks making sure no egg yolks get mixed with the white - set aside.
Prepare flour mixture
- Combine flour, baking powder, and half the salt - set aside.
- You will need to sift this later.
Whip egg whites
- Start whipping the egg whites with cream of tartar and remaining salt on medium-low speed.
- Gradually add the white sugar and continue to whip on medium speed.
- Once all the sugar is added - turn the speed to medium-high and whip to stiff peaks.
- Set aside
Whip egg yolks
- Working quickly whip the egg yolks with the brown sugar until sugar is almost melted.
- Add the eggnog mixture, vanilla, and melted cooled butter.
- Sift in the flour mixture and combine well.
Combine both mixtures
- Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the yolk mixture in three or four additions.
- Pour into the prepared baking tray
- Spread evenly with a spatula.
- Tap the tray three times on the counter-top
- Bake in the preheated oven for 11 to 12 minutes until the top is springy and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool
- Add soon as the cake is out of the oven, carefully slide the parchment paper from the baking tray to the cooling rack.
- Wait five minutes then flip the cake over using a second cooling rack.
- Gently peel the bottom parchment paper.
- Dust with powdered sugar and place a clean cheesecloth on top. (the powdered sugar prevents sticking)
- Flip the cake over again and roll the cake into a jelly roll with the help of the cheesecloth (as shown in the video)
- Set aside to cool.
Prepare Eggnog buttercream
- Prepare eggnog buttercream frosting as directed in this video and recipe here.
Prepare Chocolate Bark
- Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at 30-sec interval.
- Spread evenly over a parchment paper
- Roll into a log (as shown in the video)
- Let set in the fridge for 10 to 20 minutes until firm
- When set - unroll and let the chocolate break naturally
- Set aside until ready to use.
Assembly
- Unroll the cake and remove the cheesecloth.
- Generously brush with eggnog all over.
- spread a generous amount of buttercream.
- Roll the cake back firmly into a jelly roll.
- Cut both ends of the roll at an angle or diagonal cuts (as shown in the video)
- Attach the cut pieces to create branches with the diagonal side towards the log.
- Spread a generous amount of buttercream all over the log.
- This does not need to be smooth.
- Attach chocolate bark pieces all over on the buttercream as shown
- Dust with cocoa powder all over.
- Then give a light dusting of powdered sugar for a snowy effect.
- Decorate with little Christmas berries and leaves as shown in the video.
- Use Rosemary for garnish too.
- Enjoy!
Detailed Video on YouTube - Subscribe for more videos
Nutrition Information
Love cake? Want more cake recipes?
Take a look at some of the most delicious cake recipes I have for you on this blog. All recipes are tried and tested. Whether you looking for a simple one bowl vanilla cake recipe, a fruit-flavored recipe for spring or luxurious recipe with decadent frostings. I’m sure you will find something you will love. Alternatively, take a look at my Recipe Index to see a list of all recipes on this blog.
A collection fo cake recipes by Veena Azmanov – Tried and Tested Cake Recipes
This is a SHOWSTOPPER dessert for the holidays, so gorgeous!!! I love eggnog and would never have thought to incorporate it into the cake and icing, I normally just drink it!
Thank you, Melisa. It’s a great flavor for buttercream as well as drinking.
What a festive cake and so beautifully decorated. I love a classic yule log- reminds me of being at my grandma’s for the holidays.
Thank you, Jen. Yes, this is a classic.
Oh this is brilliant. the flavors of eggnog would work so beautifully in the cake. Love all the details you shared for this recipe
Thank you, Jyothi.
Veena, I am so glad I came across this cake. I have some eggnog I need to use up. I will be trying your recipe soon.
Thank you so much, Mirlene. So happy to hear that.
Many thanks for this brilliant looking recipe, today is the day & i feel the need to get this Christmas Eggnog Yule Log Cake done, practice makes perfect i suppose?
& with christmas just around the corner, this will really make an amazing centre feature on my dining table as my guests tuck in to it …. many thanks once again for your amazing ideas, and all the hard work that you do!!!!
Thank you, Ddan. So happy to hear that. I think your guest will love this.
What a gorgeous yule log, I am going save this recipe, your cake looks amazing. I have been looking for a good recipe for a while now.
Thank you, Mahy. I hope you enjoy it.
Looks heavenly! I am totally over this goodness! Such a festive dessert that everybody will love!
Thank you, Catalina. Yes, very festive.
This is beautiful! The eggnog buttercream sounds absolutely delicious! What a fun and festive dessert!
Thank you.
this is so festive and delicious looking I bet it didn’t last long when you served this one!
Thanks, Claudia. Oh this was gone.
Love the shots with the powdered sugar!! I’m yet to nail that kind of photo. This Buche de Noel looks incredible!
Thank you Kylee. Yes, love that shot too.
What a beautiful cake for Christmas. Guest would surely be impressed.
Thank you, Ellen. Definitely impressed.
That’s the coolest and most realistic one I’ve seen on here…Looks yummmmy…!! So festive and beautiful!I’ll try your method!Others Ive tried and they dont match up.
Thank you, Mary. So happy you like it. I hope you try it.
Yum, what an impressive cake! It appeals to me as it is not super traditional and is very pretty looking. Cheers for sharing!
Thank you, Adrianne
I’ve been dying to make a buche de Noel, but I was a little concerned about how difficult could it be – Thank you for sharing such a detailed recipe, I might finally give it a try this year!
Not difficult at all Andrea. I hope you try this one.
You had me at eggnog. LOL what a beautiful cake! I can’t wait to try this for Christmas. The video is great, too!
Thank you Jori. I hope you try this one.
I love yule log cakes! Looks so delicious and perfect for Christmas!
Thank you, Natalie.