Description
This Chocolate Hazelnut Bûche de Noël is a festive and elegant Yule log cake featuring a light and airy chocolate sponge rolled with a rich hazelnut spread and sweetened whipped cream. Topped with chocolate shards and toasted hazelnuts, it’s a show-stopping dessert perfect for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Sponge
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 100 g caster sugar (super-fine)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 65 g plain flour (all-purpose)
- 35 g cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
Sweetened Whipped Cream
- 480 ml double cream (heavy cream), cold
- 45 g powdered icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
- 10 g cocoa powder
- 210 g chocolate hazelnut spread
Chocolate Shards
- 100 g dark chocolate 70%, finely chopped
To Serve
- 35 g whole hazelnuts, toasted, optional
Instructions
- Prepare Chocolate Sponge: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a 25×38 cm (10×15 inch) baking pan and line with parchment paper, greased with butter. Whisk egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. In another bowl, whip egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed for 5 minutes until pale and creamy.
- Sift and Fold Dry Ingredients: Sift flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt together. Add half of this dry mix into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in half the egg whites gently to maintain airiness. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients and egg whites, folding until just combined.
- Bake Sponge: Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth surface, and bake for 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and sponge springs back lightly when pressed. Cool for 10 minutes in pan on wire rack.
- Roll Sponge: While baking, dust a tea towel with cocoa powder. Invert warm sponge onto the towel, peel off parchment paper carefully, and roll sponge gently with towel from short end. Set the rolled sponge seam side down to cool completely.
- Make Sweetened Whipped Cream: Whisk cold cream until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and vanilla bean paste, then whisk to firm peaks. Divide cream in half; into one half fold cocoa powder gently to create chocolate whipped cream. Refrigerate both creams.
- Fill and Re-roll Cake: Loosen chocolate hazelnut spread by microwaving briefly if needed. Unroll sponge and evenly spread hazelnut spread. Spread firm whipped cream over the spread, then re-roll sponge carefully to avoid squeezing out filling. Wrap in baking paper and plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Make Chocolate Bark: Melt chopped dark chocolate over a pan of boiling water until smooth. Spread thinly on parchment paper slightly larger than cake roll. Cover with another parchment and roll parchment tightly into a tube; wrap to secure and refrigerate until solid.
- Create Chocolate Shards: Unroll parchment gently once chocolate is firm to produce bark shards. Break any large pieces into smaller shards.
- Decorate Cake: Unwrap chilled roll and coat all over with chocolate whipped cream. Attach chocolate shards irregularly all around the roll except at the ends. Sprinkle toasted hazelnuts into cracks and around base. Dust with icing sugar and optionally garnish with a sprig of holly. Refrigerate until serving.
Notes
- Step-by-step photos are available on the original blog post to guide you through the process.
- Store the Yule log in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze unfilled, rolled sponge wrapped in plastic and foil for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in refrigerator before filling.
- Use digital scales for accurate measurement of flour and cocoa powder.
- Do not overbake the sponge to avoid cracks.
- Allow sponge to cool 10 minutes before rolling to prevent sticking.
- Whip cream until firm peaks to avoid filling collapse during rolling.
- Chill roll before decorating to help set the cream and keep its shape.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 100 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
