Bake a Boozy Bûche de Noël

Content, Photography and Video by Skaie Knox of HomeJelly.com

Hello, December! Hello, holiday treats! Yes, today’s special seasonal dessert is the perfect pastry that’ll pair scrumptiously with a cup of hot cocoa or a nice glass of red wine. So, after you’ve slipped off your beanie and knitted scarf, hung up your coat and kicked off your boots, enjoy a nice warm meal, then prepare yourself for a yummy chocolate delight!

If you’ve never tasted a Bûche de Noël cake before, you are in for quite a treat! Also referred to as a Christmas yule log, this uniquely cylindrical bake is typically made of different flavors of sponge cake and buttercream with an optional frosting of silky ganache.  

Since December also inspires us to relive family holiday traditions, I thought I’d share with you a touch of “Kris-Kringle-tingle” magic through an old Scandinavian family recipe, but with a bit of a boozy boost. Here now, is my tasty twist on my Aunt Elaine’s chocolate bake I call, “A Boozy Bûche de Noël”!

Cake Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• ⅓ cup all purpose flour
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp. cocoa
• 2 tsp. baking powder

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven 425°.
2. Beat all ingredients together by hand or electric mixer until well incorporated.
3. Pour batter into a well-greased, tinfoil-lined, 11” x 16” x ½” cookie sheet. Spread out to fill bottom of cookie sheet. Note: Batter will be very spread thin.
4. Bake for exactly 9 minutes.
5. Immediately after baking cake, place onto a flour sack towel sprinkled with powdered sugar.
6. Roll up from short side of cake, then allow to fully cool.

Filling:

• ½ cup salted butter
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 Tbsp. liqueur of choice (we used Bailey’s Irish Cream)
• 1 ½ cups fresh raspberries

Recipe Note: Add an extra Tbsp. for a boozier taste, then add a touch more powdered sugar if the filling becomes too loose. Try different types of liqueurs such as Kirsch (cherry), Frangelico (hazelnut), Amaretto, Coconut Rum, Godiva, Grand Marnier, and many more!

Instructions:

1. Cream together all ingredients, except raspberries by hand or electric mixer.
2. Unroll cake, then place onto a piece of waxed paper.
3. Spread filling over entire cake surface.
4. Cut raspberries in half, then sprinkle over cake, leaving about 1 ½” at end of cake without raspberries. The filling only at the end will allow cake to seal closed.
5. Roll cake, then wrap in wax paper. Allow to chill.

Boozy Whipping Cream:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
• 2 – 3 Tbsp. liqueur of choice (we used more Bailey’s Irish Cream)

Instructions:

1. Chill metal bowl in freezer for about 15 minutes.
2. Beat heavy whipping cream on low until you see ripples in the cream.
3. Add in sugar and beat on high until peaks form.
4. Add in liqueur to incorporate into cream. Be careful not to overwhip.

Decorating your Bûche de Noël

You can really get creative when decorating your cake…why not?!? We opted to go simple with boozy whipping cream, raspberries, mini chocolate mint star cookies and fresh mint. We also placed our Bûche de Noël cake onto a nice wooden tray, added some salted caramels onto a chocolate reindeer-pulled sleigh and sprinkled with powdered sugar for a snowy effect. Happy holidays!