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La Bûche de Noël (French Yule Log Cake)

This recipe was written out in meticulous detail by the French teacher at Tunkhannock Area High School in Tunkhannock, PA. She was at the school in 1995, but is not there any longer. Unfortunately, I have no idea what her name is. (If you happen to know her name, please email it to me.) I am even including her list of what equipment the kids would bring to school in order to make the cake. This cake is tricky, but tasty and really beautiful.

Read the entire recipe before you start!

Le Gâteau (The Cake):

Filling and Icing:

Bake the cake:

  1. Heat oven to 350°.
  2. Line a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 inch baking pan with lightly greased waxed paper.
  3. Sift together several times: flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
  4. In a small bowl beat the eggs about 12 minutes on high speed until they are very, very thick and lemon colored.
  5. Pour eggs into a large bowl.
  6. Very gradually, add the granulated sugar, a little at a time. Beat on high speed until the sugar is completely dissolved.
  7. On low speed blend in water and vanilla.
  8. Very gradually, add the flour mixture. ONLY ADD A LITTLE AT A TIME, AND DO NOT OVERBEAT! Beat just until batter is smooth.
  9. Pour carefully into the pan that you prepared, and spread batter to the corners.
  10. Bake 12 to 15 minutes at 350° or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. DO NOT OVERBAKE!

As soon as the cake goes into the oven:

  1. Take a CLEAN (with no fabric softener) cotton, non-terry cloth dish towel, and sprinkle it well with confectioner's sugar. (This must be ready as soon as the cake comes out of the oven.)

When the cake is done:

  1. Remove the cake from the oven.
  2. Loosen cake from the edges of the pan with a knife.
  3. Invert the cake pan on the towel sprinkled with confectioner's sugar.
  4. Immediately and very carefully remove the greased waxed paper. (Be careful not to tear the cake.)
  5. Trim crunchy edges off the cake, if there are any.
  6. While cake is still hot, roll the cake and the towel from the narrow end.
  7. Cool the towel-wrapped cake on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes, or until completely cool.

While the cake is cooling, prepare the icing:

  1. Melt the baking chocolate in the microwave by heating on high for 1 minute, then stirring until melted. You can heat 30 seconds more, if necessary. (You can also use a double boiler.) Set aside, and let it cool.
  2. In another bowl cream the butter very well.
  3. Add the confectioner's sugar, and beat well.
  4. Blend in the cooled chocolate.

Whip the cream.

Assemble the cake:

  1. Carefully unroll the cake and remove the towel.
  2. Use half the frosting and spread over the cake.
  3. Spread half of the whipped cream over the frosting.
  4. Cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting.
  5. Use the serrated edge of a knife or a fork to make the frosting look like the bark on a log.
  6. Sprinkle flaked coconut over the log to make it look like snow.
  7. Add a sprig of artificial holly so that the log looks festive.
  8. Slice and serve each piece with a dollop of whipped cream.