What Is a Yule Log Cake?

A Yule log cake, also commonly known as a Bûche de Noël, is a Christmas dessert crafted to resemble a traditional Yule log. The Yule log was a large piece of wood which was burned in many European households around the time of the winter solstice, a tradition which likely originated before the spread of Christianity but later became associated with Christmas. It is believed that the Yule log cake may have been created by those who lacked fireplaces and therefore could not burn a Yule log. While there are many variations on the Yule log cake, it usually consists of a baked sponge cake which is covered with cream, rolled up, and then decoratively iced.

The Yule log cake pays tribute to the long-held but now largely extinct European tradition of the burning of a Yule log. This tradition involved cutting a very large piece of wood away from a tree and then burning it on one’s hearth. Historians have traced this tradition back to pre-Christian times, and many believe that the log was viewed as a winter solstice offering to pagan gods. After the log had burned, some households saved a portion of the ashes until the following year, believing them to provide good luck. As Christianity spread throughout Europe, the Yule log came to be associated with Christmas.

It is believed that the tradition of baking a Yule log cake may have originated among those who lacked large fireplaces and thus could not burn Yule logs. In the 20th century, modern heating methods increasingly reduced the need for fireplaces and the practice of burning a Yule log at Christmas dwindled. While the Yule log cake remains a fairly widespread Christmas tradition as of the early 21st century, many individuals familiar with the cake are unaware of the tradition it symbolizes.

There is no single “correct” Yule log cake recipe, and possible variations on this dessert are limited only by the baker’s imagination. In most cases, though, preparation of the dish begins with a chocolate or yellow sponge cake which has been baked on a jelly roll pan. The cake is layered with a flavorful filling such as buttercream and then carefully rolled up so that it resembles a log. Next, the exterior of the rolled cake is iced, usually with chocolate or another dark-hued frosting which may be randomly “combed” with a fork or icing tool to create a bark-like effect. Finally, the cake may be embellished with such decorations as powdered sugar “snow” and marshmallow “mushrooms.”