Buche de Noel
This is a tale of two logs, one a pagan ritual and the other the Christian baker’s edible reimagining. The original Yule log was a special stump of wood pagan families would burn during the Yule season to bring fortune and good luck. Over time, this pagan rite was absorbed by the Christian celebration of Christmas, and the need for the log became more of a symbolic tradition. Nineteenth-century French pastry chefs shrewdly adapted this symbol into a delectable piece of pastry illusion, a decadent cake masquerading as freshly cut tree log. One of the earliest recipes recorded for the bûche de Noël is from Pierre Lacam’s cookbook Le mémorial historique et géographique de la pâtisserie. Genoise sponge cake was cut into rounds and sandwiched together with chocolate cream, forming a cylindrical log, and finally adorned with green almond paste leaves and finely chopped pistachios. Eventually, it transformed into the roulade we know today, but it has kept its iconic shape in homage to its ancient, uh, roots.
The elements required for crafting a proper bûche de Noël are a genoise sponge that is light and elastic but still a joy to eat; a simple syrup to moisten said genoise sponge, ensuring it stays tender during its time as the holiday centerpiece, and to enhance the sponge’s flavor profile; and a rich buttercream filling and outer coat that must be sweeter than the sponge cake but not cloying, and firm enough to withstand slicing and styling. Finally, there is the whimsical decoration: handcrafted chocolate bark, cocoa-dotted mushroom-shaped meringues, nutty pistachio moss, and a delicate frost of confectioners’ sugar. Our two bûche de Noëls—one delightfully traditional and one radically vertical—bring all this and more to the table. Follow along so you can create your own version of the ultimate Christmas centerpiece.
