This rich Flourless Chocolate Buche de Noel has the taste and texture of a baked mousse. The melting, creamy texture is divine.
Merry Few-Days-After-Christmas, friends! Did you all have wonderful holidays full of eggnog and stockings and too many cookies and repeated viewings of Elf? I know I did.
I also had an awesome gift from Santa:
How great is that?! I guess he reads the blog! Sweeeet. A sassy shirt is all well and good, but next year I’m going to be dropping waaaay more hints about the VitaMix I’m currently coveting. Ahem.
But back to more important things! Like what I used all the ganache for. I’ll give you a hint: it’s chocolatey. I’ll give you a second hint: it was seasonally appropriate, but now, two days after Christmas, it’s woefully unfashionable. I’ll give you a third hint: it rhymes with smoosh the po-elle.
If you guessed a buche de noel, you’re right!
Most buche de noels, or yule log cakes, are made from a springy sponge or genoise cake rolled around a filling, then decorated to look like yule logs. This recipe was a bit different–and dare I say, much better–because it used a flourless chocolate cake that was more like a baked mousse in taste and texture. It was a little more finicky to work with, but the melting, creamy texture more than made up for a few more minute’s work.
The cake was rolled around sweetened vanilla whipped cream, and then covered with simple ganache. I used a spatula and a fork to give it a little texture, and stole a few sprigs of rosemary from my parent’s bush to decorate the plate, along with some freshly shredded coconut and fresh cranberries.
And the mushrooms. Let’s not forget the meringue mushrooms! What should have been a simple accompaniment was made more interesting by the fact that I baked them on the day a big storm rolled into town, causing the meringues to get spongy and sticky. I was able to assemble about a third of them, held together with the most fervent of hope and the sharpest of toothpicks.
The mushrooms were a wreck by the end of the night, but they held together enough for the pictures, which is the important part. Plus, they’re fun to make, even when they collapse in a gooey pile.
In the end it was a huge success. We took slices that were way too big, polished them off, and licked our plates clean. And isn’t that what Christmas is all about?
🎄More Christmas Cakes
- Vintage Christmas Card Cakes
- Grinch Cake
- Chocolate Orange Cake with Orange Buttercream
- Peppermint Mocha Mousse Cake
- Candy Cane Cheesecake
Mini Buche de Noel
Meringue Mushrooms
Flourless Chocolate Buche de Noel
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Ganache
- 10 oz semi-sweet chocolate, good-quality
- 12 fl oz heavy cream, (1 ½ cups)
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
For the Chocolate Cake
- 2.6 oz granulated sugar, (1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons, divided use)
- 6 large eggs, separated
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, (⅔ cup), chopped in small pieces
- 3/4 tsp cream of tartar
For the Whipped Cream
- 8 fl oz heavy cream, (1 cup)
- 0.75 oz powdered sugar, (⅓ cup)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
To Decorate
- Meringue mushrooms
- Chocolate rocks
- Chocolate shavings
- Cocoa powder
- Coconut
- Powdered sugar
- Other edible nature decorations, as desired
Instructions
Make the Chocolate Ganache
- Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place it in a large bowl. Place the softened butter on top. Set aside.
- Put the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-high. Heat until it simmers and bubbles appear along the sides of the pan, but do not bring it to a boil.
- Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and whisk it together until the chocolate melts and the mixture is shiny and smooth.
- Cover with cling wrap, pressing down until the plastic is touching the top of the ganche. Allow it to firm up to a spoonable consistency (like peanut butter) by setting it out for 1-2 hours at room temperature (overnight is even better). To firm the ganache faster, place it in the refrigerator and whisk every 15 minutes until it has a spoonable consistency.
- Or, to firm the ganache faster, place it in the refrigerator and whisk every 15 minutes until it has a spoonable consistency. Do not leave it in the fridge too long, or it will get hard! If it accidentally gets too hard, let it rest at room temperature (or microwave briefly) to make it stirable. Mix to a spreadable consistency.
Make the Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Use butter or a non-stick baking spray to grease a 17×12-inch (43x30cm) baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper or foil, spray it well with baking spray, and then sprinkle liberally with cocoa powder to help prevent sticking
- While the eggs are still cold, separate the eggs, placing the whites in one bowl and the yolks in another. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap, and bring to room temperature before using (about 30 minutes).
- Meanwhile melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and cool. Alternately, melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30 second increments, stirring well between each, until smooth. Remove from microwave and cool.
- Place the egg yolks and 1/4 cup of sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or use a hand mixer) and beat them on medium-high speed to reach the “ribbon stage.” This means that when you slowly raise the whisk (or beaters), the batter will fall back into the bowl in a slow ribbon. It should take about 5 minutes to reach this stage (a little longer if using a hand mixer).
- Mix in the vanilla extract and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Then add the cooled, melted chocolate and beat until just combined. Set aside.
- In a clean mixing bowl, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat at medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until stiff peaks form. See Note below.
- Gently fold a small amount of egg whites (about ¼ cup) into the chocolate egg yolk mixture using a rubber spatula or whisk. Once incorporated, fold in the remaining whites just until combined. Don’t over mix or the batter will deflate.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is puffed, has lost its shine, and springs back when gently pressed, about 15-17 minutes. Remove from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool. Cover the cake with a clean, slightly damp tea towel to keep it moist while it cools (approximately 30-45 minutes).
Make the Whipped Cream
- In a clean mixing bowl fitted with a whisk attachment, beat together all the whipped cream ingredients until the cream starts to hold firm peaks. Be careful not to whip past firm peaks or the cream will curdle and look more buttery with a chunky texture.
- Keep cold and covered in the refrigerator until you're ready to assemble the cake.
Assemble the Buche de Noel
- Once the cake has fully cooled, spread it with an even layer of whipped cream. Gently roll the cake, peeling off the parchment paper or foil as you roll. Don't worry if the cake cracks a little, it’ll be covered with ganache and other decorations.
- Trim one end of the cake at an angle and set it aside. Then place the cake, seam side down, on your serving platter. Take the slice of reserved cake and place it on top of the cake to resemble a branch growing off the log.
- Gently spread the ganache over the outside of the cake. Once it's completely covered, use a spatula or a fork to create waves and texture in the ganache to resemble tree bark. The cake can be decorated and cut immediately, or refrigerated for 30 minutes to firm it up slightly (brief refrigeration will make it easier to get clean cut slices).
- Just before serving, finish the buche de noel with edible nature decorations like meringue mushrooms (see Note below), sprinkled cocoa powder or chocolate shavings, candy rocks, powdered sugar or coconut for snow, and anything else that catches your eye.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the cake in 1-inch slices after assembly.
- If you have leftovers, remove the mushrooms and place them in an airtight container at room temperture before refrigerating the rest of the cake. Place the cake in an airtight container or wrap it with a light covering of plastic wrap. For best taste and texture, enjoy within 5 days.
Recipe Notes
Measuring Tips
Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.
Want to learn more about baking measurements and conversion?
Nutrition
I'd go with the awesomely early. They look great!
That's an extremely pretty buche de noel. Definitely one of the very nicest I've seen. And your meringue mushrooms look perfect, despite the challenge they presented what with the stormy weather! I like your t-shirt, too–very cute!
Now that is the prettiest buche-de-noel I have seen. I am too chicken to attempt.
Definitely early! I never got around to making fruit cake for Christmas, so I'm going to bake some in January instead 🙂 Love the log and the mushrooms. Happy New Year!
Awesome shirt.
That looks gorgeous! i think we're in the same time warp, because I did most of my Christmas baking after the big day, and still have more I want to do.
Oh my gosh, the shirt rocks! I think you/he should start mass producing them!
Love the buche!
What a great gift!! Super sweet, and totally awesome!
The yule log looks great, and the inside sounds really interesting. I've got to wait almost a year to try it 🙁