The Yule Log Cake

For the past couple of years, I have wished to make a Buche de Noel cake. So, this past week, I finally baked one. What is a Buche de Noel cake?

Well, it is a thin sponge cake rolled into a log-like shape. You can fill the sponge with buttercream, jelly, or any kind of filling you choose (I suppose). I filled mine with homemade coffee buttercream. I can't give you the exact measurements of this buttercream (because I didn't measure anything), but one exciting element I used was instant espresso coffee instead of regular instant coffee. Once the sponge was filled and rolled, I whipped up some chocolate frosting. A liberal layer of icing was put on the cake-like-log, and it was sent to chill in the fridge for some time. Then, I had to do some waiting.

What did I do during the waiting time? Well, I whipped up some meringue to create little meringue mushrooms for decorations.

Stiff and glossy meringue! Not the best picture though. : )

They were delightful to create. Once piped on a baking sheet, they were put in the oven about 200 F for about an hour and a half to two hours, then blasted at 350 F for about five minutes. Then, during that waiting time (be prepared for a lot of waiting time for this cake if you are making it all in one evening), I melted some chocolate and spread it on some parchment paper to create chocolate bark. It was literally made from melted chocolate chips and oil. The chocolate bark was then flash froze for about twenty minutes. Now, time to assemble!

Assembling this cake could not be easier. Because the cake had been frosted earlier and chilled but still was a little soft, the chocolate bark stuck to the cake very nicely. The mushrooms, once a little frosting was put on the bottom, latched on the bark like a dream. This was such a fun cake to make! After it was finished, it was time to shoot some photos of it. I shot these photos with my Nikon D5600 with the 18-55 mm, 3.5-5.6 lens. The photos were edited in Polar Photo Editor and finished in the photo editor that is in the MacBook Air photo app.

The Buche de Noel cake has an unusual history. First, the name Buche de Noel means Christmas log. In the medieval times, pagans used to find a great log to burn for a so-called "good luck" for the coming years harvest. It was said if the log was able to continue burning for a period of three or more days after it was lit on Christmas Eve, it would ensure a plentiful harvest. As the home hearths dwindled away in the homes of families, they replaced the actual wood log with a cake that resembled a log. The making of a Buche de Noel is traditional for all French families to make every Christmas.

Although it was associated with pagan culture, does that mean the making and eating of this cake should be forbidden because it is past evil culture and we are Christians? No, just because something may have some associated with superstition, it does not make the thing in itself evil. That is like saying we should celebrate Christmas because it has been associated with magical reindeer and Santa Claus. Christmas is so much more than that, it is a time to celebrate Christ's birth and rejoice with others. The Buche de Noel in itself is not evil, it is a cake to be enjoyed with a remembrance that God brings the harvest, God brings the food, and God gives us all that we need according to His holy will.

The recipes are linked below. Enjoy!

Cheers!

Chloe Elizabeth

Cake: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/buche-de-noel-recipe

Mushrooms: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/meringue-mushrooms-recipe