Bûche de Noël

Bûche de Noël (also known as Yule Log) is a traditional French dessert served during the Christmas season. Its name translates to "Christmas Log," referring to the Yule log burned centuries ago in the hearth throughout the Christmas Eve. The dessert is a representation of this tradition in an edible form.

History

The tradition of the Yule log dates back to before the medieval era. It was a part of winter solstice celebrations in Celtic Britain and Gaul. The log would be cut down and brought into the house with great ceremony. The largest end of the log would be placed into the fire hearth while the rest of the tree stuck out into the room. The log would be slowly fed into the fire throughout the Twelve Days of Christmas.

The Bûche de Noël, as a dessert, came into being in the 19th century. Parisian bakers popularized the dessert, taking inspiration from the age-old tradition of burning the Yule log.

Preparation

The Bûche de Noël is made from a Genoise or other sponge cake, often baked in a large, shallow Swiss roll pan, iced, rolled to form a cylinder, and iced again on the outside. The most common combination is a basic yellow sponge cake, frosted and filled with chocolate buttercream; however, many variations on the traditional recipe exist, possibly including chocolate cakes, ganache and espresso or otherwise-flavored fillings and icings.

The cake is often served with one end cut off and set atop the cake, or protruding from its side, to resemble a chopped off branch. A bark-like texture is often produced by dragging a fork through the icing, and powdered sugar sprinkled to resemble snow. Other cake decorations may include actual tree branches, fresh berries, and mushrooms made of meringue or marzipan.

Variations

The Bûche de Noël is also known in some regions as a Yule Log. In the United Kingdom, the dessert is more commonly known as a "Chocolate Log" and is associated with Christmas time. In Spain, a similar dessert known as "Tronco de Navidad" or "Christmas Log" is popular.

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