Recipe: Bûche De Noël with chocolate & rose cream

A French classic for Christmas

A chocolate log is a classic Christmas dessert - but do you know about its French origins as Bûche De Noël? Here we update this unbeatable recipe to include a rose cream and some edible flowers*. Bon appetit!

Recept: Bûche de Noëlle met chocolade & rozencrème Mooiwatbloemendoen.nl

you will need

To feed 6-8 people

For the cake:

45g flour
25g almond flour
25g icing sugar
30g cocoa powder
65ml hot water
100g egg yolk (approx. 5 yolks)
120g egg white (approx. 4 whites)
85g sugar

For the filling:

300g mascarpone or cream cheese
150g whipped cream
1 vanilla stick (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
60g icing sugar
3-4 tsp rose water
150g raspberry jam
150g raspberries, halved

Finishing touches:

150g dark chocolate
Cocoa powder
Edible flowers*, including roses

Additional supplies:

Baking paper
Baking tray 30x40cm
Mixer

how to make it

Preparation time: 1 hour
Oven time: 13 minutes
Waiting time: 3 hours

Preheat the oven to 160 °C. Mix the flour, almond flour and icing sugar in a bowl. Mix the cocoa powder with hot water until smooth. Using a mixer, beat the egg yolks and 15g sugar until pale and fluffy. Then beat the egg whites with the remaining sugar to airy, firm peaks.
Mix half of the egg whites with the egg yolk and mix in the dry ingredients. Then add the cocoa mixture and finally the remaining egg whites. Mix until the batter is smooth.
Spread the batter on the baking tray lined with baking paper. Smooth the batter and bake in the oven for 13 minutes. Remove the cake from the baking tray and lightly cover with another piece of baking paper until the cake has cooled.
Meanwhile, mix the mascarpone with whipping cream, icing sugar, pith of a vanilla pod and icing sugar in a bowl. Mix until firm with a mixer and season with rosewater. Let the cream set in the fridge for at least an hour.
Trim the edges of the cake, to a tight rectangle. Turn the cake over on a new piece of baking paper and lay it short side facing you. Brush the cake with a thin layer of raspberry jam. Then top with 3/4 of the rose cream and spread in an even layer.
Spread the sliced raspberries on top and then gently roll the cake up using the baking paper. Roll the baking paper firmly around it again for extra firmness and leave the cake to set in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in a bain marie and divide the chocolate over 2 pieces of baking paper. Lay another piece of baking paper on both and rub the chocolate into a very thin layer with a rolling pin or bottle. Let the chocolate set in the fridge.
Before serving, remove the cake from the fridge. Brush the outside with the remaining rose cream and break the chocolate into pieces. Prick the chocolate chips into the cake and dust with extra cocoa powder before serving and serve with the petals!