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Holiday Yule Log cake
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4.67 from 3 votes

Yule Log Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Get Into the Holiday Spirit with this festive Yule Log Cake. A deliciously irresistible cake roll, filled with creamy frosting, and dressed with chocolate ganache will make a wonderful appearance at your dinner table and will amaze everyone who sees it. 
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Chill Time3 hours
Total: 3 hours 40 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings: 6
Calories: 807kcal
Author: Ruchi

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS FOR CAKE

FROSTING

  • 16 oz Chocolate frosting

CHOCOLATE GANACHE - MAKES 1¾ CUPS

GARNISHES

  • - - Fresh Cranberries
  • - - Rosemary Sprigs
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

MAKING OF CAKE

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the Yellow Cake Mix with eggs, oil, and water.
  • Mix on low speed for 20 seconds. After that, increase the speed to medium; mix for another 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
  • While the batter is getting ready, coat a 15×21″ baking sheet/tray with nonstick spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease again.
  • Spread the cake batter into the prepared sheet/tray. With the help of a spreader knife, even out the batter in the tray.
  • Bake the cake right away in a preheated oven for approximately 12-14 minutes or until the top is golden.
  • But since I am making a Yule log cake, we will advance to the next step.
    Remove the cake from the oven. With a thin spatula loosen the edges of the cake from all sides. Dust the top with confectioner’s sugar.
  • Take a thin (damp) kitchen towel and a fresh sheet of parchment paper. Dust them with a generous amount of confectioner’s /powdered sugar too. Lay the parchment paper first, then the towel on top of the cake.
  • Finally, place a wire rack on top of the kitchen towel and carefully flip over the cake onto the towel. Immediately peel the parchment paper from the flipped cake and discard it.
  • Dust the other side (flipped side) of the cake too with confectioner’s sugar.
  • Time to roll the cake. Start from one end and begin rolling the cake gently. Do not apply too much pressure. Roll with the towel and parchment paper. The towel and paper will get folded along with the cake. Roll till the end. The towel will prevent the cake from cracking.
  • Allow the rolled cake to rest for an hour at room temperature.
  • Once the cake has cooled, carefully unroll the cake along with the towel and parchment paper.
  • Spread the Frosting over the unrolled cooled cake. 
    PROTIP– Layer the cake with a very thin frosting layer. We do not want to overdo the frosting because it will start to ooze out of the cake when we begin to re-roll the cake again.
  • Once the frosting is evenly spread, it’s time to re-roll the cake again. 
    PROTIP– Begin rolling the cake in the same direction, just like the first time you had rolled it. 
  • This time you will not roll the towel or paper inside the cake. This time, we will lift the parchment paper as we re-roll the cake.
  • Line a tray with a fresh parchment paper. Carefully lift and transfer the rolled cake onto that lined tray with the folded side down. Refrigerate the cake until we prepare the chocolate ganache.

PREPARE CHOCOLATE GANACHE

  • Melt butter in a small pan on medium heat.
  • When the butter has melted, whisk in cocoa powder, sugar, cream, and vanilla essence.
  • Remove from heat and whisk until smooth and creamy.
  • Allow it to cool for a couple of minutes. Keep stirring.
  • Immediately pour the ganache over the cake. Spread the ganache evenly all over the cake. 
  • The ganache will thicken as it cools, therefore spread it over the cake while it is still warm.
  • Chill the cake roll in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.
  • Once the cake has cooled completely, use a fork to make the marks on the yule log that resembles a bark.
  • Decorate the yule cake as you please. I have decorated my Yule Log cake with fresh cranberries and rosemary sprigs.

Notes

 

Frequently asked questions

 
Can I make this Yule Log Cake with Chocolate Ganache in advance?
Absolutely, you can! In fact, you can bake the cake a day ahead. The cake can be baked, rolled, and stored in the refrigerator a day in advance to be used later when required.
Likewise, chocolate ganache and frosting (if you are making fresh) can be made a day in advance and stored.
 
How can I store my Yule log cake?
Storing your Yule cake is as easy as baking it! Transfer it to an airtight container and slide it in the refrigerator.
The fully baked, re-rolled, and frosted cake can be stored for up to 4-5 days in the fridge (only if it lasts that long).
PROTIP — Always wrap the leftover log cake with plastic wrap and store; to prevent drying.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 807kcal | Carbohydrates: 121g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 114mg | Sodium: 253mg | Potassium: 273mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 113g | Vitamin A: 392IU | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2mg