Yule Log Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Sounds of bells, coatings of snow, and tons of ornaments; they’re here!

The holidays have finally arrived, and along with it, tons of dinners and reunions with the family.

However, each dinner isn’t perfect without dessert, and I have the best recipe for it: a delectable Yule Log Cake or Bûche de Noël. 

Indeed, an iconic dessert that has been an essential part of the festivities that occur at my house during this time of the year.

About the cake!

Don’t let this cake fool you! It may be shaped like a log, but on the inside, it’s filled with a deliciously moist Duncan Hines® Classic Yellow Cake and swirls of chocolate frosting.

I created this by rolling the cake up into a cylinder and finished with a generous layer of chocolate ganache. Its unique shape and appearance will immediately entrance anyone who even catches a glimpse, and a bite will leave the eater permanently praising your cooking.

P.S. Forget about the calories! It’s holiday time, so enjoy your time with family and create memories!

Family Fun!

Best of all, it serves as the perfect family activity. You can get everyone to help you bake this amazing cake, as it has many steps and points that all ages can enjoy (especially the kids, that frosting is irresistible).

Try it! You’ll find yourself enjoying it a lot, both in baking it and tasting it, and I have just the steps to make it correctly.

Bûche de Noël is a traditional French Christmas dessert, and it means “log of Christmas” in French.

This Yule log represents an ancient tradition where real wood logs were decorated with holly garnishes, pinecones, and ivy to welcome the winter solstice.

Likewise, the Yule log cake is rolled and created in such a way that it looks like an actual log. It’s made up of 3 parts-

• a sponge cake
• frosting either made of buttercream, whipped cream, or a chocolate mousse, and
• the final layer of rich and decadent chocolate ganache.

The cake log is then garnished with woodsy decorations to give an illusion as if the cake was picked up from the forest floor. Impressive, isn’t it?

There are 8 basic ingredients required to make this log cake recipe, and they are as follows- 

• Duncan Hines® Classic Yellow Cake Mix – super delicious and easy-to-make cake mix. I have used Duncan Hines® because the best cakes begin with perfectly moist batter.
• Eggs – as suggested on the cake mix packet. Eggs when whipped trap and hold air in the batter.
• Oil – as suggested on the cake mix packet. The oil keeps cakes moist and prevents drying.
• Water – as suggested on the cake mix packet.
• Frosting – I have used Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Frosting Classic Chocolate.

For Ganache – 

• Confectioners’ Sugar– used for dusting the cake roll and making the chocolate ganache.
• Butter 
• Unsweetened cocoa powder 
• Heavy cream (not shown)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the Duncan Hines Classic Yellow Cake Mix with eggs, oil, and water.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Spread the cake batter into the prepared sheet/tray. 

5. With the help of a spreader knife, even out the batter in the tray.

6. Bake the cake right away in a preheated oven for approximately 12-14 minutes or until the top is golden. A deliciously moist cake made with Duncan Hines® Classic Yellow Cake mix is ready.

Feel free to customize it with your favorite Duncan Hines frosting and toppings.

But since I am making a Yule log cake, we will advance to the next step.

7. 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. 

8. 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.

9. Finally, place a wire rack on top of the kitchen towel and carefully flip over the cake onto the towel.

10. Immediately peel the parchment paper from the flipped cake and discard it.

PROTIP– The powdered sugar prevents the cake from sticking to the kitchen towel.

11. Dust the other side (flipped side) of the cake too with confectioner’s sugar.

12. 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. 

13. Allow the rolled cake to rest for an hour at room temperature. 

14. Once the cake has cooled, carefully unroll the cake like a cylinder along with the towel and parchment paper.

15. Spread the Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Frosting Classic Chocolate over the unrolled cooled cake. 

PROTIP– Layer the cake with a very thin frosting layer. We do not want to overdo on the frosting because it will start to ooze out of the cake when we begin to reroll the cake again.

16. Once the frosting is evenly spread, it’s time to reroll the cake again. 

PROTIP– Begin rolling the cake in the same direction, just like the first time you had rolled it. 

17. This time you will not roll the towel or paper inside the cake. This time, we will lift the parchment paper as we reroll the cake into a log. Just like this 👇.

18. 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. 

19. For the chocolate ganache – combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.

20. Immediately pour the ganache over the rolled cake. Spread the ganache evenly all over the cake. 

21. Chill the cake roll in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.

22. Once the cake has cooled completely, use a fork to make the ridges on the yule log that resembles a bark-like texture.

Decorate the yule cake as you please. I have decorated my Yule Log cake with fresh cranberries and rosemary sprigs. You can use sprigs of faux greenery too. 

Grease the baking sheet/tray well. If greased well, the cake will come out easily without breaking.

Do not overbake the cake. Overbaking will result in a dry cake, and a dry cake may break as you roll.

Always loosen the cake from all the sides before flipping. 

Through many trials and errors, I have learned that the combo of parchment paper and a damp kitchen towel gives a perfect cake roll. Folding becomes easy. 

To prevent a tear in the cake – roll the cake while it is still warm.

Frosting – I have used Duncan Hines Creamy Home-Style Frosting Classic Chocolate, but feel free to whatever you have on hand. A layer of jelly or jam will taste equally good. Same way buttercream frosting or the custard will work great too. 

Keep it simple – Usually, log cakes have an extended log attached either to the top or side, making it look like a real Yule log. But I have kept it pretty straightforward. 

Patience is the key to folding. Fold gently. Please do not rush through this step. 

Bake a thin cake. Thin cakes are flexible enough to roll as compared to a thick spongy cake.

Cake may tear and break at some point during folding. Don’t worry; everything will be taken care of by the chocolate ganache on top. 

Absolutely! In fact, the whole cake can be made a day ahead. The cake can be baked, rolled, stored in the refrigerator a day in advance.

Likewise, chocolate ganache and frosting (if you are making fresh) can be made a day in advance. 

Fully baked, rerolled, and frosted cake 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 a plastic wrap and store; to prevent drying.

Your local Walmart!

It’s your only stop where you will find Duncan Hines® Classic Yellow Cake Mix and everything that you’ll need for this recipe. So, make a quick trip to Walmart, and let’s get cooking!

And wait I am not done yet….

Check out this Ibotta offer while supplies last – Duncan Hines® Classic Yellow Cake Mix