A Classic French Christmas Cake

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Posted by Lynne Webb on November 24, 2007

Bûche de Noël

Buche de Noel The burning of the Yule Log has its origins in the pagan traditions of the Vikings. The glow of the fire symbolized the light of the sun and the coming of longer days at the end of the winter solstice. In the fourth century, when Christians began celebrating the birth of Christ at this time of year, the custom took on new meaning. The light was considered symbolic of the savior and the burning of the Yule Log became a Christmas tradition across Europe.

A French Tradition

Sometime during the late 18th century, the French re-created the tradition in the form of a beautiful dessert. The Bûche de Noël (literally translated as "yule log") is a cake shaped and decorated to resemble a log. It is made from a thin sheet of génoise, (a French cake similar to sponge cake) that is spread with flavored buttercream and rolled in jellyroll fashion to produce the log shape. It is then frosted with chocolate buttercream which is sculpted and ridged to look like the bark of a tree. It can also be garnished with chopped pistachio "moss" and meringue "mushrooms".

Recipes for this delectable French classic can be found on Food Network and All Recipes.

Photo taken from Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery Vol.12