Tronchetto di Natale, Yule Log, Buche de Noel, Log Cake, Christmas Log. It has many names, it is made in probably every country in the World and for a good reason. This is my version with a lemon cake, raspberry jam, and delicious chocolate ganache. This easy Christmas dessert it's always a show stopper on the table and will make your holidays a bit sweeter.
Christmas dessert is often the most underrated part of the meal because people fill up so much with delicious appetizers and main courses that often there is no space left for desserts.
But, when you bring to the table a cake so beautiful and Christmassy, how can you say no? People can eat as much as they want, from a tiny sliver to a huge chunk of cake, so everybody's happy!
And if the cake is not enough, bring to the table also these Simple Italian Christmas Sugar Cookies or the traditional "Ricciarelli", Christmas Almond Cookies from Siena. Check out also this collection of 10 Traditional Italian Christmas Desserts!
You can find this recipe and 39 more (including exclusive recipes) in my Italian Christmas Recipes ebook. Plus two bonus sections with edible gifts, printable planners and more!
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Where does Tronchetto di Natale come from?
Tronchetto di Natale is the Italian name for the Christmas Yule Log Cake, although this cake doesn't have Italian roots. The origins of this cake are from France, where it's known as Bûche de Noël. The tradition then expanded to the surrounding Countries like Belgium, Switzerland, and Italy, and then expanded even more to the French colonies and more around the World.
The cake represents the Yule Log which comes from the ancient medieval tradition of burning the trunk of the Yule tree through the 12 days of Christmas.
Ingredients
Here's an explanation of the role of each ingredient used and possible substitutions.
- Eggs, Sugar, Flour. These 3 ingredients are essential for this cake. I do not recommend any substitutions as the cake could not turn out as soft and flexible as it should.
- Lemon Zest. I find that the lemon zest gives a nice citrus aroma to the cake which complements the raspberry jam. But feel free to use orange zest or even no zest at all.
- Heavy Cream. Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream is needed to make a perfectly smooth and rich ganache. Using a different type of cream could cause the ganache to be too liquid and not firm up, ending up in a gooey mess.
- Chocolate. In my testing, I used dark chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate. I personally prefer the semi-sweet version but feel free to adjust based on your taste. The important thing is that you should use good quality chocolate for the best result.
- Raspberry Jam. This is the ingredient you can have the most fun with. You can be creative on the choice of jam, using your favorite fruit jam or even mixing them up. Almost every jam will pair great with chocolate so use your fantasy! I chose raspberry for a classic combo.
How to make Yule Log Cake
You first need to start by making the cake base. The secret to a soft and fluffy cake is to have perfectly whipped eggs. Separate the whites and yolks into two bowls.
Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks. Then beat the yolks with the lemon zest and half the sugar until light and foamy.
Add the remaining sugar and fold in gently the whipped egg whites. Add the sifted flour a little bit at a time folding it in gently.
Spread the batter on a lined baking sheet into a rectangle about ⅓ inch thick (1 cm). Bake in the preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 8-10 minutes (it should be lightly golden but not turn brown, otherwise it won't be soft).
As soon as a toothpick comes out clean, it's ready to be taken out of the oven. Lift the baking paper and transfer the cake to a clean towel. Dust the surface with 2 tablespoons of sugar, then cover it with cling wrap.
While it's still warm, start rolling it starting from one of the shorter sides. Remove the baking paper while you gently roll it.
When it's fully rolled, cover the top with cling wrap and let it cool for at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, you can prepare the ganache.
How do you make the Chocolate Ganache
It's super easy to make chocolate ganache and the best thing is that you can customize it the way you prefer, with different chocolate or by whipping it.
If you have time restraints, I suggest preparing the ganache a couple of hours before you make the cake, or even the day before. If stored in the fridge, bring it back to room temperature before assembling the cake.
Roughly chop the chocolate, then in a pot bring the cream to a simmer and turn off the heat. Add the chocolate to the cream and let it sit, mixing once in while until the chocolate is fully melted and the ganache is shiny and smooth. Transfer to a bowl and let it cool for about 1 hour at room temperature or 15-20 minutes in the fridge.
When the ganache becomes room temperature, you can choose to whip it. Use an electric mixer to whip it until it becomes a fluffy frosting, almost like a mousse.
I personally prefer the whipped ganache for the filling and the normal one for the top frosting, but you can choose what you prefer!
How to assemble the cake
Now that you have all the elements ready, it's time to assemble the cake! You can do this 1 or 2 hours before serving.
Gently unroll the cake, then spread the jam in a thin layer all over the surface.
Then spread an even layer of chocolate ganache. Roll it up again without pressing too much and cover with cling wrap until you're ready to frost the cake.
Chop a piece of the rolled cake with a diagonal cut and place it on the side, to imitate a chopped branch on the log.
Then with a butter knife or spatula, frost the whole cake with chocolate ganache. Decorate with red currants and dust with powder sugar.
FAQ & Tips
The thing they have in common is the rolled shape with a filling. The swiss roll is usually filled with whipped cream or jam (or both) and topped only with powder sugar. While the yule log is usually filled with ganache and also covered with chocolate to resemble a wooden log.
You can prepare the cake base in advance and keep it rolled and well covered with plastic wrap. I suggest then assembling and icing the cake the same day and then storing it at room temperature until ready to serve. Just before serving, you can decorate it with red currant and powder sugar.
Yes! You can customize it as you prefer. You can use whipped cream instead of chocolate ganache. Or you can use different flavors of jam, such as strawberry or apricot.
You can find step-by-step photos, and tips in the post above.
The Recipe
If you like this recipe, try also these other Christmas desserts:
📖 RECIPE
"Tronchetto di Natale" - Christmas Yule Log Cake
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cake base
- 6 medium Egg Yolks
- 3 medium Egg Whites
- ¾ cup Sugar
- 1 cup Flour
- 1 Lemon Zest
To Assemble
- 3 tablespoon Sugar
- Raspberry Jam
- ¾ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 7 oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate
- Red currants
- Powder Sugar
Instructions
Make the cake base
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Separate the egg whites and yolks into 2 separate bowl. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks.
- Beat the yolks with the lemon zest and half the sugar until light and foamy.
- Add the remaining sugar and fold in gently the whipped egg whites. Add the sifted flour a little bit at a time folding it in gently.
- Spread the batter on a lined baking sheet into a rectangle about ⅓ inch thick (1 cm).
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes (it should be light golden but not turning brown, otherwise it won't be soft). As soon as a toothpick comes out clean, it's ready to be taken out of the oven.
- Lift the baking paper and transfer the cake to a clean towel. Dust the surface with 2 tablespoon of sugar, then cover it with cling wrap.
- While it's still warm, start rolling it starting from one of the shorter sides. Remove the baking paper while you gently roll it.
- When it's fully rolled, cover the top with cling wrap and let it cool for at least 10 minutes.
Make the chocolate ganache
- Roughly chop the chocolate, then in a pot bring the cream to a simmer and turn off the heat.
- Add the chocolate to the cream and let it sit, mixing once in while until the chocolate is fully melted and the ganache is shiny and smooth.
- Transfer to a bowl and let it cool for about 1 hour at room temperature or 15-20 minutes in the fridge.
Assemble the yule log cake
- Gently unroll the cake, then spread a thin layer of jam all over the surface.
- Spread an even layer of chocolate ganache, then roll it up again without pressing too much and cover with cling wrap until you're ready to frost the cake.
- Chop a piece of the rolled cake with a diagonal cut and place it on the side, to imitate a chopped branch on the log.
- With a butter knife or spatula, frost the whole cake with chocolate ganache. Decorate with red currants and dusting with powder sugar.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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