This Christmas yule log cake recipe, also called Buche de Noel, is a rolled chocolate cake filled with whipped cream and covered in butter cream frosting. It feeds 12 and looks just like a log from the forest when you are done.

This Christmas cake is a dessert I have made for our family for the last 40 years. You can make it from scratch or start with a devil’s food cake mix. Either way, the frosting hides any mistakes.

My Mother’s Recipe Box and a 30 Year Tradition

I have made this cake for our family for the last 40 years. It was one of the first Christmas recipes I found in one of my mother’s old recipe boxes.

Before we had children, I made it from scratch and followed the recipe exactly.

Then the babies came, and I had very little time. I switched to a Duncan Hines box cake mix and it worked just fine. Now that the kids are older, I am back to making it from scratch.

Every Christmas, someone asks if I am making the yule log. That tells me it is a keeper.

The Tradition Behind a Christmas Yule Log Cake

The first baked Yule logs showed up in the 19th century as a Christmas dessert.

The cake is a mini copy of an Old World European tradition from the 1100s, when families burned a real log for the 12 days of Christmas. I love a cozy fire in the fireplace, but a rich chocolate cake filled with whipped cream is where I am all in.

You can not go wrong with this cake. It is so much easier than it looks, and I promise you can make it.

The secret is that no matter how the rolling and unrolling goes, the frosting covers up all mistakes. I have had the cake completely fall apart when I unrolled it, and no one noticed once the whipped cream and frosting went on.

And no one, I mean no one, complains with a mouth full of this cake.

Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Yule Log Cake

• It looks fancy, but the steps are simple.
• The frosting hides any cracks, so you can relax while you roll.
• Every slice has soft chocolate cake, whipped cream filling, and butter cream frosting.
• Use a devil’s food cake mix when time is short.
• It makes a pretty centerpiece for your Christmas dessert table.

Ingredients for Christmas Yule Log Cake

For the Cake

• 1 cup sifted cake flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• Powdered sugar, for the towel and the top of the cake

For the Whipped Cream Filling

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

For the Butter Cream Frosting

• 1/2 stick butter (4 tablespoons)
• 2 squares unsweetened chocolate
• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

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Supplies Needed:

• Kitchen Aid Mixer
• Kitchen Aid Attachments
• Jelly Roll Baking Pan
• Measuring Cups & Spoons
• Cooling Rack
• Thin Kitchen Towel
• Off Set Spatula
• Powdered Sugar Sifter

How to Make a Yule Log Cake

1. Prep the Pan: Take a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet that has sides and grease it with butter. Add flour and coat the butter, then shake off the extra flour over the sink.Pro tip: This lets the cake release from the pan.

2. Sift the Dry Ingredients: Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
3. Make the Batter: In a larger separate bowl, beat the eggs until thick and creamy. Beat in the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until thick. Stir in the water and vanilla, then fold in the flour mixture.

4. Bake the Cake: Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake at 375°F for 12 to 15 minutes and test with a toothpick.
5. Dust the Towel: While the cake bakes, lay a clean, thin kitchen dish towel on the counter. Sift powdered sugar over the whole towel.Pro tip: I keep two new bags of powdered sugar on hand so I have enough.

6. Roll the Cake in the Towel: When you take the cake out of the oven, run a knife along the edges. Flip the cake onto the towel, start at the longest end, and roll the cake up in the towel. Place it on a cooling rack and let it cool completely.

7. Whip the Cream: Put the whipping cream in your electric mixer bowl with the whisk attachment. Start slowly on low, add the vanilla and powdered sugar, and beat until soft peaks form. Put it in the refrigerator.Pro tip: Do not over beat the cream or you will make sweet butter.

8. Melt the Chocolate: Put water in a saucepan on low heat and set a heatproof glass or metal bowl on top to make a double boiler. Melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate together, then cool slightly.
9. Mix the Frosting: In your mixer bowl, add the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla. Put the mixer on low and slowly add the chocolate mixture. Mix until the frosting is smooth and easy to spread but not runny.Pro tip: You may need a little more milk or sugar, depending on where you live and your ingredients.
10. Fill the Cake: Have the whipped cream, the frosting, and a helper ready. On a large tray or cutting board, slowly unroll the cake and take the towel away. Spread the whipped cream over the inside, roll the cake back up, and set it on your serving tray.
11. Add the Knot: Cut off an end of the cake, shape it into a tight knot, and place it on top of the cake like a branch stub.
12. Frost the Log: Spread frosting over the whole cake, including the knot and the ends. Drag a fork across the frosting to make the cake look like bark.
13. Decorate and Add Snow: Add any decorations you like to make the cake look like a log in the forest. Sift powdered sugar over the cake and the serving tray so it looks like snow.

How to Decorate a Yule Log Cake

• Drag a fork across the frosting so the cake looks like real bark.
• Shape the cut end of the cake into a knot and set it on top like a branch stub.
• Add a pine sprig or a green Christmas bulb, like the ones in my photos.
• Finish with powdered sugar on the cake and the serving tray, so it looks like fresh snow.

Yule Log Cake Variations

• Use a cake mix: Use one devil’s food cake mix and follow the directions on the box. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and follow the rest of the steps above.
• Fix a cracked cake: If the cake falls apart or breaks, fill the cracks with frosting and use it like glue.
• Change the decorations: Use any Christmas decorations you have on hand in place of the pine sprig and green bulb.

What to Serve with Christmas Yule Log Cake

• Crockpot Brown Sugar Pineapple Spiral Ham
• Traditional Green Bean Casserole
• Homemade American Apple Pie

Yule Log Cake Frequently Asked Questions

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