Chocolate Chestnut Cream Yule Log (EASY!)

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A moist and fluffy genoise soaked in Grand Marnier for a sweet orange flavor, rolled around a creamy filling made of mascarpone and chestnut cream then covered with some decadent chocolate frosting. No better way to end your Christmas dinner!

Can you believe Christmas is coming in a few days? I just realized last week that 2023 was just around the corner and that a whole year has passed, again. Is that just me or the older you get the faster time flies?!

The end of the year always feels like an annual “life review” for me. Both because a new year is about to start but also because I am getting one year older on the exact same day.

Anyhow! December is also the festive month, we’ve all been rushing to find Christmas present ideas AND Christmas menu ideas 🙂 I’ve been making this BÛCHE DE NÖEL every Christmas for a few years now. The reason I haven’t innovated yet? Everyone loves it! The sponge cake is super moist and slightly soaked with Grand Marnier. I use a combination of mascarpone and chestnut cream for the filling, then I mix half of the mixture with some dark chocolate to cover the log with an indulgent touch.

Chestnut cream is typically only found around Christmas time here. Oh by the way, I grew up most of my life in Belgium so having a “bûche” – whether a cake or an ice cream bûche – is a tradition. The Yule log is a traditional Christmas dessert mostly in French-speaking countries. My family and I used to buy ice cream bûche (a different flavor each year) until I decided to start making my own 🙂

No, no! I see you discouraged there! This sponge cake yule log may seem or look complex but IT IS SO EASY TO MAKE, really! Trust me when I say it is just about mixing ingredients, baking, and assembling. The wooden pattern is so realistic, isn’t it? Well, the only tool you need is a fork, no mold, nothing.

Which ingredients do I need to make this Chocolate Chestnut Cream Yule log?

Cake:

• eggs – I use medium-sized eggs. Make sure to beat the whites until firm, otherwise, your batter will get too runny
• caster sugar – I like my cakes slightly sweet, not too much, not too little. Increase or decrease the amount of sugar according to how sweet you like your desserts
• all-purpose flour – no need for self-raising flour, the batter will thicken as it bakes
• melted butter – it’s best to let the melted butter cool a bit before mixing it with other ingredients
• a pinch of salt

Grand Marnier syrup:

• caster sugar – to make the “syrup” that flavors the sponge cake, combine sugar with some water first
• water
• Grand Marnier – mix in some Grand Marnier (orange-flavored liqueur). You can also substitute it for rum or cognac but Grand Marnier gives the sponge cake a tangy orange flavor

Chestnut filling:

• chestnut cream – make sure you buy chestnut CREAM and not chestnut PUREE. These are two different things
• mascarpone – mascarpone gives the filling a super creamy texture
• confectioners’ sugar – do not substitute with regular sugar, make sure to use confectioners’ sugar
• dark chocolate – adding a few squares of dark chocolate to the filling turns the chestnut filling into a chocolatey frosting to cover the log

How to make this Chocolate Chestnut Creme Yule Log?

Make the cake

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
2. Separate egg whites from yolks. Using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form.
3. In another bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until the mixture becomes light in color. Add flour and melted butter, and mix everything together using your hand mixer. Add the egg whites and gently fold them into the mixture using a spatula. Do not overmix, the egg whites could deflate.
4. Lay some baking paper on your baking tray. Using a spatula, spread the batter evenly into a rectangle shape (26×32 cm / 10×12”)
5. Bake for 10 minutes.
6. Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and place it on a clean and slightly damp tea towel. Make sure to place the bottom of the cake on the bottom edge of the tea towel. Then wrap the cake into the tea towel and let it rest until you are ready to spread the filling in. If placing the cake in the middle of the tea towel, it will be harder to wrap it correctly given the extra piece of fabric that will have to be rolled in.

Prepare the syrup

7. In a pan, heat up water and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Transfer into a bowl and let it cool down. Add Grand Marnier and give it a mix.

Prepare the filling

8. In a bowl, combine chestnut cream, mascarpone and confectioners’ sugar. Combine all ingredients together using your hand mixer.

Assemble the log

9. Unwrap the cake from the tea towel and spread the Grand Marnier syrup over the cake using a pastry brush.
10. Spread half of the filling all over the cake up to the edges. Then roll it up again into a log. Do not press too much while rolling, the filling may slide away.
11. In a pot, melt the dark chocolate. Add the melted chocolate to the other half of the filling. Combine together.
12. Spread this other half of the filling evenly all over the log.
13. Using a fork, create some wave-like marks along the length of the log so that it resembles the wood texture.
14. Place the log in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
15. Remove the log from the refrigerator and trim both edges. Doing so once the log is refrigerated will prevent the filling from slipping away too much.
16. Decorate the log as you like.

What to serve this Yule log with?

My favorite thing to do is to have it with some canned mandarines. Canned mandarines are sweeter than fresh mandarines and pair perfectly with the orange flavor brought by the Grand Marnier liquor. Sometimes I chop the mandarines and incorporate them into the chestnut filling. Sometimes, I’d just have them alongside the cake.

If using a different type of liquor, such as rum or cognac, canned pears go really well with this cake. You can also enjoy the cake without any fruits but personally, I love to combine this bûche with the freshness of fruits.

Oh, and last but not least, I also like to dip my piece of cake in milk 🙂 Yum!

How to store this Yule log?

Place it in an airtight container or simply cover it with some foil, ensuring that the foil does not touch the frosting. You can keep the log in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. But honestly, it will be gone before then! 🙂

Looking for other Christmas treat ideas?

• Christmas Baileys Tiramisu with Pandoro
• Christmas Tree Meringues