"Birch" de Noel

I decided to make a Buche de Noel this year for Christmas. I've always admired these cakes, and I was very excited to make it.  Decorating a cake like a log is not something you get to do every day!

As I made my plans, I asked myself where this holiday tradition comes from. It is, after all, a little strange that a log covered with holly and snow elicits festive sentiment in so many people. So I did a little research. Apparently, for many centuries the Yule Log was an important part of the holiday tradition in Europe. A large and often scented log, it was meant to burn for several days or weeks in the fire place or bonfire. Eventually, families began to serve a cake version of the Yule log, particularly in France, known as the Buche de Noel.

For my cake, I wanted it to be chocolate with a white crumb layer of buttercream, creating a birch tree. I love birch trees, and they always make me think of my Father.  A great outdoorsman, he often took us for outdoor adventures.  When we lived in Duluth, Minnesota, I remember seeing many birch trees with him, some even surrounded by softly falling snow.

I used this recipe from Martha Stewart for the chocolate cake and salted caramel filling, and I would highly recommend it.  The cake's consistency is perfect for rolling into logs, and it was moist and springy.  The filling was definitely the most difficult part to make.  Luckily, I had some help from Mr. Sugar Dish on this part.  We initially used  too large a pan and the sugar burnt, so we changed to a smaller saucepan and started over.  This time it worked well!  I also added extra salt.  It turned out great.

After the filling was done, the most difficult part was getting Mr. Sugar Dish to stop eating it so I could use it for the cakes.  I followed the recipe's instructions for rolling the cakes, and found them to be spot on:  I removed the finished cakes immediately onto cooling racks lined with parchment paper.  Once cool, I divided the filling between the two cakes, and spread even leaving a 1/2 inch border on all sides.  I then rolled the cakes tightly, peeling back the parchment as I went.  Then, I tightly wrapped both cakes in clean dish towels.  I placed them on a baking sheet and left them in the fridge over night.  This was the best move ever.  When I removed them from the towels, they were perfectly rolled and set, and frosting them with buttercream was a dream.  The rolled cakes also held up when I cut the ends off, and hacked up the second roll to use as the knobs and bend in the log.  Be sure to use a serrated knife for cutting.

After creating the crumb layer of frosting, it is easy to add the bark texture you want using an angled spatula.  I used the buttercream to adhere the knobs to the bark, and added the rest of the second roll as a bend in the main log.

Overall, making the "Birch" de Noel was much easier than I expected!  I finished up by sprinkling with cocoa and powdered sugar, and adding some mushrooms I made and holly leaves.  This will definitely be a part of our Christmas tradition in the future.  I've already started to plan how I will decorate next year's Buche de Noel!