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Yule Log Cake

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  • Prep 35 min
  • Total 3 hr 10 min
  • Servings 8
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A delicious cake made to look like a wooden yule log, this is an old-school holiday dessert that never fails to get some “ooohs” and “ahhhs”—not to mention “mmms!” Also known as Bûche de Noël, our Yule Log Cake is the perfect centerpiece for any holiday table. Made with Betty Crocker™ Super Moist™ Cake Mix and Betty Crocker™ Whipped Frosting, this yule log cake recipe is more than a delicious dessert, it’s a fun activity and may even become your family’s new favorite holiday tradition.
By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Updated Aug 1, 2023
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Ingredients

Cake

Rich Chocolate Frosting

  • 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

Filling

Steps

  • 1
    Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick pan). Line bottom only of 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking parchment paper; spray with baking spray with flour. Place paper baking cup in each of 9 regular-size muffin cups.
  • 2
    In large bowl, beat eggs with electric mixer on high speed about 6 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Add cake mix, water and oil; beat on low speed 30 seconds; scrape bowl. Beat on medium speed 1 minute. Pour 3 cups of the batter into pan, spread evenly. Divide remaining batter among muffin cups.
  • 3
    Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched in center. Bake cupcakes 14 to 16 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
  • 4
    Meanwhile, sprinkle 2 tablespoons powdered sugar over clean kitchen towel. Run knife or metal spatula around edges of pan to loosen cake. Carefully turn cake upside down onto kitchen towel. Peel away parchment paper; immediately roll up cake and towel from narrow end. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 45 minutes with seam centered on bottom of cake. Cool cupcakes 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely, about 30 minutes. Save cupcakes for another use.
  • 5
    Meanwhile, in small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips and whipping cream uncovered on High 30 seconds; stir. Continue to microwave in 15-second increments until chips can be stirred smooth. Let stand at room temperature 40 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and still spreadable.
  • 6
    Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread Filling evenly over cake; roll up cake. Place on serving platter; cover loosely while waiting for frosting to thicken. Spread Frosting over cake. Using fork, drag tines through frosting to look like a log. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until chocolate is set. Let stand at room temperature 10 minutes before serving. Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

  • tip 1
    The right pan for making a cake roll is a rimmed 15x10x1-inch baking pan—sometimes called a “jelly roll” pan. Double-check the dimensions of what you have before making the cake batter. If your pan is a little smaller, you’ll end up overfilling it and your cake will overflow in the oven. If your pan is larger, the cake will bake up too thin.
  • tip 2
    It’s important to prepare the pan so it will be easy work to remove the warm baked cake. Using cooking parchment paper and spraying with baking spray with flour, will ensure paper will easily peel off the bottom of the cake once you’ve turned it out onto the kitchen towel.
  • tip 3
    Different brands of electric mixers can beat at different rates of high speed. Make sure to beat the eggs for the full 6 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. This will help ensure a spongy cake texture and keep your Yule Log Cake from breaking when you roll it.
  • tip 4
    Test the doneness of the cake by lightly touching the surface with your fingertip. When it springs back, it’s done and should be removed from the oven. If the cake overbakes past this point, it won’t easily roll.
  • tip 5
    Use a lint-free tea towel to roll up the cake. Its flat texture, coated with a fine sifting of powdered sugar, makes rolling up the warm cake super easy and prevents any sticking or cracking once the cake is cool. The towel will also be your best friend for rerolling the cake once it’s filled.
  • tip 6
    To get the perfect consistency for the Rich Chocolate Frosting, we like to have it stand at room temperature rather than put in the refrigerator. As you stir occasionally, you can see when it is slightly thickened and still spreadable. Kitchen temperatures vary, so keep an eye on the frosting as it nears the end of the stand time.
  • tip 7
    To keep your serving platter clean while frosting the cake, place strips of waxed paper around edge of plate. Remove after frosting is complete.
  • tip 8
    For a garnish, brush cranberries with water and roll in coarse white or gold sugar. Add fresh mint leaves.
  • tip 9
    Grab an extra tub of Betty Crocker™ Whipped Vanilla Frosting to spread on cupcakes.

Nutrition

550 Calories, 30g Total Fat, 5g Protein, 64g Total Carbohydrate, 47g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
550
Calories from Fat
270
Total Fat
30g
46%
Saturated Fat
14g
71%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
115mg
38%
Sodium
370mg
15%
Potassium
210mg
6%
Total Carbohydrate
64g
21%
Dietary Fiber
1g
7%
Sugars
47g
Protein
5g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
6%
6%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
10%
10%
Iron
15%
15%
Exchanges:
1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 4 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 5 1/2 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
4
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

  • The elegant chocolate yule log cake is a holiday must-have in many French-speaking parts of the world. It’s designed to resemble a yule log, which was a specially selected log that was burnt as a Christmas tradition throughout Europe. It’s one of the oldest existing Christmas traditions, in fact, since its first mention was recorded in 1184. The log cake recipe is an emblem of that tradition, and it's been baked by home cooks and professionals since the 18th century. It's traditionally served with one end cut off, and with “bark” created by pulling the tines of a fork through the chocolate yule log cake icing. You can get even more creative by adding flaked coconut or powdered sugar “snow” to the base of your yule log cake, or by including holly sprigs, fir tree branches, fresh berries or “mushrooms” made of meringue or marzipan. If you’d like to learn about even more cake recipes—from plain to fancy—check out Betty's best cake recipes.
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