You know that one dessert that makes everyone stop mid-bite and go, “Wait, you made this?!” Yep. This is that dessert.
Our Classic Chocolate Yule Log Cake is light, luscious, and oh-so-impressive without being fussy. It features a soft chocolate sponge rolled around a dreamy whipped cream filling, then cloaked in silky chocolate ganache and textured to look like real bark. It’s festive, fabulous, and secretly way easier than it looks.
Perfect for holiday tables, gift exchanges, or cozy nights in with mulled wine and twinkle lights. And if you’re loving this, you might also adore my Hot Cocoa Cupcakes or this Fluffy Gingerbread Layer Cake.
🍇 Ingredients
For the Chocolate Sponge:
- 6 large eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Filling:
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Ganache:
- 8 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
🍒 Instructions
1. Prep oven to 350°F. Line a 10×15″ jelly roll pan with parchment and lightly grease it.
2. Make sponge: Beat egg yolks with both sugars until pale and thick (about 3 minutes). Add vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
3. In another bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Gently fold flour mixture into yolk mixture, then fold in egg whites in 3 additions.
4. Bake: Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until springy.
5. Roll: While warm, invert onto a tea towel dusted with powdered sugar. Peel off parchment and roll cake with towel inside. Let cool completely.
6. Make filling: Beat cream, sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form.
7. Unroll, fill, re-roll: Gently unroll cooled cake, spread filling, and re-roll without towel. Chill 30 minutes.
8. Make ganache: Heat cream until steaming, pour over chocolate and butter. Let sit 2 min, then stir smooth.
9. Decorate: Spread ganache over cake, drag fork through to make bark texture. Chill to set.
🎄 Serving Tips
- Dust with powdered sugar for “snow.”
- Garnish with sugared cranberries and rosemary for a wintry look.
- Slice thin and serve with coffee or spiced cider.
🌿 Creative Variations
- Peppermint: Add crushed candy canes inside and mint extract to ganache.
- Mocha: Espresso powder in sponge + coffee in filling.
- Hazelnut: Nutella whipped cream + chopped toasted hazelnuts.
- Red Velvet: Use red velvet sponge and classic cream cheese filling.
🧵 Troubleshooting
- Cracked cake? Likely cooled too long before rolling. Next time, roll warm.
- Ganache too thick? Warm briefly in microwave and stir.
- Cake unrolling badly? Use a damp towel and be gentle—don’t overfill.
🚼 Storage
- Refrigerate up to 3 days in airtight container.
- Freeze (wrapped tightly) up to 2 months. Thaw in fridge overnight.
Yule Log Cake
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Sponge:
- 6 large eggs separated
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Filling:
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Ganache:
- 8 oz semisweet chocolate finely chopped
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
Instructions
- Prep oven to 350°F. Line a 10×15″ jelly roll pan with parchment and lightly grease it.
- Make sponge: Beat egg yolks with both sugars until pale and thick (about 3 minutes). Add vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
- In another bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Gently fold flour mixture into yolk mixture, then fold in egg whites in 3 additions.
- Bake: Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until springy.
- Roll: While warm, invert onto a tea towel dusted with powdered sugar. Peel off parchment and roll cake with towel inside. Let cool completely.
- Make filling: Beat cream, sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form.
- Unroll, fill, re-roll: Gently unroll cooled cake, spread filling, and re-roll without towel. Chill 30 minutes.
- Make ganache: Heat cream until steaming, pour over chocolate and butter. Let sit 2 min, then stir smooth.
- Decorate: Spread ganache over cake, drag fork through to make bark texture. Chill to set.
Notes
- Add a splash of espresso to the ganache for mocha flavor.
- For a shortcut: use stabilized whipped topping.
Let me know if you make it—tag me on Pinterest or Instagram, I’d love to see your twist!
