Gluten Free Buche de Noel
A fun & fancy holiday cake that looks like a fallen log
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Hi friends,
Are you ready for a holiday showstopper of a dessert? I like to have at least one every year that makes everyone squeal and clap with delight (remember this chocolate gingerbread layer cake last year?) This one is definitely that. I’ve published a buche de noel recipe before, but this one is reworked and refined - basically I’m always tweaking and improving recipes. This one was ready to go out again and find a place on your table! A French tradition this cake that resembles a fallen log is a fun, festive finish to any meal. You can go simple or go wild with the decorations.
This is in essence a chocolate cake, rolled up so that when you cut it the swirls of cake and filling resemble the inside of a log - a yule log. The silky chocolate ganache on the outside of the cake can look like tree bark just by dragging the tines of a fork along it to rough it up! Here, i have meringue cookies pushed into the side of the cake and stuck together with extra ganache to resemble mushrooms, cranberries and rosemary sprigs to decorate, but you could add all sorts of decorations to make it a woodsy scene. (You can buy prepared meringues at many grocery stores or make your own, here’s a recipe)
The fussiest part of this cake, is that you have to roll it up while still warm. If you let the cake cool, then it will crack when you roll it, but if you roll it while warm (don’t burn yourselves friends!) then unroll it to add the filling it will swirl beautifully!! Make sure to leave the parchment paper on while rolling the first time, it helps give the cake support, peel it off after you add the cream cheese filling, and wrap the whole cake in plastic wrap to firm up with the filling in the swirls.
After you make the ganache frosting, give it a few minutes to cool before your swirl your fork around to form the bark, you’ll get more defined shapes. The decorating part has to be the most fun, either that or the look on your friends and family’s faces when you pull out this masterpiece!!
Gluten-Free Buche de Noel
(1 large)
CAKE:
186g (1 1/3 cup) 1 to 1 gluten free flour blend
½ tsp xanthan gum
21g (¼ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
400g (2 cups) granulated sugar
170g (¾ cup) unsalted butter or nondairy butter, room temperature
6 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
56g (¼ cup) water
Powdered sugar or cocoa powder for sprinkling
Chocolate Cream Cheese FILLING:
12 ounces brick cream cheese or nondairy cream cheese, room temperature
340g (3 cups) powdered sugar
56g (2/3 cup) cocoa powder
170g (3/4 cup) butter (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 Tb milk or nondairy milk (optional)
GANACHE:
1 ¼ cup heavy cream, boiling-hot
12 ounce dark chocolate or chocolate chips
TO DECORATE:
Cranberries, rosemary sprigs, meringues, cocoa powder and powdered sugar as desired.
TO MAKE THE CHOCOLATE CAKE:
Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 18x13 inch half sheet pan with parchment paper leaving an extra parchment sticking up on both sides of the pan so that you can easily lift the cake out and roll it up after baking. Put a little oil and flour on the parchment to help keep the cake from sticking.
Whisk together flour, xanthan gum, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in a medium bowl until evenly combined. Add the butter, eggs, vanilla and water, mixing well after each. Add more water if thick- batter should be pourable. Pour batter in prepared pan evenly, then bang on counter to release any large bubbles. Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until top of cake springs back when touched.
Immediately after baking very carefully lift the parchment paper and cake out onto a flat surface. Sprinkle the whole cake with powdered sugar or cocoa powder thickly. Then slowly, use your hands and the parchment paper to roll the cake —until it is completely rolled up. Transfer the cake roll to a rack or fridge and cool until it reaches room temperature.
Once the cake has reached room temperature, transfer the cake roll to a flat surface, and carefully unroll it (it’s ok if the ends curl up). Spread the cream cheese filling mixture evenly over cake, leaving a 3/4-inch border on all sides. Then carefully re-roll the cake, gently peeling away the parchment paper as you roll until you can completely remove and discard it. Tightly wrap the chocolate roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
Trim end pieces to show log swirl. Place log on a parchment-lined sheet pan, cake board or other serving dish. Spread a layer of ganache all over the cake, except for the end swirls. Refrigerate for 15 minutes to firm up ganache.
Carve lines into the ganache using a fork to create the appearance of tree bark. Refrigerate until completely chilled before serving. Dust with cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Decorate with cranberries, powdered sugar, meringues, and rosemary as desired.
TO MAKE THE CREAM CHEESE FILLING:
Whisk or stir together cream cheese, powdered sugar, cocoa, butter and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl until smooth. If the filling is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it is too thick, add a little milk or cream. (You want a medium mashed potato consistency so that the filling is easy to spread, but not too thin that it will drip out of the cake when you’re rolling it up.)
TO MAKE THE GANACHE:
Combine chocolate and hot cream in a bowl. Let sit for 1 minute. Whisk until chocolate melts.
