Red Karawana

Back to top

A Worldwide Journey Across Cultures, Flavors and Art

CHRISTMAS LOG WITH A DELICIOUS FRUIT FILLING; BÛCHE DE NOËL, FRANCE, Normandy, France

Flour, Eggs, Sugar

Flour, Eggs, Sugar

Blood Orange Juice, Butter, Sugar, Eggs

Blood Orange Juice, Butter, Sugar, Eggs

Génoise Cake Dough

Génoise Cake Dough

Blood Orange Filling

Blood Orange Filling

Ingredients

Génoise Cake

Pastry Flour – 150 grams

Sugar – 150 grams

Eggs – 5

Blood Orange Curd

Blood Orange Puree Juice – 170 grams 

Sugar – 100 grams 

Unsalted Butter – 70 grams 

Eggs – 4 

Powdered Sugar – for decorative dusting

Bûche de Noël – French pastries, an essential part of French culture, are loved all over the world.  La Bûche de Noël, also called Christmas Log or Yule Log, is the traditional dessert served for Christmas in France and French speaking countries.  The Génoise Cake, a traditional sponge cake, is baked, then covered with different fillings and rolled to form a cylinder.  During the holiday season, the French bakers create elaborate Bûche de Noël, traditionally filled with chestnut cream or chocolate mousse, then covered with chocolate ganache and made to resemble a tree bark.  The bark-like texture together with “mushrooms” made of meringue create a beautiful cake.  In our recipe, we bake a soft-textured Génoise Cake, prepare a blood orange curd to use as filling, roll into the shape of a log and dust with powdered sugar.  We use a frozen Blood Orange Puree produced by Les Vergers Boiron, a French family business specializing in frozen fruit and vegetable puree.  Our Bûche de Noël is easy to make, has a simple presentation and tastes slightly tart and sweet.

Génoise Cake Dough

Génoise Cake Dough

Génoise Cake

Génoise Cake

Bûche de Noël

Bûche de Noël

France, Bûche de Noël

France, Bûche de Noël

Preparation Method

Step 1 – Place a saucepan on low heat, combine the eggs with the sugar and use an electric hand mixer for one minute.  Add the blood orange puree and continuously mix until the mixture thickens.  Remove the saucepan from the stove, then the add butter and mix until the texture is smooth.  Place the Blood Orange Curd in a bowl and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.      

Step 2 – Set-up the double boiler: heat the water on low heat to simmer but not boil.  In the top of the double boiler, beat whole eggs with sugar until they triples in volume for 10-15 minutes.  We use an electric hand mixer, and we first start at low speed, then progress to the medium setting.  The eggs are beaten sufficiently once the ribbon retains its shape.    

Step 3 – In a large bowl, gently combine the egg-sugar mixture with the sifted flour.  Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the cake mixture evenly.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake the cake for 15 minutes.

Step 4 – Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool down completely.  Peel off the parchment paper, spread the Blood Orange Curd on the cake, and then gently roll the cake to form a cylinder.  Place the cake in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving.

Step 5 – Dust the cake with powdered sugar and enjoy our Bûche de Noël.