Bûche de Noël

Method

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1. Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Line a 33 x 23 cm Swiss roll tin with baking paper.

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2. Whisk the yolks with 100 g of the sugar for 4 minutes until pale and ribbon-forming, then whisk in the vanilla.

   Mark done Start 4 min timer

3. Sift the flour, cocoa and salt over and fold in gently.

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4. In a clean bowl, whisk the whites to soft peaks, add the remaining 50 g sugar and whisk to firm, glossy peaks.

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5. Stir a third of the whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen it, then fold in the rest in two additions.

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6. Spread into the tin, level, and bake 12 to 14 minutes until springy and just pulling from the sides.

   Mark done Start 12 min timer

7. Lay a clean tea towel on the worktop and scatter it with the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Turn the hot sponge onto it, peel off the paper, and roll it up from the short end with the towel inside. Leave rolled until completely cold, at least 1 hour.

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8. Whip the cream with the icing sugar and rum to soft peaks. Unroll the sponge, spread the cream to within 2 cm of the edges, and re-roll without the towel.

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9. For the ganache, heat the cream to a bare simmer, pour it over the chocolate, wait 2 minutes, then stir from the middle outwards until glossy. Beat in the butter and cool until spreadable, about 40 minutes.

   Mark done Start 40 min timer

10. Cut a diagonal slice off one end and set it against the side as a branch. Coat the whole thing in ganache, drag a fork along it to make bark, chill 2 hours, and dust with icing sugar before serving.

    Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Roll it hot. A cold sponge will crack every time, and no amount of ganache hides the crack.
• Cool the ganache properly. Warm ganache slides off and cold ganache tears the sponge.
• Any crack that does appear becomes a knot in the bark. Nobody will know.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Double cream won't whip if you swap it, but for the cooking itself, full-fat crème fraîche or a lower-fat single cream works in its place.

Pairing Suggestions

• A glass of Banyuls
• Black coffee
• Poached pears

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerated for 3 days; bring to cool room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. It freezes whole for 1 month.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.