Christmas dessert recipe: Bûche de Noël yule log
An easy-to-make chocolate and cherry Christmas log by French chef Cyril Lignac

Christmas is "not complete" without a Bûche de Noël on the table, said French chef Cyril Lignac. It's the "perfect treat" to share with friends and family. This chocolate and amarena cherry log recipe is "simple to make at home", creating a "delicious dessert to enjoy for the festive season".
Ingredients: serves four people
For the chocolate rolled biscuit
- 3 organic whole eggs
- 4 organic egg whites
- 2 organic egg yolks
- 85g and 135g caster sugar
- 85g flour
- 50g cocoa powder
- Butter for the plate
For the mascarpone whipped cream
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
- 125g mascarpone
- 25cl of very cold 35% full-fat liquid cream
- 65g caster sugar
- 1 vanilla pod
For the decor
- 3 tbsp. cherry jam
- 2 tbsp. tablespoon amarena cherry in syrup
- 40g dark chocolate shavings
Method
- Preheat the oven to 210°C.
- In a salad bowl, whisk the egg whites with 85g of the caster sugar so that they form a bird’s beak. Then in a second bowl, beat the yolks with the whole eggs and 135g of sugar, and add the flour and the cocoa powder with a spatula. Gently mix the content of the two bowls together. Pour into a buttered silicone-rimmed baking sheet or onto a silicone sheet placed on a baking sheet. Spread lightly to even out the biscuit using an angled spatula. Bake for seven minutes.
- At the end of cooking, gently unmold the biscuit upside down on a damp cloth, trim the edges to obtain a neat rectangle, roll in the cloth and leave to cool.
- Split the vanilla pod in half and collect the vanilla pulp, then place it in a ramekin. Use the pod to make vanilla sugar. In a very cold salad bowl, pour the mascarpone, beat it lightly using a hand mixer, pour the very cold liquid cream and continue to whip and pour the sugar with the vanilla pulp and whipped cream. Set aside one half in a bowl and the other half in a plastic bag fitted with a size ten plain nozzle. Chill for one hour.
- Coat the biscuit with cherry jam, then with mascarpone whipped cream, and add a few amarena cherries. Roll the biscuit without crushing it and place it in the dish.
- Place the rest of the mascarpone whipped cream on the log and create some lines on top. Sprinkle with dark chocolate shavings and add four amarena cherries. Keep the log in the fridge up until serving.
Cyril Lignac is the owner and chef of Bar des Prés restaurants in London and Paris; cyrillignac.com
Sign up for The Week's Food & Drink newsletter for recipes, reviews and recommendations.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
May 25 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons feature Donald Trump's tariffs, Big pharma, and cuts to Medicaid
-
Why men have a bigger carbon footprint than women
Under the Radar 'Male identity' behaviours behind 'gender gap' in emissions, say scientists
-
5 richly deserved political cartoons about tax breaks for billionaires
Cartoons Artists take on Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'
-
The politics of punctuation
In the Spotlight Semicolons get the silent treatment; AI makes a dash for dominance
-
Broccoli and cashew stir-fry recipe
The Week Recommends This nutty dish is a satisfying vegetarian option
-
Spain's love of sunflower seeds is wrecking its football stadiums
Under the Radar One club controversially bans 'national vice' as discarded 'pipas' shells block drains and erode concrete
-
Dark chocolate macadamia cookies recipe
The Week Recommends These one-bowl cookies will melt in your mouth
-
Taz Sarhane's mallard with pine nut sauce and boulangère potatoes
The Week Recommends Bold duck, crispy potatoes and silky pine-nut sauce come together in this earthy yet refined dish
-
Cambodian pork and rice recipe
The Week Recommends This street-food dish is traditionally eaten for breakfast, but makes a delicious dinner, too
-
One great cookbook: 'I Dream of Dinner (so you don't have to)'
The Week Recommends The endless ease and versatility of a painless dinner
-
Some film franchises keep cranking out sequels and reboots. These are the ones that do it best.
the week recommends 'Shrek 5' is upon us. What other movie series have deserved this many follow-ups?