Raspberry Bûche de Noël

A Bûche de Noël is a must on the French Christmas table. But if the classic chocolate version is too rich for you, here is your answer… This lighter Raspberry Bûche de Noël features an airy Génoise cake rolled up with a subtle orange-flavored mascarpone filling with fresh raspberries. It is simpler and quicker to make than most Bûches recipes, but remains an ultimate show-stopper for the Holidays! 

Bûche de Noël : a French Tradition

It is no understatement to say the Bûche de Noel is one of the Christmas traditions that the French get most excited about. This log look-a-like cake is a must on the French Christmas table and a dessert no one will pass on – even on an over-filled belly. 

If you are interested in learning more about the festive origins of the Bûche de Noel, you can visit my Classic Chocolate Bûche de Noël recipe. 

In France, literally every French bakery and pastry shop offer Bûches de Nöel on their stands, from the classic to the most modern and exotic-flavored versions. With such an incredible choice of Bûches de Nöel at every corner baker, few French people make their own Bûche de Nöel at home nowadays. Although you will still find passionate homemakers (like myself) tackling this project every year.  Plus, finding a premade Bûche de Nöel outside of France is quite difficult, so making one yourself is the obvious decision. 

Making your own Bûche de Noël at home 

Despite its elaborate look, a rolled-up Bûche de Nöel is often far easier to make at home than what you may think. This lighter and easier version will in fact only take about one hour of your time, whereas most classic versions would take two to three hours of your time. 

This simple Bûche is a combination of two elements: a light vanilla Génoise sheet cake rolled into a cylinder and a simple orange-flavored mascarpone filling (plus, fresh raspberries for garnish of course). Take it step-by-step: make the Génoise cake first, then the filling, and finally assemble the cake. 

Can you make this Bûche de Noël ahead? 

Yes, not only can you, but you should! After being made and assembled, this Bûche de Noël should chill in your fridge for at least 4 hours to set and firm up. You can keep the Bûche in your fridge for up to 24 hours. Because this Bûche isn’t covered with frosting, it is also easy to wrap with plastic film to chill, without making a mess or altering its look. 

This makes it a great make-ahead dessert if you are hosting a Holiday dinner! You can prepare the Bûche the evening before or the morning of, and keep the Bûche well wrapped in your fridge until you are ready to serve. Right before serving, unwrap the log, trim off the ends and dust it with icing sugar. 

Can you freeze it? 

Yes, you can even freeze it. After being made and assembled, wrap the Bûche tightly in plastic film and freeze, for up to 1 month. The day before serving, transfer the Bûche overnight in your fridge, and allow it to thaw. 

Baking Tips: 

• I recommend you separate the eggs about 30 minutes before you start, to allow them to warm up to room temperature. The egg whites should be at room temperature for them to retain more air when beaten. It will be easier to reach a firm peak. If too cold, the whites will be stiffer and won’t welcome in air as easily. 
• Keep an eye on the oven! The Génoise sheet cake bakes fast and the edges will turn from golden to “too brown” in no time. 10 to 11 minutes (depending on your oven) should be enough. 
• Intimidated by the prospect of rolling up a cake? Here is a trick to make it easier and avoid cracks: roll up the Génoise sheet cake right out of the oven while still warm, in a clean humid kitchen cloth. You don’t want to let the cake cool before you do this. A cloth dusted with sugar works too; but I tried to limit the amount of sugar used in this recipe. Rolling the cake when it is still warm and soft keeps the cake moist and allows it to “memorize” its rolled shape. When the cake is cool, gently unroll it and immediately spread the filling into it and roll it back up. 
• I love the raspberries in this Bûche, but they are interchangeable. Exotic fruits work very well here, such as cubed ripe mangoes (same quantities), cubed ripe pineapple (same quantities), cubed ripe kiwis or passion-fruit pulp (about ½ cup) 

I hope you’ll love this Raspberry Bûche de Noël recipe as much as I do! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. 

You may also like:

• Classic Chocolate Bûche de Noël 
• Chestnut Cream Cake 
• Apple Breton Pound Cake
• Classic French Chocolate Truffles

Raspberry Bûche de Noël

Print Recipe

Serves: 6-8 people Prep Time: 1 Hour Cooking Time: 11 Minutes 11 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 3.6/5

( 5 voted )

Ingredients

For the Génoise cake:
4 large eggs, yolks and whites separated and at room temperature
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (125g) sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt

For the filling:
1 cup + 3 tbsp (275g) mascarpone (35% m.f - 54% moisture)
Zest of an orange
1/2 cup (50g) powdered sugar
250g fresh raspberries

Instructions

For the Génoise cake: 

Step 1 - Pre-heat your oven to 400°F (205°C) with a rack in the middle. Butter a 10x15-inch (25.5cm x 38cm) rimmed baking sheet and line it with parchment paper (the butter helps the paper "stick" to the pan). 

Step 2 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until foamy and a ribbon forms when lifting the whisk. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Switch to a spatula and fold in the flour and salt. Stop mixing when just incorporated; the batter will be quite thick at this point. 

Step 3 – In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until firm. Add a spoonful of the egg whites to the batter and mix to loosen the consistency. Add the rest of the egg whites and gently fold in with a spatula. Gently spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out with a spatula so it covers the whole pan. 

Step 4 - Bake for 10-11 minutes, until a tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake sheet comes out clean. Right out of the oven, lightly sprinkle a clean kitchen towel with water (to make it just humid, not wet), lay it onto your counter and turn the cake onto it. Peel off the parchment paper and immediately (and carefully) roll the cake with the kitchen towel, starting from the narrow (shorter width) side. Roll as tight as possible, without pressing onto the cake. Set aside on your counter. While the cake cools, make the filling. 

For the filling: 

Step 1 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together the mascarpone, sugar and orange zest. Rinse and pat-fry the raspberries.

Assembling: 

Step 1 - Transfer the rolled cake onto a working surface and slowly unroll it. Evenly spread the mascarpone filling onto the entire cake sheet. Scatter raspberries evenly over top, slightly pressing them into the filling (keep a few for decorating the log later). Re-roll the cake into a log, as it previously was (minus the cloth). Wrap the log into a plastic film and chill for at least 4 hours before serving. 

For serving, unwrap the log, trim off both ends, dust with powdered sugar and top with fresh raspberries.