It’s crunch time you guys! Can you believe how close it is to Christmas? We are basically counting hours now.
Actually, I am. As I write this there are currently only about 68 hours and change left. If you want to see exact time check out this Christmas countdown. Don’t worry though, there is still plenty of time to make these before Christmas.
I know that you have a lot to do so I’ll keep this short and sweet but I just wanted to share these adorable baby Bûche de Noëls! You’ve probably had a yule log before but I doubt you’ve ever had a baby one. Yule logs are basically a light sponge cake rolled with filling and frosted to look like a log for Christmas. It’s really a fun family tradition.
I haven’t made one in a few years and this year I wanted to switch it up a little. I couldn’t resist the idea to make them miniature.
They’re so cute and they actually look like little pieces of wood, especially when you sprinkle some powdered sugar on the top. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I get a little hysterical with the powdered sugar this time of year. I can’t help it. It’s looks like snow on everything!
I was going to use my jelly roll pan to bake these in one big sheet until I remembered that the pan doesn’t fit in my oven. It was a small moment of frustration. I had to scrape all of my perfectly fluffy batter into two 13×9 pans to bake.
At first I thought it would be too small to cut into sections but then I realized it worked better as it stretched my cakes out a bit and made them roll more easily without tearing. Plus, I think that just about everyone has a 13×9 inch pan in their kitchen so it’s probably more relatable for you than a jelly roll pan.
Okay, so you did read that part about there still being plenty of time to make these for Christmas, right? Just checking. These are so much fun for the kids too. You could have a baby Bûche de Noël party and let everyone roll and frost their own. I doubt you’ll be able to stop them from licking all the frosting off their fingers when they’re done. It’s really good.
Ingredients
- 6 eggs, separated
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/3 & 1/2 cup sugar, separated
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon espresso powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cocoa powder, plus more for topping
- 3 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and grease two 13x9 inch glass pans. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks and 1/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). Beat in flour, cocoa, espresso powder, vanilla, and salt.
- In separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Slowly sprinkle in sugar while mixing and again beat until stiff. Add a small amount of egg white mixture to yolk mixture just to loosen up the batter, then gently fold in remaining. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 12 - 15 minutes until it springs back when lightly pressed.
- Lay out two damp towels (one for each cake) and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Loosen cakes from pans and invert onto towels. Roll up each cake in the towel and set aside to cool for about 30 minutes.
- Whisk milk and flour in a small saucepan and place over low heat. Stir constantly until it thickens then immediately remove and allow to cool. In separate bowl, beat sugar and butter until very smooth and fluffy. Add milk/flour and vanilla and beat until whipped and light.
- Whip cream until stiff. Beat in butter until light and fluffy, then add vanilla, salt, and cocoa. Mix in powdered sugar a little at a time until all has been added.
- Unroll cakes and cut in half lenthwise down the center and cut each side into 3 peices for a total of 6 pieces per cake. Spread the filling on each one anr roll into lttle logs. If desired, slice off a small a thin piece of one end at an angle and place on the side to look like a bough. Frost each log with chocolate frosting and sprinkle lightly with cocoa. Use a knife to make wood-like designs an the outside of each.
- Serve or refrigerate.
These are just so darn cute! What a great idea to make them in miniature.
Thanks, Erin!
How cute! Yule logs (mini or regular) have never been a part of my family’s holiday traditions, but maybe I’ll have to start a new tradition this year…
You should! Thanks!
These are perfect for this week and Christmas.
Thanks!
Awe! How adorable! These have been on my bucket list to make for years now. Great recipe! 🙂
Thank you!
These are fantastic. You did a great job on these!
Thank you so much, Jocelyn!
OMG those are so cute!! I love it! 🙂
Thanks!
These are so so adorable! I’ve always wanted to try making a yule log and love that you made mini ones! They’re so festive and perfect for Christmas 🙂
Thanks! Merry Christmas!
These are so festive and I like the mini so great for the holidays. Great job on them
Thanks!
Great information – Thank you so much for this article it is appreciated!
I love Christmas and I really enjoyed reading this – thank you!
I’m so glad you liked this, John. I love Christmas so much too! Thanks!
I am going to try this over the weekend looks great thanks for this.
Hope you love it, and thanks!
Just wondering how long in advance you can make them ?
I’d say no more than 2 or 3 days ahead if you’d like them to be at their best, however you could probably make each of the pieces up to 5 or 6 days ahead and simply put them together the day before or on the day you plan to serve them. I hope that helps. Merry Christmas!