Chocolate Raspberry Yule Log

Delight your family and friends with this stunning chocolate raspberry Yule log. Fluffy chocolate sponge cake, luscious chocolate ganache, and dark chocolate tears on top make this chocolate raspberry dessert an impressive Christmas Swiss roll during the holiday season.

What if I tell you that this gorgeous chocolate raspberry roll cake tastes dreamy?

Would you resist a light chocolate sponge combined with rich chocolate ganache?

And what about the most beautiful chocolate and fruit combination, such as dark chocolate and raspberry?

And yes, this beautiful cake roll topped with dark chocolate tears looks sophisticated. It is speechless.

So, if you are looking for the perfect dessert to finish your dinner party or sweet date night, do not look any further. This is the only dessert you need.

If you prefer a Christmas Yule log to a traditional cake, this rolled cake is the perfect choice to serve on your holiday table.

Do you agree that Christmas dinner deserves the best dessert of the year? And this chocolate raspberry Yule log perfectly fits it!

Change your habits and make this Swiss chocolate cake as a birthday cake. Just be creative!

I anticipate the only question you might have is if this raspberry Yule log is difficult to make. No, it is not, and I will prove it.

Still scared looking at this fancy chocolate decoration? Then, stay with me, and I will show you how to decorate the cake easily!

What is a Yule log cake?

The Yule log cake, the English name of Buche de Noel, is a classic Christmas rolled cake shaped and decorated like a log.

It resembles a Swiss roll cake with a thin layer of vanilla sponge cake filled with strawberry or raspberry jam. 

When sliced​, the rolled cake reveals a neat swirl. The Swiss roll is also known as the jelly roll in the United States.

Why you should try this recipe

This chocolate raspberry cake roll is a stunning dessert that becomes a winner of the table from the first minute it is served.

It is an all-year-round sweet favorite: make it for Christmas as Buche de Noel (or Christmas Yule log) or serve it for Valentine's Day or as a birthday cake. Omit fresh raspberries on the cake if berries are out of season.

Replacing raspberry preserves with your favorite jam allows you to create a new chocolate and fruit combination.

Finally, this Christmas Swiss roll with chocolate filling topped with chocolate tears is just for chocolate lovers.

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Find the recipe card below for exact amounts and detailed instructions. I recommend making the recipe as written for the best results.

Eggs: the recipe calls for large eggs. Separate chilled egg whites from the yolks using an egg separator.

Flour: use all-purpose flour to make this cake roll recipe.

Cocoa powder: use unsweetened cocoa powder to dust chocolate tears and the top of the dessert.

Potato starch is added to all-purpose flour as a lower-protein ingredient to make a soft biscuit.

Butter: use unsalted butter, melted and cooled. It creams the biscuit ingredients together, giving such elasticity to the baked biscuit that it allows you to roll up easily.

Sugar: use granulated sugar or caster sugar. To make the meringue, it is recommended to process granulated sugar in a food processor for a few seconds or use superfine baker's sugar.

Raspberry preserves: use seedless raspberry preserves to make the yule log with raspberry filling.

You can also use regular raspberry preserves (with seeds) or replace them with raspberry jam or preserves of your choice.

Fruit preserves or jams have to be the "right" consistency. If it is too runny, the fruit filling will soak into the cake. If it is too thick or in pieces, it will not spread evenly. 

Whipping cream: use your favorite brand of whipping cream with at least 35% or more milk fat. Make sure the whipping cream is well-chilled to make the whipped cream.

Dark chocolate: use top-quality dark chocolate such as Scharffen Berger dark chocolate or Valrhona dark chocolate. Please, avoid using chocolate chips.

Gelatin: use gelatin sheets with a strength of 200 bloom.

Heavy cream: it is also known as heavy whipping cream with 36-40% fat.

Milk: the recipe calls for whole milk.

Icing sugar: make it yourself with a coffee grinder or use store-bought powdered sugar.

Fresh raspberries: use fresh juice raspberries or omit fresh berries if they are out of season.

How to make chocolate raspberry Yule log

Heat oven to 375°F / 190°C. To make the biscuit, combine flour, cocoa powder, and potato starch. Sift the flour mixture using a flour sifter and set it aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with an electric hand mixer at medium speed until soft peaks.

Increase speed, gradually add granulated sugar, and whisk at high speed until stiff peaks form (photo 1).

Add egg yolks and gently mix with a rubber spatula, working in the same direction from the bottom of the bowl.

Then add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and gently combine with the spatula. Finally, add melted butter (cool it to 122°F / 50°C) and mix again (photo 2).

Pour the cake batter on a baking sheet covered with a piece of parchment paper or a non-spill baking sheet and even the surface with a bent spatula (photo 3).

Make sure to form a rectangle of 12 x 11 inches / 30 x 27 cm. Bake cake for 10 minutes. Take it from the oven and let it cool.  

To make chocolate mousse, whisk ⅔ cup (150 g) whipping cream to get the whipped cream and refrigerate (photo 4).

Melt dark chocolate in a bain-marie/water bath or microwave until the chocolate reaches 122°F / 50°C. In a separate bowl, soak gelatin in cold water.

Place three tablespoons (45 g) of heavy cream and milk in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. In another mixing bowl, mix egg yolks and sugar with a hand whisk.

Pour hot milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture, constantly whisking.

Bring the mixture back to the saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking.

Once the preparation thickens, remove the saucepan from heat and cool it down, placing it over a large bowl with the iced cold water.

Add the drained gelatin immediately and mix until melted (photo 5).

Pour the warm preparation over the melted chocolate and gently mix with the spatula (photo 6).

Add the cold whipped cream and mix with the spatula once the chocolate ganache reaches 113°F / 45°C (photo 7). Keep the ready chocolate mousse at room temperature.

To make chocolate tears, temper dark chocolate (the step-by-step instruction is in the post).

Cut the guitar sheets or simply plastic sheets into square or rectangular pieces and place them on the work surface.

Drop small amounts of tempered chocolate on guitar sheets with an offset spatula and gently spread with a single movement, forming tears. (photo 8).

Sprinkle chocolate with a little bit of cocoa powder. To give the tears a slight curvature, place pieces of guitar sheets in a baguette pan.

Instead, use small narrow glasses to insert sheets with chocolate (photo 9).

Let the chocolate set for about 15 minutes in the fridge, and gently peel the decorations. 

To assemble the cake, flip the biscuit over parchment or a clean tea towel and remove the baking paper or baking sheet.

Cut the rectangle of the cake layer 11 x 10 inches / 28 x 25 cm. Spread a thin, even layer of the raspberry preserves on the bottom of the sponge using a bent spatula or a large metal spoon (photo 10).

Spread another chocolate mousse layer on top of the raspberry preserves (photo 11).

Roll the biscuit, starting from the long side, top to bottom, and tighten it (photo 12).

Wrap the biscuit roll in parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

Take the roll cake out of the fridge and place it on a serving plate. Cover the roll with the chocolate mousse and spoon it out with the back of a tablespoon (photo 13).

Decorate the cake with chocolate tears. Sprinkle with cocoa powder and icing (powdered) sugar and arrange fresh raspberries (photo 14). Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Recipe variations

The chocolate and raspberry combination is classic, but you can experiment with other chocolate and fruit variations.

If you have never tempered chocolate and feel uncomfortable trying it, there are easy ways to decorate this chocolate raspberry Swiss roll.

Cover the cake roll with chocolate ganache and spoon it with the back of a tablespoon. Or use a bent spatula and create a faux wood effect.

Then arrange fresh raspberries on top of the cake and sprinkle with chopped pistachios. To get inspired, look at Rosewater Meringue Roulade or Raspberry Pistachio Roulade.

If fresh berries are out of season, decorate the top of the cake with a gold curling ribbon. It is the same decoration I used to make Nutella Swiss Roll.

The simplest way to decorate this chocolate roll cake is to cover it with chocolate shavings and sprinkle it with confectioners' sugar, like Meringue Cake Merveilleux.

Another way to decorate the roll cake is to cover it with chocolate glaze and arrange Meringue Mushrooms or freeze-dried raspberries on top of the cake.

If you plan to serve this cake as a Christmas Yule log, use Christmas cake toppers, gingerbread man cookies, whole star anise, or cinnamon sticks to decorate this chocolate raspberry dessert.

Storage instructions

How to store this rolled cake? This cake can be stored, covered tightly, in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.

I don't recommend freezing this cake to keep the beautiful texture and the best taste.

Expert tips

1. Make chocolate tears in advance: it will save time while making the roll cake.
2. Unlike other cake roll recipes, this cake recipe is very forgiving: you do not need to roll up the hot sponge in a kitchen towel. Wait until the cake cools on parchment paper, and then roll.
3. Decorate the top of the cake with edible gold leaf if you desire.
4. Take a Swiss chocolate roll from the fridge 30 minutes before serving.

Frequently asked questions

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Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was adapted from https://www.academiedugout.fr/. It was originally published on December 09, 2018. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.