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gluten free yule log with powdered sugar

Gluten Free Yule Log (bûche de Noël)

This iconic holiday cake celebrates the end of the long winter nights in the tastiest of ways: a delicious gluten free chocolate sponge cake with chocolate buttercream decorated to look like a beautiful yule log adored with mushroom meringues and sugared cranberries and rosemary.
4.46 from 31 votes
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Course: Desserts
Cuisine: European
Prep Time: 2 hours
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 4 hours 25 minutes
Calories: 114kcal
Author: Jules Shepard

Ingredients
  

Gluten Free Chocolate Sponge Cake

  • 6 large eggs 300 grams
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 300 grams
  • 1 1/4 cups + 2 Tbs. 190 grams gfJules Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
  • 3/4 cup 42 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 3 Tablespoons mild oil e.g. safflower, sunflower, non-GMO canola, avocado, etc.
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Meringue Mushrooms (yield: 24 mushrooms)

  • 3 large egg whites 100 grams
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 3/4 cup 150 grams granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • cocoa powder for dusting
  • melted chocolate for gluing 1-2 ounces

Instructions

Gluten Free Chocolate Sponge Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a half sheet pan (18”x13”) and line with parchment paper.
  • Bring eggs to room temperature. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
  • In a separate bowl, whip eggs until thick and pale in color. Gradually add sugar while whisking or using an electric mixer. Continue beating until very thick and light.
  • Add dry ingredients and begin to gently fold into whipped egg mixture. Add oil and vanilla and fold gently until all ingredients are combined. Pour onto prepared sheet pan and smooth with a spatula. Place into preheated oven.
  • Bake until just set in the center, about 25-30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, as the cake is baking, place another sheet of parchment the same size as the cake on your work surface. Dust with powdered sugar.
  • As soon as you remove cake from the oven, use a knife to scrape down the sides of the pan to easily release the cake. Invert onto sugar-dusted parchment. Immediately roll up cake as pictured above and allow to cool completely.
  • Once cake is cooled, unroll and cover with frosting to the thickness as pictured above. Roll cake back up. Ends can be trimmed and arranged to look like branches attached to log. Place on serving tray or plate.
  • Frost entire cake with chocolate frosting, then use a knife or spatula to create wood grain pattern all over cake. Decorate as desired with with meringue mushrooms and powdered sugar or simply rinse fresh rosemary sprigs and cranberries, then dip in sugar, as pictured.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

  • Cream shortening with paddle attachment on stand mixer or using a standard hand mixer until soft and light in texture. Sift powdered sugar and salt, then add half to the creamed shortening. Add vanilla extract and 5 tablespoons of milk, beat together, then add remaining powdered sugar.
  • Add melted and cooled chocolate and mix until combined evenly. If frosting is too stiff
    add 1 or 2 extra tablespoons of milk. Set aside until ready to use.

Meringue Mushrooms

  • Bring egg whites to room temperature. Preheat oven to 250F.
  • Whip egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and gradually add sugar while continuing to whip the egg whites to stiff peaks.
  • Place meringue in a piping bag with a round tip (or fill a plastic bag and snip a small corner out). Pipe onto sheet pan with parchment making flat mounds for the mushroom tops and tall narrow peaks for the mushroom bottoms (see photo above). Mushroom tops can be dusted with cocoa powder, if desired.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 60-70 minutes until completely dried and set. Meringues should be easy to remove from parchment at this point.
  • Once cooled, melt some chocolate. Spread a small amount of melted chocolate on bottom side of mushroom tops. Cut off pointy end from mushroom bottoms and place mushroom top on top of leveled mushroom bottoms.
  • Allow chocolate to set, then arrange around and on top of gluten free Yule Log for decoration.
Nutrition Facts
Gluten Free Yule Log (bûche de Noël)
Serving Size
 
1
Amount per Serving
Calories
114
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
4
g
6
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
3
g
Cholesterol
 
56
mg
19
%
Sodium
 
296
mg
13
%
Carbohydrates
 
17
g
6
%
Sugar
 
16
g
18
%
Protein
 
3
g
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

** Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.