This gluten-free Yule log recipe features a tender chocolate sponge cake wrapped around a stable creamy filling and finished with a generous layer of rich chocolate ganache. It's a classic holiday dessert that makes a stunning centerpiece for Christmas celebrations, yet it's very achievable for home bakers and can even be made ahead. I'll tell you how to roll it without cracking and give you step-by-step photos to guide you along the way.
Jump to:
Also known as Bûche de Noël, this traditional French dessert has been on my mind for a while. I had made one years ago, before I was gluten-free, so I thought it was finally time to try one that I can eat now! In anticipation, I first made the slightly simpler Gluten-Free Pumpkin Roll for Thanksgiving.
My family was happy to assist with taste testing and feedback for numerous trial runs of this recipe. I started with a cake made using only cocoa powder. It wasn't enough, so I added more the next time. Then, I experimented with adding melted solid chocolate to the batter. Six of us sampled multiple versions, and the consensus was that the extra melted chocolate added a welcome richness that made this gluten-free Bûche de Noël truly special.
Ingredients
These are the sponge cake ingredients. I filled mine with cream cheese frosting and topped it with chocolate ganache. While this ganache is thicker than my usual chocolate ganache recipe, you may want to refer to it for additional tips. I suggest optional variations below in the Substitutions section.
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)
- Cathy's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend - You can make your own all-purpose gluten-free flour blend using my recipe. While I have not tested this recipe with any other flour blend, Better Batter Original Blend would probably be the closest to mine.
- Semi-sweet Chocolate - Use a good meltable chocolate, chopping into chunks if you need to. I used Nestle Toll House morsels this time.
- Raw Sugar - I prefer to use raw cane sugar. If you're accustomed to another sugar, it will probably work for you here.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Whisk the dry ingredients except sugar together.
Melt chocolate over low heat. I set this bowl over simmering water.
Beat the egg white and some sugar until glossy soft peaks form.
Beat some yolk mixture, oil, and vanilla into melted chocolate.
Slowly mix the beaten egg whites into the batter.
Spread the batter into a prepared pan.
Wrap the pan snugly with foil to cool.
Starting at one end, roll it up.
Cut off an end for a branch, if you like.
Beat the egg yolks and some sugar until they become thick and pale.
Beat the melted chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture.
Mix on low speed only until everything appears to be combined.
Bake it at 325 F for about 15 minutes.
Spread filling over cooked cake.
Remove the roll from parchment paper.
Spread on chocolate ganache.
Drag a fork through the soft chocolate ganache icing to create a bark texture.
Hint: You may refrigerate the rolled "log", sealed with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out, before adding the ganache. The icing will set up quicker on a chilled cake.
Serving Suggestions
I recommend serving this rich chocolate dessert with whipped cream or ice cream.
Substitutions
- Cream Cheese Frosting - You may simply substitute 2 cups of whipped cream for the filling. I made some test batches this way, and they were also very good.
- Chocolate Ganache - Substitute any favorite chocolate icing or frosting. It's nice if you can create a textured pattern with the one you choose.
Dairy-Free Christmas Log
If you use a dairy-free chocolate in this cake recipe, your gluten-free chocolate log could be made dairy-free with a dairy-free whipped filling and dairy-free frosting.
Meal Prep
You can certainly make this gluten-free Christmas log at least a day ahead and keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until presentation time.
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)
Equipment
An electric hand mixer works fine for this recipe. I didn't use my stand mixer.
While not essential, an offset spatula is handy for spreading the batter into the baking pan and then for spreading on the filling later.
Storage
Leftover gluten-free Christmas log stores well, sealed in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for several days.
It also freezes well. I recommend slicing the roll before freezing if you think you might want to remove only one or two slices as a time.
Top tips
Don't overcook the cake, and cover it with foil immediately after baking to seal in the moisture. If you measure the ingredients accurately and follow these two tips, you should not have any problems with your roll cracking.
FAQ's
Your gluten-free Yule may crack when you roll it because it has dried out too much. Don't overbake it. Wrap it with aluminum foil sealed around the edges of the pan to keep moisture locked in while it cools. Then, add the filling and roll it up right away, as soon as it has cooled.
Yes, you can complete the entire Yule log ahead and keep it sealed in plastic in the refrigerator for a day before serving. Or, bake, fill, and roll it a day ahead. Then frost the chilled cake on the day of serving.
Recipe
Gluten-Free Yule Log
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup Cathy's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend
- 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2.5 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
- 6 large eggs separated
- ¾ cup raw sugar divided
- ¼ cup avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Filling
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream chilled
- 1 cup cream cheese at room temperature
- ¼ cup raw honey in liquid form
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache Icing
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 12 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate whole or in morsels
Instructions
Cake
- Line a 12X17-inch (30X43 cm) baking pan completely with parchment paper, being sure that it covers all of the sides and leaves a little for you to grab onto around the edges.
- Preheat the oven to 325℉ (163℃) with a rack in the center.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients except the sugar.1 cup Cathy's Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend6 tablespoons cocoa powder1 teaspoon baking powder½ teaspoon xanthan gum½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Chop the dark chocolate if it is not already in small pieces. Melt it slowly over low heat, stirring occasionally. I fit a bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water for this.2.5 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
- Beat the egg whites until they're foamy. Add ¼ cup of the sugar and continue beating until glossy, soft peaks form.6 large eggs¾ cup raw sugar
- In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks until thickened and lighter in color, about 3 minutes.
- Whisk the remaining ½ cup (100 g) of sugar into the melted chocolate along with the oil and vanilla. This will become quite thick. Whisk some of the beaten egg yolk mixture into the chocolate mixture until it becomes thin enough to whisk easily and pour.¼ cup avocado oil1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- With the beaters running on low speed in the yolk mixture, slowly pour in the chocolate mixture and beat until it's all blended together.
- Add half of the dry flour mixture to the egg yolk-chocolate mixture, mixing on low speed just until it's mostly blended in, about 10 seconds. Then add the remaining dry mixture and mix it slowly until it's just completely combined.
- Add half of the beaten egg whites to the batter. Mix on low speed for about 10 seconds. Then slowly mix or fold in the remaining egg whites, being careful not to beat too much and lose volume.
- Spread the batter evenly into your prepared baking sheet, making sure that it fills each corner.
- Bake in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until a fork poked into the middle comes out clean.
- As soon as you remove the hot, baked cake from the oven, wrap it completely in foil, sealing it around the edges to keep the steam from escaping. Allow it to cool completely on a rack, about an hour. Try not to leave it longer, as this will help to prevent cracking when you roll the cake up.
- Near the end of the cooling time, prepare your filling and frosting.
Cream Cheese Filling
- Whip the cream until it's stiff.¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, honey, and vanilla.1 cup cream cheese¼ cup raw honey1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
Chocolate Ganache
- If your chocolate is solid (rather than morsels), chop it up now.12 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
- Warm the cream over low-medium heat until it starts to steam, but is not boiling. 145℉ (63℃) is ideal.¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- Immediately add the chocolate to the steaming cream. Turn off the heat. Cover the pan, and let it sit for a few minutes for the chocolate to melt. Then whisk it all together until it's smoothly blended.
Assembly
- Grab an edge of the parchment paper that's under your cooled cake and pull the cake from the pan, so that you can work with it on the parchment directly on the countertop.
- Spread the filling evenly over the cooled chocolate cake. An offset spatula helps with this step.
- Starting at one end, roll the cake up. Roll it as snugly as you can while also trying not to squeeze too much of the filling out. As you complete the roll, lift it from the parchment paper to your desired serving platter or board.
- If you wish to make a "branch" to attach to your "log", as is commonly done, slice it off one end of your roll. Starting about 1½ inches in from the end, cut through on a 45° angle. Place this "branch" snugly next to one side of the "log."
- Pour prepared chocolate ganache over the top of your yule log, spreading it down the sides with a spatula. Either frost the ends or leave them exposed. You should have plenty of ganache.
- Create a bark-like texture by dragging a fork lengthwise through the surface of the ganache while it is still soft.
- Keep your chocolate yule log refrigerated until close to serving time.
Notes
- Be careful not to overbake the cake, as that would cause it to become too dry and crack.
- Assemble the cake as soon as it has cooled completely, not giving it an opportunity to dry out.
Cathy Brak says
My family enjoys this chocolate roll. It's a pleasure to serve and delicious to eat!