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White chocolate Bûche de Noël


Serves: 10
timePrep time: 20 mins
timeTotal time:
White chocolate Bûche de Noël
Photographed by Martin Poole

White chocolate Bûche de Noël


Serves: 10
timePrep time: 20 mins
timeTotal time:

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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
435Kcal
Fat
26gr
Saturates
15gr
Carbs
43gr
Sugars
36gr
Fibre
1gr
Protein
7gr
Salt
0.2gr

Eric Lanlard

Eric Lanlard

Master pâtissier Eric Lanlard runs cookery school and café Cake Boy. Eric trained as an apprentice chocolatier, and his latest book, Chocolat, has over 100 recipes that chocoholics will love.
See more of Eric Lanlard’s recipes
Eric Lanlard

Eric Lanlard

Master pâtissier Eric Lanlard runs cookery school and café Cake Boy. Eric trained as an apprentice chocolatier, and his latest book, Chocolat, has over 100 recipes that chocoholics will love.
See more of Eric Lanlard’s recipes

Ingredients

  • 200g mixed red berries, fresh or frozen and defrosted
  • 225g golden caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp kirsch or cherry brandy (optional)
  • 5 medium eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
  • 100g plain flour
For the white chocolate cream
  • 200g white chocolate, in pieces
  • 300ml whipping cream
  • 100g mascarpone
  • 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
  • zest of 1 lime
To finish
  • a few sprigs of redcurrants
  • a dusting of icing sugar

Step by step

Get ahead
Make up to the end of step 6 a day ahead. Finish the Bûche a few hours ahead, cover loosely with clingfilm and chill.
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4, and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
  2. Tip the berries into a small pan with 100g of the sugar. Place over a low heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the fruit is soft. Sieve over a bowl to drain the syrup. Cool, then stir in the kirsch or cherry brandy, if using.
  3. For the sponge, separate the eggs into two bowls. Add 100g of the sugar and 2 teaspoons of the vanilla to the egg yolks, and whisk until they double in volume. Set aside.
  4. Using a clean whisk, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, then whisk in the final 25g of sugar.
  5. Fold the flour into the yolk mixture, then gradually fold in the stiff egg whites until smooth but still fluffy.
  6. Using a palette knife, spread the mixture on to the baking paper so it measures about 25 x 35cm and is level. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden. Cool for 5 minutes, then brush the sponge with the syrup. Cover with clingfilm; set aside.
  7. For the white chocolate cream, melt the pieces of chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. In a small pan, gently heat the cream – but don't let it boil.
  8. Pour the cream over the melted chocolate, whisking gently until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and mascarpone until glossy; add the lime zest. Chill for 2 hours.
  9. Using an electric hand whisk, beat the chilled white chocolate cream to peaks – don't overdo it, you don't want the mixture to split. Use a palette knife to spread a thin layer of the cream over the soaked sponge. Cover with the berries.
  10. Use the baking paper to roll up the Yule log tightly, starting with one of the long sides. Slice off a piece of the log to make a branch, remove the paper and place the log on a serving platter with the branch at an angle to the log. Cover the log with the rest of the white chocolate cream. Use a fork to create the bark effect.
  11. Decorate with the redcurrants and dust with icing sugar. Chill until ready to serve.
Chef quote
In France the Bûche de Noël or Yule log is a Christmas tradition. This version is fresh and light. Joyeux Noël!

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