Black Forest Bûche de Noël is presented here in a classic Swiss-roll style, also known as a roulade in France or a jelly roll in the United States. When prepared and decorated for Christmas, this format becomes the traditional Yule log, or Bûche de Noël. This version is deliberately designed to be straightforward and efficient: it requires no silicone moulds, can be prepared quickly, and freezes exceptionally well—an obvious advantage when planning Christmas dinner ahead of time.
A dark-chocolate shortcrust base provides structure and depth, supporting a soft chocolate sponge roll filled with white-chocolate mousse infused with cherry brandy and a defined layer of cherry jelly. The acidity of the cherries cuts through the richness of the mousse, keeping the dessert balanced rather than heavy. The log is finished with an additional layer of mousse, shaved chocolate, and fresh cherries for a clean, festive presentation that stays true to the Black Forest cake profile.
Swiss Roll Cake – A Clean, Professional Method for Consistent Results
This recipe is intentionally designed to be simple and reliable when executed with the correct ingredients and proper consistency. There is no need for outdated methods such as pre-wrapping the sponge in a cloth. A controlled bake, a balanced batter, and a professional handling approach are all that’s required to achieve a clean roll and precise layers. In the video tutorial that follows, I demonstrate each step in real time, focusing on texture, timing, and assembly so you can reproduce the result confidently and consistently.
Black Forest Bûche de Noël
Ingredients
Chocolate Swiss Roll Sponge
- 65 g plain flour
- 30 g cocoa powder
- 50 g milk
- 60 g salted butter
- 100 g egg yolks approx. 6 large eggs
- 35 g brown sugar for egg yolks
- 210 g egg whites approx. 7 large eggs
- Pinch of cream of tartar
- 80 g brown sugar for egg whites
Whipped White Chocolate Mousse
- 3 g gelatine powder
- 15 g cold water
- 240 g white chocolate
- 125 g thickened cream 35% fat for heating
- 20 ml cherry brandy or replace with additional cream
- 300 g thickened cream 35% fat cold
Cherry Jelly
- 125 g cherry purée blended frozen cherries
- 15 g cherry brandy
- 15 g glucose syrup or honey
- 15 g sugar
- 2 g pectin NH
- 15 g lemon juice
Instructions
Chocolate Swiss Roll Sponge
- Sift together the plain flour and cocoa powder. Set aside.
- Combine the milk and butter in a small saucepan. Heat gently until the butter is fully melted, keeping the mixture warm at around 45 °C (113 °F).
- Using a hand mixer, whip the egg yolks with the brown sugar until pale, thick, and at ribbon stage.
- In a stand mixer, begin whipping the egg whites with the cream of tartar and a small portion of the sugar. Once foamy, gradually add the remaining sugar in three additions and whip to a light, semi-whipped meringue.
- Incorporate the meringue into the yolk mixture in several additions. Whisk the first portion in to loosen the batter, then gently fold in the remaining meringue with a spatula until no visible streaks remain.
- Fold in the sifted flour and cocoa powder until the batter is smooth and homogeneous.
- Add approximately 20% of the batter to the warm milk–butter mixture and mix until fully combined. Return this mixture to the main batter and gently fold until smooth.
- Spread the batter evenly onto a silicone mat (30 × 40 cm with 1 cm sides) using a spatula, or pipe with a 10 mm round nozzle.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 170 °C (338 °F) for 10–12 minutes, until the sponge springs back when lightly pressed.
- Remove from the oven and cool at room temperature for approximately 40 minutes.
- Flip the sponge upside down and carefully peel off the silicone mat. Pipe white chocolate mousse and cherry jelly as demonstrated. Refrigerate for 40 minutes to stabilise before trimming and serving.
Whipped White Chocolate Mousse
- Combine the gelatine powder with the cold water and allow to bloom for 5 minutes.
- Heat the first portion of cream with the cherry brandy (or additional cream if omitting alcohol) until just simmering.
- Pour the hot cream over the white chocolate and emulsify using a stick blender.
- Add the cold cream and blend again until smooth and fully emulsified.
- Transfer to a shallow tray, cover with cling film touching the surface, and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
- Whip fully before use. Spread to a 7 mm thickness or pipe using a 7 mm nozzle. Any excess mousse can be piped on top of the assembled roll.
Cherry Jelly
- Place the cherry purée, cherry brandy, and glucose syrup in a saucepan and heat to 40 °C (104 °F).
- Combine the sugar and pectin NH, then add gradually to the saucepan while whisking continuously.
- Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
- Pour into a container and cover with cling film touching the surface.
- Refrigerate for 6 hours.
- Transfer to a mixing bowl and briefly whisk to obtain a smooth consistency. Pipe using a 7 mm nozzle.
Video
Black Forest Swiss Roll Cake – A Christmas-Inspired Interpretation
Instead of the traditional layered cake format, this Black Forest cake is reworked as a Christmas-inspired Swiss roll, offering a cleaner structure and faster assembly while preserving the classic chocolate and cherry profile. The roulade format makes it ideal for festive service, easy slicing, and advance preparation. If you don’t feel like making cherry jelly, it can be substituted with a good-quality cherry jam, provided it has a clean flavour and moderate sweetness.
For a lighter filling, the white chocolate mousse can be replaced with a stable cream Chantilly—use this recipe https://andbonbons.com/rum-chantilly-cream/ and simply double the quantity for a 30 × 40 cm sponge, replacing the rum with Kirsch or cherry brandy to stay true to the Black Forest flavour profile.
Jelly Roll Recipe – A Versatile Sponge for Endless Fillings
This jelly roll recipe is built around a flexible chocolate sponge that works just as well in a more traditional format. You can simply fill it with a good-quality jam for a classic jelly roll, or use any mousse you prefer, depending on the level of refinement you’re aiming for. The structure of the sponge is stable enough to support a wide range of fillings, from light creams to more structured mousses. You’ll find several suitable mousse options on my website, making it easy to adapt this base to different flavours, occasions, and presentation styles without changing the core technique.
Decoration for Black Forest Cake
When decorating your Black Forest cake, fresh cherries are ideal, but they aren’t always available year‑round. In those cases, feel free to substitute with quality cocktail cherries—often labelled maraschino cherries—which deliver vibrant red colour and visual impact against dark chocolate and cream, making your dessert look festive even in winter months. For added depth and contrast, shave some dark chocolate over the piped mousse; the curled strands elevate the visual texture and enrich the flavour profile. You can also decorate with a dusting of icing sugar or small meringues for a lighter, more elegant presentation.
A simple but highly effective enhancement is to include a chocolate shortcrust base: it elevates the Swiss roll from a basic roll cake to a true festive Bûche de Noël. For this purpose, you can use my chocolate shortcrust recipe https://andbonbons.com/chocolate-shortcrust-pastry-recipe/ in the photo, the shortcrust made with carbon black cocoa powder adds striking contrast and a deeper chocolate flavour.
Roll Cake – The Story Behind the Swiss Roll
The Swiss roll, often simply called a roll cake, has a surprisingly rich history despite its seemingly simple appearance. Its origins are debated, but many food historians trace it back to Central Europe in the 19th century, with early references appearing in Austrian and Hungarian cookbooks. The concept—a thin sponge cake rolled around a filling—quickly captured the imagination of bakers across Europe, evolving from fruit preserves to creams and mousses as techniques advanced.
By the early 20th century, the roll cake had traveled across the Atlantic, becoming known in the United States as the jelly roll, and in France as the roulade. Its versatility and elegant presentation made it popular for both everyday tea-time treats and festive occasions. Today, the roll cake has inspired countless variations worldwide, from traditional jam-filled versions to sophisticated entremet-style creations like the Bûche de Noël, demonstrating how a humble sponge can become the centerpiece of both casual and celebratory desserts.
EXPLORE MORE BÛCHE DE NOËL RECIPES
If you enjoy creating entremets, you may want to explore more of my Bûche de Noël recipes. Each one focuses on a distinct flavour profile and construction approach, making them ideal for refining technique and broadening your pastry repertoire:
- Raspberry Bûche de Noël – https://andbonbons.com/raspberry-buche-de-noel-yule-log-recipe-01/
- Orange Bûche de Noël – https://andbonbons.com/orange-buche-de-noel-orange-entremet-02/
- Coffee Bûche de Noël – https://andbonbons.com/coffee-buche-de-noel-03/
- Dark Berry Bûche de Noël – https://andbonbons.com/dark-berry-buche-de-noel-buche-entremet/
- Blackberry Bûche de Noël – https://andbonbons.com/blackberry-buche-de-noel-yule-log-entremet-06/
- Chocolate Bûche de Noël – https://andbonbons.com/chocolate-buche-de-noel-07/
- Honey Medovik Bûche de Noël – https://andbonbons.com/honey-cake-medovik-buche-de-noel-08/
- Matcha and Coconut Bûche de Noël (entremet) – https://andbonbons.com/matcha-and-coconut-buche-de-noel-entremet-09/
These recipes are designed to help you explore new flavour combinations, practise structured layering, and gain confidence working with refined entremet-style Bûche de Noël at home.
Craving more behind-the-scenes moments, step-by-step videos, and sneak peeks of upcoming recipes? Join me on Instagram @andbonbons for a closer look at the process, pastry tips, and plenty of chocolate inspiration.
