The Coffee Bûche de Noël is a sophisticated Christmas dessert that highlights the rich, creamy flavour of mascarpone perfectly paired with the deep, aromatic notes of coffee. This luxurious entremet combines a smooth mascarpone mousse with espresso-infused sponge and chocolate layers, creating a refined, balanced dessert that evokes the essence of tiramisu in a more elegant form. Every bite offers a harmony of textures and flavours, making it an unforgettable centrepiece for festive celebrations.
Shortcrust Base – Buttery Foundation for Coffee Bûche de Noël
For the base of this Coffee Bûche de Noël, I’ve prepared a classic shortcrust enriched with lemon zest for a touch of freshness. You can follow the full shortcrust tutorial. Beyond its texture and buttery, complementary flavour, the shortcrust base also makes it easier to serve the sliced entremet neatly, ensuring clean, precise portions for presentation.
For visual learners, or if you prefer to see the process before starting, watch the video below to visualise how the Coffee Bûche de Noël is assembled step by step.
Coffee Bûche de Noël
Ingredients
Ladyfingers Sponge
- For 30×40 tray. You’ll need just two strips for this tart. Freeze the rest as it’s difficult to make a small portion of this batter.
- 108 g egg yolks about 7 yolks
- 30 g sugar 1
- 130 g egg whites about 4 large eggs
- 30 g sugar 2
- 55 g cornstarch
- 55 g plain flour
Coffee Syrup
- 280 ml water
- 200 g sugar
- 20 g instant coffee powder
Almond Praline Creamy Insert (~160 g)
- 20 g milk 3.25%
- 10 g amaretto liquor
- 1 g gelatine powder
- 5 g water
- 90 g almond praline 50-70%
- 40 g heavy cream 35%
Milk Chocolate Ganache (~205 g)
- 130 g milk chocolate
- 75 g cream
- 2 g instant coffee
Mascarpone Mousse (~625 g)
- 210 g thickened cream 35%
- 25 g Tia Maria
- 50 g egg yolks ~3 yolks
- 65 g sugar
- 4 g gelatine powder
- 20 g cold water
- 250 g mascarpone
Velvet Coating (~100 g)
- 50 g milk chocolate
- 50 g cocoa butter
Instructions
Ladyfingers Sponge
- Whip the egg yolks with sugar (1) until pale and fluffy.
- In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar (2) and continue whipping until firm peaks form.
- Gently fold the meringue into the whipped yolks using a spatula.
- Sift the cornstarch and flour together, then fold them carefully into the mixture.
- Place a silicone mat on a baking tray.
- * Option 1: Pipe the batter with a 10 mm nozzle into strips or desired shape.
- * Option 2: Spread batter evenly over the mat.
- Bake in a preheated fan-forced oven at 180 °C / 356 °F for about 20 minutes, until lightly golden.
- Cool at room temperature before using.
Coffee Syrup
- Combine the water, sugar, and instant coffee powder in a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Use the syrup while hot to soak the sponge. The sponge must be fully saturated; otherwise, it will taste dry.
Almond Praline Creamy Insert
- Heat the milk in a saucepan until it simmers, then add the gelatine mass and stir until fully dissolved.
- Warm the almond praline in the microwave to 40–45 °C / 104–113 °F.
- Combine the milk mixture with the praline in a tall container and emulsify with a hand blender.
- Add the cold cream and emulsify again until smooth.
- Spread over the sponge insert. Place second sponge layer on top.
- Freeze until completely set.
Milk Chocolate Ganache
- Combine cream and instant coffee in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer.
- Pour over chopped chocolate in a jug.
- Blend with a stick blender for ~1 min until smooth and glossy.
- Pour over the previously frozen layer and freeze until set.
Mascarpone Mousse
- Bloom gelatine in cold water.
- Whisk yolks with sugar until pale.
- Bring cream and liquor to a boil. Temper yolks with half of the hot mixture, then return to the saucepan. Cook to 82°C (180°F), stirring constantly.
- Add bloomed gelatine and mix until fully dissolved. Strain into a clean bowl, cover with cling film touching the surface, and refrigerate overnight.
- Next day: Bring the custard base to room temperature (18–20°C / 64–68°F) using short microwave bursts or by leaving at room temperature for ~30 minutes. Loosen the mascarpone slightly, then combine with the custard.
- Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip on medium speed until light and airy (~1 min). Do not overwhip or the mousse may split.
- If using for an entremet, transfer mousse to a piping bag to fill the mould evenly without air pockets. Insert the nozzle deep into the mould so it fills under light pressure, pushing out trapped air.
- Assemble the cake using the insert, leaving ~5 mm space on top for the ganache layer.
Velvet Coating
- Melt cocoa butter and add milk chocolate.
- Stir until fully dissolved and homogeneous.
- Fill a spray gun and apply to a fully frozen cake for a smooth, velvety finish.
- Check the full video tutorial on velvet spray if you need additional guidance or details about the spraying process.
Video
Components of the Coffee Bûche de Noël Recipe
If you’re new to my website, or simply want to refresh your technique before making this Coffee Bûche de Noël, here are the main components with links to their full tutorials:
- Mascarpone Mousse: Mascarpone mousse tutorial — a smooth, balanced base that pairs beautifully with espresso and chocolate.
- Ladyfinger (Savoiardi) Sponge: Ladyfinger sponge tutorial — light, airy, and perfect for soaking up the coffee syrup.
- Almond Praline Creamy Insert: Based on the almond cream from the Irish Coffee Tart recipe — rich, nutty, and complementary to the coffee and mascarpone layers.
Almond Praline Insert – A Nutty Christmas Dessert Layer
For the almond praline insert, I’ve used 70% nut content that I made at home following this almond praline paste recipe. You can also use store-bought spreads with 50–40% nut content, which will be slightly sweeter. Considering the balance of the other layers in this entremet, a sweeter praline will still work well without making the dessert overly sweet. This insert adds a rich, nutty depth that complements the coffee and mascarpone layers perfectly for a festive Christmas dessert.
Assembling the Coffee Bûche de Noël Entremet
Use the bottom part of the Bûche de Noël mould as a guide to cut the sponge and assemble a double layer. Make the insert slightly smaller than the mould — trimming the edges after freezing will make assembly neater and more precise. Once trimmed, return the insert to the freezer until ready to use.
Before final assembly, ensure all components are fully prepared and properly chilled. The process should be quick and controlled to maintain clean layers and structure.
When filling the mould with the mascarpone mousse, use a piping bag. Keep the nozzle pressed close to the surface so the mousse fills the mould under light pressure, pushing out trapped air pockets.
Insert the frozen sponge layer carefully, pressing it in firmly and moving it slightly side to side to eliminate remaining air gaps and ensure even contact between layers.
Leave approximately 5 mm at the top for the final ganache layer. Pour the ganache while it’s still warm to ensure proper adhesion to the frozen mousse layer below.
Preparing the Velvet Spray for Entremet Coffee Bûche de Noël
Before spraying, prepare your velvet mixture and fill the spray gun while it is still folded. For full guidance, see the velvet coating tutorial, or you can buy aerosol velvet spray in specialised pastry supply shops or online. They are convenient to use, but they are quite expensive and you’re limited by the available colours.
Place the frozen mousse cake on a rotating table to ensure even coverage. Position a box or protective barrier behind the cake to avoid spraying the kitchen, or at minimum, cover the bench with cling film for easier cleanup.
Spraying onto a fully frozen cake ensures a smooth, velvety finish and preserves the structure of your entremet.
Troubleshooting the spray gun:
If your spray gun is closed or fails to spray, don’t panic. Return the cake to the freezer and carefully fix the nozzle:
- Use a hair dryer or heat gun to gently warm the nozzle if cocoa butter has solidified inside.
- If necessary, blow hot air through the liquid compartment or fill it with hot water and run it through.
- Rotate the nozzle from minimum to maximum to remove any clogs.
- Once cleared, make sure the nozzle is fully dry before using the velvet coating again.
MOULDS USED IN THIS RECIPE
Silikomart Magic Buche mould – Silicone bûche mould designed for detailed entremets: https://www.silikomart.com/en/magic-buche
Silikomart Coffee Textured Mat (TEX06 Coffee) – Silicone texture mat designed to create a refined coffee-inspired surface finish with fine, realistic relief detail: https://www.silikomart.com/en/tex06-coffee
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.
