Black Forest Yule Log (Bûche Forêt Noire) – A Light and Elegant Holiday Dessert
A modern twist on the classic Black Forest cake: layers of cherry confit, milk chocolate crémeux, vanilla mousse, and cocoa sponge finished with a glossy chocolate mirror glaze.This Black Forest Yule Log is a fresh and refined take on the traditional gâteau Forêt Noire. Designed to be light, not overly sweet, yet rich in flavor, it blends the iconic combination of cherries and chocolate into an elegant entremet-style dessert. Each layer brings something unique: a smooth milk chocolate crémeux, a cherry confit insert, soft cocoa sponge, and a delicate vanilla mousse — all wrapped in a shiny cocoa mirror glaze.Perfect for festive dinners, this yule log is not only delicious but also beautiful to present. It’s a crowd-pleaser that balances tradition with modern pastry techniques.
Ingredients
🍒 Cherry Compote (Insert)
- 200 g sour cherry purée
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 4 g pectin NH
🍫 Milk Chocolate Crémeux
- 1 egg
- 15 g sugar
- 75 g heavy cream 35%
- 75 g whole milk
- 100 g milk chocolate
🍰 Cocoa Sponge Cake
- 70 g egg
- 45 g sugar
- 35 g flour
- 10 g unsweetened cocoa powder
🍫 Crispy Layer
- 15 g cocoa nibs or chocolate puffed rice as a substitute
- 30 g dark chocolate
🍦 Vanilla Mousse
- 3 g gelatin powder 200 bloom + 24 g cold water
- 190 ml whole milk
- 2 vanilla beans
- 75 g egg yolks
- 45 g sugar
- 210 g heavy cream 35%
🍫 Chocolate Mirror Glaze
- 8 g gelatin powder 200 bloom + 40 g cold water
- 210 g sugar
- 75 g water
- 70 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 145 g heavy cream 35%
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Instructions
📅 Day 1 – Inserts
Cherry Compote:
- Mix sugar and pectin NH together.
- Heat cherry purée to 40°C, then whisk in sugar-pectin mixture.
- Bring to a boil while whisking continuously.
- Pour into insert mold and freeze for 3–4 hours.
Milk Chocolate Crémeux:
- Heat the milk and cream until boiling.
- In a bowl, whisk the egg and sugar together.
- Gradually pour the hot mixture over the egg while whisking, then return to the saucepan.
- Cook over low heat to 82°C.
- Remove from heat, add chocolate, and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Pour over the frozen cherry compote. Freeze overnight.
📅 Day 2 – Sponge, Crunch & Mousse
Cocoa Sponge Cake:
- Whip the egg and sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Sift in flour and cocoa powder, then gently fold with a spatula.
- Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 160°C for 8–10 minutes.
- Let cool, then trim to fit your yule log mold.
- Optional: Brush with vanilla syrup for extra moisture.
Crispy Layer:
- Melt the dark chocolate in the microwave.
- Mix in cocoa nibs or chocolate puffed rice.
- Spread over the sponge and freeze.
Vanilla Mousse:
- Bloom gelatin in cold water.
- Whisk yolks and sugar until light.
- Heat milk with scraped vanilla beans.
- Pour over yolk mixture, whisk, then return to the pan.
- Cook gently to 82°C, then remove from heat.
- Add gelatin and blend with immersion blender.
- Let cool to 35°C.
- Whip cream to soft peaks and fold gently into the cooled custard.
📅 Day 3 – Assembly & Glaze
Assembly:
- Pour two-thirds of the vanilla mousse into the yule log mold.
- Place the frozen cherry and chocolate insert in the center.
- Add remaining mousse.
- Top with the cocoa sponge and crispy layer. Smooth the surface.
- Freeze for at least 24 hours.
Chocolate Mirror Glaze:
- Cook sugar and water into a syrup (103°C).
- Warm the cream separately.
- Once the syrup reaches temperature, whisk in the cocoa powder and bloomed gelatin.
- Add warm cream and mix well.
- Blend with immersion blender to remove bubbles.
- Let cool to 35°C before glazing.
Finishing:
- Unmold the frozen yule log.
- Place on a wire rack and glaze evenly with the mirror glaze.
- Use a spatula to remove excess glaze from the base.
- Transfer to a serving tray and refrigerate for 3–4 hours before serving.
- Decorate with chocolate shavings, gold leaf, or cherries as desired.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
I’m Chef Mimo, a passionate pastry chef with over 17 years of experience in the world of fine desserts. I specialize in French-style entremets, refined cakes, and creative chocolate work. Pastry is not just my profession—it’s my lifelong passion. Through PastryCrafted.com, I love sharing my recipes, techniques, and inspirations with anyone who dreams of mastering the art of pastry. Whether you’re a curious beginner or a seasoned pro, you’re welcome in my sweet world.