Cappuccino & Vanilla Yule Log – Silky Mascarpone Mousse with Pecan Crunch
A delicate holiday bûche with vanilla mascarpone mousse, cappuccino crémeux insert, pecan praliné crunch, and double glaze—ideal for festive celebrations.This Cappuccino & Vanilla Yule Log is a refined yet surprisingly accessible dessert—perfect for coffee lovers and non-coffee fans alike. It features a light vanilla mascarpone mousse, a velvety cappuccino crémeux, a soft sponge, and a crunchy praliné base. The whole creation is wrapped in a glossy white chocolate and cappuccino glaze, then decorated with caramelized cereals and roasted hazelnuts. Airy, flavorful, and elegant, this bûche is the kind of festive centerpiece that makes memories.
Servings 12 People
Ingredients
☕ Cappuccino Crémeux Insert
- 188 g heavy cream
- 30 g sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 g gelatin 200 bloom, hydrated
- 16 g vanilla cappuccino powder Nescafé or similar
🍰 Ladyfinger Biscuit (Biscuit à la cuillère)
- 1 whole egg
- 30 g sugar
- 30 g flour
- Pinch of salt
🥄 Praliné Crunch Base
- 40 g pecan or hazelnut praliné
- 15 g milk chocolate
- 20 g crêpes dentelle feuilletine
🍦 Vanilla Mascarpone Cream
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 g vanilla caviar or 1 vanilla bean
- 90 g sugar
- 40 g water
- 4.5 g gelatin 200 bloom
- 250 g mascarpone
- 345 g heavy cream 35%
✨ Two-Tone Glaze (White Chocolate + Cappuccino)
- 105 g water
- 165 g sugar
- 36 g glucose
- 105 g cream
- 150 g white chocolate
- 9 g powdered gelatin + 54 g cold water
- 25 g vanilla cappuccino powder for half the glaze
Instructions
1️⃣ Cappuccino Crémeux Insert
- Soften the gelatin in cold water.
- Whisk yolks with sugar.
- Heat cream and dissolve cappuccino powder.
- Pour hot cream over yolk mixture, return to heat, and cook to 82–83°C.
- Off heat, stir in gelatin.
- Pour into insert mold, leaving room for sponge. Freeze.
2️⃣ Ladyfinger Biscuit
- Whip egg white with sugar and salt until soft peaks.
- Add yolk, then fold in sifted flour.
- Spread into 26 x 11 cm rectangle.
- Bake at 180°C for 10–15 min. Cool, cut strip to fit insert.
- Place on frozen crémeux and freeze again overnight.
- 3️⃣ Praliné Crunch Base
- Melt chocolate, mix with praliné and crushed crêpes dentelle.
- Cut another sponge strip (25.3 x 6.5 cm), spread crunch on top.
- Freeze overnight.
4️⃣ Vanilla Mascarpone Cream
- Whip cream and chill.
- Hydrate gelatin.
- Warm mascarpone, stir in gelatin off heat.
- Whip yolks and vanilla until thick. Cook sugar + water to 117°C, pour over yolks while whipping.
- Stir in mascarpone, then fold in whipped cream once slightly cool.
5️⃣ Assembly
- Pour half the cream into the bûche mold.
- Insert frozen cappuccino/sponge.
- Add more cream, then insert sponge/crunch base.
- Smooth surface and freeze overnight.
6️⃣ Two-Tone Glaze
- Hydrate gelatin in cold water.
- Heat sugar, glucose, and water to 103°C.
- Pour over white chocolate + cream.
- Add gelatin, blend gently.
- Divide in two: keep one part white, mix cappuccino powder into the other.
- Cool both to 35–38°C before glazing.
7️⃣ Final Decoration
- Unmold frozen bûche.
- Pour white glaze first, then drizzle cappuccino glaze for contrast.
- Decorate with roasted hazelnuts and caramelized cereal.
- Let thaw in the fridge before serving.
