Bûche de Noël History and Fun Facts (2024)

FAQs

Bûche de Noël History and Fun Facts? ›

It is thought that the Bûche de Noël comes from an ancient Celtic tradition of finding a large tree log and burning it on the shortest day of the year, in celebration of the Winter Solstice. In medieval France a Christmas feudal tax required peasants to bring a large log of wood to the manor house of the feudal lord.

The Bûche de Noël — or, Christmas Log — is said to date back to around 1870, when a Parisian pastry maker was inspired by the Christmas eve ritual of burning a log in the fire (a tradition that can in turn be traced back to the winter solstice rituals of ancient Celts).

The cake emerged in the 19th century, probably in France, before spreading to other countries. It is traditionally made from a genoise, generally baked in a large, shallow Swiss roll pan, iced, rolled to form a cylinder, and iced again on the outside.

The Yule log was originally part of Celtic culture. During the Winter Solstice – the shortest day of the year – the Celts would keep a wooden log burning throughout the night to celebrate the rebirth of the sun. The first rolled, log-shaped cakes appeared in France in the late 19^th century.

The buche de Noel cake is sometimes called a jellyroll cake, because the yule log cake portion is baked in a long, wide jellyroll or half sheet pan. This gives you that long, thin cake portion that you can spread filling on top of a roll up to form the “log.”

It is thought that the Bûche de Noël comes from an ancient Celtic tradition of finding a large tree log and burning it on the shortest day of the year, in celebration of the Winter Solstice. In medieval France a Christmas feudal tax required peasants to bring a large log of wood to the manor house of the feudal lord.

How long does Bûche de Noël keep in the fridge? This cake can keep up to 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container. The chocolate ganache acts as a barrier and keeps the cake soft and moist for days. Make sure to place a peice of parchment paper on each end of the cake so that it does not dry out from the sides.

Norse people have celebrated the winter solstice for hundreds of years. For them, it is the time for feast and sacrifice. Traditional customs, such as the yule log, wassailing, and tree decorating are of Norse origin. In pre-Christian Scandinavia, Yuletide, or the Feasts of Juul celebration, lasted for 12 days.

Yule is derived from the original Norse tradition of Jol (pronunced yu-ol), one of the oldest winter solstice festivals documented. The festival was named after the Norse god Odin, one of his many names was Jolnir (pronounced Yu-ol-near), and one of his many duties was the patron of the dead.

“Yule” became a name for Christmas about the 9th century, and in many languages yule and its cognates are still used to describe that holiday—jul in Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish; joulud in Estonian; joulu in Finnish; and jol in Icelandic. The Christmas holiday is still referred to as Yule in the Scots language.

When would the bûche de Noël be served? ›

A bûche de Noël is a sponge cake that is typically served around Christmastime. It's believed to have originated in France during the 19th century. The cake is filled with frosting and rolled to look like a log.

The thirteen desserts are in reference to Jesus and his twelve apostles at the Last Supper. As tradition goes, there must be at least thirteen sweets available. They are all served at once, and each guest must have at least a small bite of each dessert.

Christmas pudding may be Britain's best-known festive dessert, but in France, the bûche de Noël — or yule log — reigns supreme, with skilled pâtissiers and home bakers creating an array of different versions, from the classic to the outré.

Frost the cake with ganache. Before it sets, quickly make bark markings with the tines of a fork or chopstick. Begin decorating the Buche de Noel with crushed pistachios and cocoa powder. Finish the Buche de Noel with meringue mushrooms, cranberries, and rosemary.

The first known Yule log cake recipe was published in 1895 by French pastry chef Pierre Lacan in Le Mémorial Historique et Géographique de la Pâtisserie. Francophone countries most avidly consume Yule log cakes, although they're common in many countries that celebrate Christmas.

(byʃ də nɔˈɛl) French. a French Christmas cake made from a thin layer of spongecake that is rolled up and frosted so as to resemble a decorative Yule log.

A common misconception is that the gateau takes its name from the region of its origin: the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) mountain range in south-western Germany, whereas, the Black Forest Gateau actually takes its name from a distinctive and fiery kirsch alcohol made from Black Forest sour cherries, known as ...

It comes from French Nöel—the French way of saying “Merry Christmas” is Joyeux Noël. The word derives from Latin word nātālis (diēs), meaning “birthday.” Another name for Christmas is Nativity.