Butterscotch yule log: A retro Christmas dessert recipe from the 60s - Click Americana (2024)

FAQs

When did the Yule log become a dessert? ›

Originally a real piece of wood burned over the festive period, the yule log has existed in cake form since the 19th century.

The most common combination is basic yellow sponge cake and chocolate buttercream, though many variations that include chocolate cake, ganache, and icings flavored with espresso or liqueurs exist.

The bûche de Noël is meant to symbolize the yule log, which families burned on Christmas Eve. The yule log represents the new year to come and is said to bring the family good luck.

Yule log cake, or bûche de Noël, is a Christmas cake with a ritualistic past. Cleverly shaped and decorated to look like a 3-D log, the cake represents a melding of ancient midwinter traditions: one that celebrated the end of winter, and another honoring the Norse god Thor.

Origins of Yule log tradition

The burning of a special log in a fireplace for luck and fortune has been a holiday tradition long before the arrival of Christianity in Europe. As are most holiday traditions, the origins of the Yule log are believed to have stemmed from Germanic or Scandinavian paganism.

The Yule log, Yule clog, or Christmas block is a specially selected log burnt on a hearth as a winter tradition in regions of Europe, and subsequently North America.

Vin doux naturels (natural sweet wines) are good candidates to accompany the traditional log. Among the different options available, try the log with Muscat-Beaume-de-Venise, white Banyuls, Sauternes, Coteaux du Layon, Quarts de Chaume or sweet wine from Alsace, such as Vendange Tardive or Sélection de Grais Nobles.

The main difference between the two cakes is the way the cakes are decorated. The Yule log cake, or buche de noel, is made to look like the logs burned on Christmas eve, whereas the exterior of a swiss roll is decorated much more simply, such as with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

Yule Log (Bûche de Noël): A Sweet Symbol of Tradition

The Bûche de Noël, shaped like a log, is a Christmas dessert tradition. Crafted from sponge cake and filled with delectable flavors, it is a festive centerpiece enjoyed at the end of Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.

Bûche de Noël is a traditional French Christmas dessert shaped and decorated like a log. This recipe takes some time, but we promise it's worth it.

What is a interesting fact about the Yule log? ›

Most people eating their Chocolate Yule Logs don't care about its origin or associate it with paganism, but the custom of burning a yule log goes back to medieval times The Druids are believed to have created the tradition of the yule log, a bough of a large tree that was kept burning continuously for the 12 days ...

I usually associate a Yule Log with being chocolate or devil's food cake with a cream based filling and decorated to look like a log (with chocolate icing). A Swiss Roll can have any flvor sponge cake and often has fruit or jam in the filling.

Edible Yule Logs

They are made of a chocolate sponge roll layered with cream. The outside is covered with chocolate or chocolate icing and decorated to look like a bark-covered log. Some people like to add extra decorations such as marzipan mushrooms!

Yule was first celebrated as far back as the fifth century (so, more than 1,500 years ago) by Germanic pagans as a midwinter festival to stave off the dark and cold and prepare for the long winter still to come. Farmers and locals would assemble at the heathen temple, bringing food, ale, and livestock to be sacrificed.

Pagan and Medieval Origins: The Yule log cake's history is closely tied to the tradition of burning an actual Yule log during the winter solstice, which was a pagan practice in many European cultures. The Yule log symbolized the year's turning point, with the sun's return and longer days.

“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.