Jenny's Chocolate Yule Log

I made the cake portion of this recipe only. I just didn't have the time for making frosting from scratch! :) I've never made a roll-type cake before, and I wanted to impress my inlaws with something special during the holidays. I was surprised at how easy this cake was to make. The cake came out moist and light, and it rolled without cracking. I frosted the inner roll with a raspberry glaze and chocolate frosting. The outside was frosted with chocolate and dusted with powdered sugar. I even made little meringue mushrooms (dusted with cocoa powder) to garnish the log. No one believed that I actually made the log; everyone thought that it came from a professional bakery! And it tasted incredible, too. There were no leftovers whatsoever. This recipe will become a staple of my holiday events!

Fantastic recipe! I gave it four stars because I thought the frosting was a bit "powdery". I ended up adding some cream cheese to mellow it out and some melted dark chocolate to give it more of a chocolate umph! Might be better off using melted chocolate in place of the cocoa. The cake part was great - perfect consistency and rolled with no cracking or major breaking. The mocha cream filling was to die for! Make sure to sift the instant coffee. I added a splash of Kahlua as well.

Had lost my own yule log recipe and found this one on the internet. It was by far much better even my guests all wanted the recipe. Very easy to make and I not a great chef!

Loved this cake! Light, fluffy, not too sweet, and very tasty! The cake was far to fragile to roll however so I instead cut the thin cake into three strips and made a layer cake. Then, by icing the sides and top of the layer cake with the rest of the icing, I continued the recipe and it looked like a snow covered log with bits of brown showing through! It was a-mazing and although I also forgot to add the rest of the white, fluffy, creamy mixture (you'll find out what it is if you make this) to the batter after I added 1/3rd of it, but that's okay because it was so good anyway! Thank you for the great recipe! Everyone on Christmas loved it!

Easy to make, quick to cook, but, maybe it's just me, or maybe I just didn't use the right kind of cocoa powder.. but it didn't taste as great as I thought it would. I made it for christmas, I have a big family of 8 people, and my mother and her boyfriend came down aswell.. and there were maybe 2 pieces of this cake eaten.. they loved the other two cakes I made... but this one didn't quite hit the spot with any of my family.

I made this for a practice run for x-mas gifts for some co-workers. It's easy fun and fast, and tastes great. Mine cracked a little when I tried to roll it, so now I know to cook it a little less then 15 min. I sliced an end off of each end and put it on the side of the log, like a branch coming out, also put a peanutbutter cup [fun size] on top of the log and frosted it to look like bump on the log.My mushrooms are candy nonpareils and kisses [tops melted just a touch for glue] I'm diffently making these as gifts this year. I also made Chocolate Almond Pine Cones from here.Thanks.

turned out so beautiful! I love the mocha but I can see it can be strong so if I were serving it to non coffee drinkers I would consider going lighter on the the mocha....

I had never made a yule log before and foudn the instructions/process much easier than I always expected it to be. I thought the cake and filling were delicious; I used my favorite mocha frosting to ice it so I cannot comment on the frosting. We foudn that it tasted better the next day after chilling overnight in the fridge. Would definitely make again, probably day before.

I can't even tell you how wonderful I think this recipe is...Very simple and delicious...The first day, I found the icing too sweet also, but it seemed to settle down the day after. I added Amaretto liquer where it called for coffee. I think I am addicted, I have made 4 logs in a week...Yummy!

Superb Recipe! Tastes and looks like you paid way too much at an exclusive bakery! Cake rolls well and is tasty. Mocha Cream filling - Lovely - I added a rounded teaspoon of cocoa. Filling quantity was just enough to fill the cake. Next time I make this I will double all filling ingredients except the coffee granules. Think it will be even better with a bit more 'lightness' to contrast all the chocolaty richness. Frosting - Excellent - just enough to cover cake, I did not cover log ends. Frosting was a bit 'dry' to spread compared to normal frosting - but this lent itself really well to looking like bark. I used dark cocoa. Tasted great.

I followed the recipe exactly (except for a couple of substitues) and it turned out fantastic. Served it for a formal dinner party of 8, and there was plenty for everyone to have seconds. I didn't have 'cream of tartar' so I used a couple of squirts of a fresh lemon (since it's a substitute). And I didn't have 'cake flour' so I used all-purpose flour. In the Mocha frosting I used Kahlua instead of coffee and it was a fantastic complement to the rich chocolate flavour of this cake. Everyone was in disbelief that it was home made!

I've never made a yule log before, but this recipe was easy enough for me to follow and have good results. The cake looked great - I decorated with marzipan mushrooms and mint leaves and cherries that resembled holly. However, the mocha flavor wasn't my favorite even though I usually like mocha. I will try a different recipe next time.

I made this recipe as written and it was wonderful. I do think next time I would make a frosting that not as sweet but that is purely my taste, not a fault of this terrific recipe.

My review is for the frosting only! I would say it's mediocre--not great but not yuck either. Beware! I think it's SUPER SWEET. I halved the sugar and it was A-ok. Can't imagine what it'll taste like with all the sugar. The texture was good for frosting but there was a powderiness on your tongue when you eat it. I can't really describe it with words. I'm going to keep looking for another frosting recipe until somethings WOWS me.

This is an amazing yule log! Faster than it looks to make. The mocha cream filling is incredible and definatey use the cake recipe as written. I substituted this Mocha buttercream frosting which is incredible! 1/2 c butter-softened, 1 c powdered sugar, cream. add 4 tsp high quality cocoa powder, 2/3 tsp vanilla, 2/3 tsp good strong coffee. Beat till soft and fluffy. (I know, wierd amounts, but I reduced an existing recipe.) This amount is perfect for frosting the cake and not too sweet. Merry Christmas!

A Yule Log was required and this is the recipe I settled on. I wasn't disappointed. The cake is light and spongy with the right combination of sweet and chocolate. The filling is delicious and perfectly compliments the cake. In fact, I have used this filling to use on other cakes I have made throughout the year. The frosting is the perfect consistency to spread over the cake and there is just enough to cover the cake completely. All the flavors mix together perfectly and there is just enough sugar, chocolate and coffee in this recipe to identify each individual flavor without any of them being overpowering. The baking instructions clearly state 'do not overbake' and it is vital that you don't. Overbaking will cause the cake to crack and break whie rolling or unrolling, so keep a close eye on it while it is in the oven. I can highly recommend this recipe. It is not difficult to make, but it is an idea to make it a day or two ahead of time so you have plenty of time to assemble it. This has been a big hit in our family at Christmastime and I can see no reason why this year should be any different. Merry Christmas.

Very delicious! Everyone loved this cake. If prepared properly, it is similar to a bouch de noel purchased from a high end bakery. The only change I made was to cut the confectioner sugar quantity in half for the mocha cream filling portion. The frosting is already very sweet so it would have been too much to add that much sugar to the filling as well. Other than that, it was light creamy and divine. You will not regret making this cake :)

The first time I made this, the icing was very sweet- too sweet for my and my guest's liking, However, the texture of the cake is beautiful and the mocha cream filling is wonderful, so the overall recipe still deserves 4/5 stars. I have since made this dessert 3 times and come up with what is a winning combination. #1- don't change the cake or the mocha cream filling at all! It is PERFECT the way it is! #2- spread raspberry sauce on the inside of the cake before adding the mocha cream filling. The raspberry flavour adds a little contrast, decreases the overall sweetness and makes the dish sparkle. #3- Cut out half the icing sugar in the icing. I also omit the milk, and the icing turns out beautifully. There is more than enough to ice the log and the dessert does not end up sickly sweet. This cake consistently turns out beautifully moist and delicious. With changes to the icing and the addition of a thin layer of raspberry filling, this dessert is just spectacular.

Christmas tradition. I do brush the roll with amaretto and add a little to the mouse

This is a very rich and delicious cake. I did have a few problems though. I added less coffee than was indicated, thankfully. I also didn't add any coffee to the frosting mix. The cake broke apart when I rolled it. I followed the instructions PERFECTLY, so I'm not sure what went wrong. The filling sort of held it together, but when I put the frosting on, which was super thick, it tore up what was left of the cake. It looked terrible, but tasted delicious!

My family really enjoyed this dessert and went back for seconds. The only change I made was to spread raspbery jam over the cake before adding the mocha cream. My cake did crack alot and stuck to the towel, but it was easily covered by the frosting. Next time I will try rolling the cake up with waxed paper instead of a towel to avoid sticking.

I swapped the coffee for peppermint extract and crushed peppermint candies on top, it was excellent! I look forward to making it again with the coffee.

VERY TASTY, but I was in a hurry & instead of mixing butter & sugar till fluffy, I added the yellow eggs at the same time & it came out "gritty". My fault.

This is a keeper. The cake and filling I made following the recipe exactly, and it turned out wonderfully. I used a scant tsp of instant coffee instead of the 1 1/2 so the kids would like it as well. I did use my own chocolate buttercream frosting standby which is similar to this recipe. It could not have been better. I decorated the platter and base of the cake with vintage plastic greens, holly and pine trees and dusted them with powdered sugar. Santa, sleigh and reindeer went on top.

If I were rating the cream filling alone it would be way more than 5 stars. The mocha cream is to die for. The cake is just okay. Definitely double the mocha cream for it is simply not enough as written. Will definitely make again tweeking the cake.

it was SO. GOOD. easy. just make sure you leave the egg whites out for a good 30-45 minutes so that its easy to get stiff peaks :) a little sweet. Next time ill lower the sugar in everything. I didnt make the mocha buttercream frosting. I used allrecipie's "rich chocolate frosting". HEAVINGLYYYYYY!

Excellent! I opted to not use the Mocha Buttercream Frosting and went with a basic ganache, but the rest of the recipe was outstanding! Rave reviews from the Christmas dinner crowd!

I loved this! The whip cream center means it isn't that sweet and it was just light, fluffy, and delicious!

I have made many of these over the years and it really is a great recipe. I have used the mocha filling, vanilla buttercream, and vanilla frozen custard as fillings and it always is a hit.

When this actually comes out looking the way it's supposed to..it's beautiful! And the quality of the taste is amazing-so rich. The filling is my favorite and can be used on any cake as well. love love love.

I'm going to review about the frosting and filling because I didn't make the log cake. ( Too lazy, so I used a prepared cake mix.) Both were overall pretty good. The mocha cream filling was excellent. The buttercream was nice, but was too soupy. I might have 'softened' the butter too much.

Yum - this was REALLY delicious and fairly easy to make! I will definitely make it again. On a side note, make sure you grab your box of powdered sugar and NOT your box of cornstarch by mistake ... just sayin' ... ;)

In a word: DELECTABLE. This was my very first yule log and I was nervous about rolling the cake; this recipe held and rolled perfectly without any cracks or breaks. The filling is the perfect complement to the cake and the frosting made awesome "bark"!

love chocolate and this was my 1st time ever making a Yule log cake! , I tasted a few scraps out of the oven. But I didn't follow this recipe to the T. Instead of Mocha cream filling. I put my homemade chocolate mousse instead. I think I will use the mocha butter cream. Never used Fondant to decorate so this should be interesting Weds 12/21 when I take it out of the freezer to thaw and decorate. Holy leaves/berries, meringue mushrooms, little grass, snow, a border and a bow I think. Sorry old fashion, I like to pipe decorate cakes. The fondant I purchased looks like green play-dough. I need a hint on fontant, How thin or thick do you roll this stuff out, to take a holy leaf cutter with plunger to? Update: Hubby lliked the 1st cake at Christmas. Today the 3rd role cake. I made an oops. To make up for it on cake #2, I added 1 extra egg yolk and increased chocolate to 1/3 cup. Hubby said this cake with my oops is the keeper and write it down on this recipe. I guess he liked my oops and so did I. It rolled with no cracking, so moist. and more chocolate flavor. I still fill with my mousse and use this coffee whip cream filling as the frosting. Perfect and not too sweet.

The cake stuck to the towel very badly. I think next time I will try rolling in parchment paper instead. I didn't have any instant coffee so I threw in a packet of Starbucks instant via. I think it was too strong- it tased very strongly of coffee. Hopefully the sweet icing will balance it out. I decorated with merengue mushrooms. It looks great- not sure how it will taste!

This cake was good, regulation cake. It split in half when I unrolled it, though I was able to hide that (from the outside) with frosting. It was too sweet even though I cut the frosting sugar in half, and not chocolaty enough until I added melted chocolate to the frosting.

Followed the recipe exactly and it was delicious!!! This will become a tradition

do make sure not to overcook the cake or it will crack when you try to roll. if you don't like coffee--leave the granules out of the filling. it has a great coffee taste but daughter gave the cake back to me! HA! i loved everything about this cake --especially the chocolate frosting which i will save as my official chocolate frosting recipe! WONDERFUL cake!

This was wonderful!

I'm giving this 4 stars instead of 5 only because I did not make the Mocha Buttercream Frosting. I was wary of it because of some of the reviews it got. The cake itself was surprisingly easy to make. I was actually worried about how it would turn out because I had never mad a cake like this before. It was a little lighter in color than I expected, but it tasted great. The very best part though was the Mocha Cream Filling. That I would give at least 5 stars!! Even my kids loved it. I got several compliments from my family about this cake and I plan on making it again.

Perfect recipe! !!! I had no problems with this. Everything came out as it should. Only thing i changed was i used Mocha flavor gel instead of coffee granules. The other reviews that said they had problems our" powder" results i don't understand how, cause mine did not come out like that. This could be in 5 star restaurants.

Awesome and so easy.

This was my first yule log I've ever made, and I made it for my family last Christmas. There was nothing but compliments from my family. They could not believe I made it from scratch. It was light and delicious, the mocha cream filling was a hit. I will need to upload my photos because it turned out so cute - I had a little reindeer and sleigh on top. I will probably have to make it again this year because my brothers got really quiet when they were eating it (that means GOOD).

It was a good recipe when I first made it even though that it accumulated mold after the second day. I recommend that the yule log is made to eat that day only.

Thank you for this amazing recipe! I only made the cake and filling , and opted to use simple chocolate ganache as my frosting. The Creamfilling was very outstanding, and I took others' advice and made more than the recipe calls for. I was licking the bowl!!! the cake was moist and rich- however I think it helped alot that I allowed my roll to rest in the fridge overnight before serving it. the only peice of advicxe I would give is to lightly spray the dish towel with pam before rolling the cake up in it- my cake was sticking to the towel, so next time I'll try using pam. Thanks again!

Loved the look and taste of this. Even though the cake cracked as I rolled it, the frosting hid it well.

It tastes good, that's all I can say good about it. I made it twice and neither time did it rise nicely, the 2nd time was better, but... And it stuck to the towel so bad that I threw the towel away. I never had that trouble before.

What a disaster this was! I only made the cake part as I had my own filling and frosting that I wanted to use. I am a pretty experienced baker but this recipe was my krytonite! I didn't have a linen towel so I guess this was my issue....as it stuck extremely bad and I had to throw it away. It rolled up fine, it was the unrolling where the problems started. With every roll it broke into different pieces...arggggg!!!!! I make pumpkin rolls this way all the time and don't use a linen towel and they work fine, but for this recipe....I suggest using the linen towel,wax paper or parchment paper so you don't have the mess I did. However on a bright note...the cake does have a good flavor.

I first made this yule log for a Christmas 2010 party and it was a huge hit! I think the mocha filling is what makes this recipe special. I love the sponge cake. My best friend tells me to this day that this is the best dessert she has ever eaten! I made marzipan mushrooms ahead of time for decoration and sprinkled the finished cake with powdered sugar to look like snow. This recipe is now in my treasured Christmas file and I hope to make it every year from now on.

I made this exactly as instructed on Christmas Eve to serve the next day as dessert. This was my first time attempting a log and it came out perfectly! The cake rolled up nicely without cracking to cool, and both frostings were delicious! The one thing I'd like to make clear is that when first mixing the yolk/cocoa, etc mixture, it takes on a very thick slugde-like consistency... If you just mix in the stiff egg whites this will smooth out and take on a lovely silky texture. I used a meringue mushrooms recipe from this site to decorate and dusted the whole thing with cocoa powder and powdered sugar. This was an absolute hit at Christmas dinner - I can't wait to make it next year!

Follow the directions exactly & this turns out wonderful. My family doesn't like mocha so I substituted cocoa powder to taske. I used the meringue mushroom rescipe to decorate and it was a huge hit with the chocolate lovers. My only issue was the size - it really wasn't big enough to serve 11.

This was my first time making this yummy yule log. Instruction said to flip it on a linen towel, but I just rolled it up after it cooled. It turned out great! I adorned the log with meringue mushrooms...thanks to another allrecipes.com recipe! I will definitely make it again next year...I might "chop" it and make a little branch on top.

This was very good overall, tasty and rich. The consistency of the cake was just right, I didn't have any problems assembling and rolling it (which is usually the hardest part). I stabilized the cream filling with some piping gel (you can also use gelatin dissolved in water) and used coffee liqueur in the icing instead of plain coffee. I also made a little more icing than the recipe called for, and had a bit leftover, so the called for amount seems just right.

the actual cake pasrt never made it out of the pan successfully in one piece.. but the filling was yummy!

This cake came out fantastically. I made some minor tweaks to the recipe in the flavor department, (I didn't use coffee, just a regular light chocolate ganache, and the top frosting was a dark chocolate ganache. The cake rolled very easily, perfect texture. Will use this recipe again!

Kids went nuts over it, even I was sneaking forkfuls the next day. Not an authentic French buche of course but SUPER good and not too much trouble. A keeper!

Perfection! It looked like it came from a patisserie!

Would have given this 5 stars, because it was YUMMY! It only got 4 stars because it was a lot of work. It was a hit at our Christmas Party.

I just made this last night, and it was a big hit with my bf's family. The only thing I did not follow was the frosting. After reading the reviews, I decided to look up the best Butter Cream Frosting on this website and used that instead. I cut the frosting recipe in half, spread a thin white layer on the cake, chill. Then made the chocolate version of the frosting and spread a thin layer on top of the white layer. Then made my "bark" lines so that the white layer was uncovered in the creases. Took this to my bf's house and his brother actually thought it was real and wanted to throw it in the fire. The mocha filling is to die for!! I will definitely be making this again this year and for many years after.

Oh huzzah huzzah. I didn't use the cream recipes at all (maybe next time, and my brother isn't too fond of coffee), but the cake turned out beautifully! Instead of cream, I crushed up half a carton of strawberries and boiled them until they were bubbling hot, then spread them over the cake. When using a cloth to roll up the cake, MAKE SURE IT'S A LINEN CLOTH. Anything else will stick like mad, and cause a mess to boot (as I found out the hard way). Someone might try parchment paper as well to roll up the cake, that might work. Anyway, the strawberry filling oozed out of the cake and I let it sit in the fridge for a while. Took it out prior to taking it to the party and stuffed it with fresh strawberries by poking a chopstick through the whole thing. Be careful. Also cut off the ends of the roll to make it look a little nicer. Sprinkled on a bit of icing sugar and *voila!* there it was, a yummy cake for my brother. Yay and thank you (=

Turned out amazing for Christmas dinner. Very light and delicious in flavor. I made no changes. My only problem was that it did stick to the towel while I was trying to unroll, but it didn't show when it was iced. I made meringue mushrooms for added effect. There were nonstop comments on the looks and taste.

This took a while to make, but it was very rich and delicious. We'll make this a yearly Christmas tradition!

Thanks that was very nice. For the frosting, instead of vanilla extract I added Tia Maria liqueur. I found it a bit too sweet to my taste, but overall a immense success!

So very good and easy...love the mocha cream filling, I could just make that and eat it!

Very good! I made this for Christmas it was very festive. The grocery store was out of whipping cream so I had to improvise and use lite Cool whip with the coffee crystals for the filling and I think it was a delicious (not to mention healthier) substitute! I decorated this with the meringue mushrooms on this site. It was an impressive addition to our holiday.

This turned out perfect! The cake was yummy and rollable. The filling was by far the best part of the cake. 5 STARS

I usually avoid recipes that call for 'beating egg whites and folding them in' but I took a chance and it was much easier than I anticipated. The cake, filling and frosting are all just perfect in texture, creaminess, and taste. Truely an awesome recipe sure to become a family classic and tradition.

The recipe is so good, thanks

First time making a yule log and it was a big hit! My 23 year old son did most of the making as he loves to cook and it was a wonderful treat for me to have him in the kitchen and a wonderful treat for the whole family to have such a delicious, moist--not too sweet-- dessert to enjoy. I used 1/2 splenda but everything else I did as the recipe called for.

Very good -- a new holiday tradition at our house!

This was a fabulous dessert. I made it for a Christmas Eve party. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make this! I thought the cake would be falling apart as I tried to roll it. But no, the directions were simple to follow, and this was so easy to make! And the taste of the cake...I had raving reviews and was told over and over that this was the hit of the party!!

Very good! Easy to make - only change I think I will make next time is to use cocoa powder on the wrapping towel instead of powdered sugar. There was almost too much white on the log to cover up. Great recipe though !!

My family LOVED this! It was rich and so decadent. The only change I made was I added 2 tbls more cocoa powder to the cake and a few tablespoons of water to loosen the batter before adding the egg whites. I might double the filling next time just because I thought it was so good and would love to have a little more.

This was not the easiest cake to make. Logistically it would have gone faster if I had multiple mixing bowls. I had to keep stoping to wash up to move on to the next step. I used a 13 1/4 by 9 1/4 pan. So my log was thicker and it did crack some. I made a double batch of frosting and applied gently. Will find out tomorrow how it taste!

I've never made a yule log in my life before and found this recipe easy and simple to follow. I substituted the mocha cream filling for a vanilla flavored one to make it less coffee flavored. It was delicious and went over very well. My cake did break when I was rolling it up the second time. Luckily, it was on the inside piece. There was also a crack on the outside but the frosting covered that up nicely. If I had baked it for about 13 minutes, instead of 15, it would have turned out better I think.

Quite an easy recipe to work with. I find that the icing is really really sweet but I guess that's how dessert it supposed to be. It tasted really yummy and my friends really enjoyed eating it.

yummy this was so tasty i'm making this every year for Christmas. my family and guests could not get enough of this dessert.

I was so pleased how this turned out! I made it a day ahead and served it on Christmas Day for dessert. Easy directions to follow and it was delicious. Plus, it impressed all my family members!

I used the filling and the frosting. My cake recipe was from The Cake Doctor book. For the frosting I wasn't so sure at first. I halved the sugar as recommended by another reviewer, and glad I did. When I tasted in the bowl, it was super sweet. However, on the cake it went really well. Quantity was perfect. I hate having leftover frosting. Even my mother-in-law kept some after Christmas, so we can know it was a success!

Oh wow. Wow. Takes some time but totally worth it!

I followed this recipe exactly except I also left the coffee out of the Mocha Buttercream Frosting and it was absolutely delicious! I made it the day before as suggested and kept it cool. It wasn't difficult to make, even though I was intimitated, having never made a rolled cake before.

I made this instead of my usual Ho Ho cake for Christmas Eve, and my family was thrilled! It tasted wonderful and was not too difficult to prepare. I used my own chocolate buttercream frosting on the outside, but followed the cake and mocha cream recipes exactly as listed here, and it really turned out great!

Excellent cake! It turned out beautiful and everyone at Christmas dinner loved it. Thanks for the recipe!

This came out great. I used starbucks espresso and the flavor was awesome.

This cake was delicious! I made it for my housemates for our christmas party, it recieved high reviews even though half of it fell on the floor. None of us care for cofee taste, so i axed that and made a simple filling of whipped cream and chocolate pudding. I'll definately make this again, though, ill make sure that one doesn't end up on the floor before I feed it to everyone.