[Buche de Noel]

A typical French Christmas sweet is Buche de Noël. In French, "Buche" means "firewood," and "de Noël" means "Christmas" in Japanese. Translated, it means "Christmas firewood." It's a strange name.

As the name suggests, this cake is shaped like a log. The traditional way to make it is to spread buttercream on a chocolate-flavored roll cake and roll it up to resemble a log.

There are several theories as to why it has this shape. The most plausible one is that it was a ritual performed before Christianity spread in Europe, during the winter solstice, in which a large log was burned for several days. It was a ritual offered to the gods to ensure a good harvest in the following year and to prevent disease.

It's a cake with a long history and a lot of meaning. It's now eaten as a Christmas cake, but knowing the story behind Buche de Noël makes it even more delicious!

These are easy to make and fun to decorate with a Christmas theme.
Why not try a Buche de Noel for your Christmas cake this year?


By a staff member living in France