It’s really not Christmas until we make a cake shaped like a log, and prematurely plow through the chocolate treats in our Advent calendars. Well… consider it Christmas because here we have A LOG (that’s really just a cake made of whipped cream and cookies) (and the Advent calendar is loooong gone)!
I made a Yule Log-type Cake a few years ago. It had a soft (gluten-free) chocolate cake filled and rolled with peppermint whipped cream and topped with chocolate ganache. So light and fluffy! Dreams, really.
This year’s Yule Log Cake is beyond clever. We’re stacking thin chocolate wafers with peppermint whipped cream and topping it with chocolate whipped cream. It’s an Icebox Cake! No-bake. Minimal fuss.
Joy the Baker Icebox Yule Log Cake from Joy the Baker on Vimeo.
Because the cake was such a cinch. We made you a Christmas video, too! We were feeling cheeky and we like to play with our food. Thank you to the creative mind of Hilton Carter and the reliability of the Canon 6D for this video. I’d like to pat myself on the back for making a giant stable mountain of ‘whipped cream’ out of meringue and foil. Take a look!
This genius recipe is inspired by America’s Test Kitchen. Do you know the hardworking people at America’s Test Kitchen? They’re a wonderful recourse for great recipes and amazingly sensible kitchen techniques. I love their cookbook The America’s Test Kitchen Cooking School Cookbook.
Now let’s stack these cookies and call it a cake! It’s definitely as easy as it seems.
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Original Photography Shot with the Canon EOS 6D Digital SLR. The perfect multimedia solution.
Heavy cream is whipped until fluffy and crumbled candy canes are folded into the cream. It’s minty.
Each cookie gets a good dollop of the peppermint cream, and then the cookies are stacked together juuust so.
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The whipped cream is soft but still solid enough to hold its shape as the long is stacked.
It’s like Legos, but food.
Once assembled, the cake-log is wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen until solid throughout, about 5 hours.
While the cake freezes we whip up the chocolate whipped cream. Then we break off a piece of the cake-log… we’re making a branch people… it definitely makes sense.
Now would be a most excellent time to place the cake-log on a serving platter. I chose to go marble all the way.
You might feel like you under-whipped your chocolate cream. It’s better to err on the side of under-whipped. It’s smooth and spreadable. Over-whipped cream doesn’t spread as smoothly.
Once the log is frosted, on goes the cookie-branch!
Frost the branch too!
Use the tines of a fork to lightly draw wood grain into the whipped cream. Totally normal.
Oh! Let’s talk about decorations too! Meringue marshmallows are a great idea. They’re pretty easy to make and there’s melted chocolate involved so… we really can’t go wrong.
Peppermint-flavored. Chocolate-covered. Log-shaped. Festive cake. It’s Christmas, and we’ve got the green sprinkles, candy canes, and meringue marshmallows to prove it.
This cake is great made a day or two in advance and stored in the freezer until about 20 minutes before serving time. The cookies soften and meld perfectly with the peppermint whipped cream. It’s simple and sweet. I feel so accomplished, and so will you… and we didn’t even have to turn on the oven. Merry Christmas, friends!
Don’t say it looks like a submarine…
Chocolate Peppermint Yule Log Cake
serves 6
adapted just slightly from America’s Test Kitchen
3 large peppermint candy canes, crushed*
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, divided
a few drops of peppermint extract
30 Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
meringue mushrooms for garnish
*I found it easiest to use a food processor to crush (but not completely pulverize the candy canes.)
First make the peppermint cream. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat 1 cup of heavy cream with 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, and a few drops of peppermint extract. Beat to soft peaks. The whipped cream should hold its shape but still be pillowy smooth. Stir in the crushed peppermint candy and place the whipped cream in a medium bowl.
Lay out 30 chocolate wafers. Spread 1 heaping tablespoon peppermint cream onto a chocolate wafer. Top with another wafer and repeat 4 more times to produce a stack of 6 wafers with cream in between each cookie. Make 5 stacks, each with 6 wafers. Spread 1 tablespoon peppermint cream on top of 5 stacks, leaving 1 stack plain.
Lay cookie stacks on sides and press together end to end, making one log about 14-inches long Wrap log in plastic and freeze until firm, at least 5 hours or up to 1 week. The cookies will soften slightly as it freezes with the peppermint cream.
While the log freezes, make the chocolate whipped cream. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat remaining 1 cup cream, remaining ¼ cup powdered sugar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, a few drops of peppermint extract, and cocoa powder until soft peaks form. The whipped cream should hold its shape but still be smooth when spread. Less is more.
Cut 2-inch piece diagonally from other end of frozen log and set aside.
Transfer frozen cake to serving platter. Spread the chocolate whipped cream over the cookie log. Press reserved 2-inch piece on top of log to make bump, placing it several inches from one end of log. Cover bump with cocoa cream.
Drag tines of fork down length of log to simulate bark. Freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days. Before serving, let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes. Garnish platter with meringue mushrooms and, just before serving, dust generously with powdered sugar.
Jessica Ford
My mom always made this for my birthday when I was little. She called it Log Cabin Cake. Now I make it with my kids. I never thought to use peppermint whipped cream! This is so going on my Christmas dessert table!
sonya
I just love icebox cakes! I had made the Peppermint Icebox Cake several times from America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, so yesterday I made that one and this one side by side to find our favorite. I like the cookbook version better. It has more vanilla and peppermint in the whipped cream, and it has all the same regular whipped cream instead of the chocolate whipped cream on top. I did like the candies in this version, but that one I preferred because I thought this filling was not as good (or topping). Yours turned out beautiful BTW!
Beverly
Love the LOG – I helped my Aunt Ida make this in about 1971 – yup I am THAT old…
Thanks for the memory Joy!…;o)
Beverly
Nancy
Awesome looking Yule log. I just sent your first cookbook to my sister in law for Christmas. it’s a Classic at our house. Just wanted to point out that you said America test kitchen is a great “recourse” when you probably meant “resource.” Love your recipes! Thanks for sharing.
Food Crafters (@FoodCrafters)
Whoo, the video is just incredible, must have you taken days to do it!!
shannon
We always make a yule log for christmas, and this was our pick this year: it was everyone’s favorite buche de noel EVER. Light and creamy and hardly any work. In fact, we loved this so much, i’m back on this post to make it for new year’s eve. This time, chocolate whipped cream inside, white outside. :) thank you for such a delicious (and simple) recipe!
Lori
I love the video! So cheery and so clever!
Brittany
I made this for Christmas dinner with the fam and it was delicious! My entire family had no faith in me and told me it would be too hard, but it was really just as easy as Joy said! It was amazing, highly recommend even if you’re not a great baker :)
Tammy
Oh my gosh! Your video had my whole family smiling! And my daughter & I want to make this next year, as we made a buche de Noel last year and find this one would be perfect to try (it’s an every other year undertaking for us, plus we are all round as Santa with all the treats we have been eating!). Love your recipes and your way with writing! Hope you had the Merriest of days!
Eleanor
A fantastic variation on chocolate ripple cake.
Thanks!
Nicole
Life saver! I was stuck on what to make, and this was perfect! It was so easy, and quick to make, and it looks impressive! Thanks!
Catherine@lifeinthemicro
My 12 and 13 year old daughters are making this to serve after Christmas Eve service tomorrow night. The video and the detailed instructions made this recipe easy for my girls to make – allowing me to get some work done before the festivities.
Arthur in the Garden!
That is cute!
Heather
What a clever and interesting way to make a yule cake!
drew
where on earth do you find the wafer cookies i never can find them anywhere
joythebaker
they can be a little tricky to find. you’re right! i usually find these wafers at more specialty grocery stores. here on the west coast that means places like gelsons, bristol farms, pavillions. try there. they also sell them on amazon.
Vanessa
Sweet video!
icingsugar2
Now that you said submarine, I cant see anything else :P
But all the same it looks delicious :D
Claire (@Kurea_San)
A ha! I too have already finished my advent calendar chocolates :) Oh well, it wouldn’t be Christmas without a little bit of over indulgence. Merry Christmas.
Claire xx
http://somewhereyonder.blogspot.co.uk
Lily @ Life, Love, and Cupcakes
This is amazing! The only time I made a yule log was years ago with my mother and we baked a cake, rolled it up, and all that good stuff…this sounds SO much easier and looks awesome! This just might be the year to pull out another yule log :)
Callie
that video! it was like gumby but food :) love it!
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
I love this, fab idea!
Anne
I feel like I’m watching a tastier and cuter version of that old Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer movie. Talk about Christmas nostalgia!
maryann tomlinson
The Nabisco chocolate wafers are by the ice cream case in some stores instead of in the cookie aisle. Next to the ice cream toppings and cones.
Mallory @ Because I Like Chocolate
I have never seen a yule log made with cookies before. Wicked idea!
Allyson
Mini mushroom meringue is my spirit pastry!!!
joythebaker
hahhahaa! i love you.
Stephanie @ Velez Delights
Happy Holidays / Merry Christmas! This yule log looks cute and fun to make! Don’t really know the history behind it though, since it’s not a part of a Colombian Christmas, but I’ll definitely look into it and learn to make it!
Carrie
The video is wonderful!! I am extremely impressed.
Alejandra
Holy crap…this is AMAZING!! That video is the best thing ever. Merry Christmas!!
Jessica (bakecetera)
what a cake! i love the video and (like usual) your photos are awesome! merry christmas!!
Kayla
The video is so cute, love it!
Pamela
AMAZING video! And the cake looks wonderful too!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
uhh…joy, you’re the best!
Katy
What an adorable video! It’s so nice to see something easy and no-bake, with all the complicated Christmas recipes, this one is a godsend! Plus anything with chocolate and peppermint is always a win.
The Dainty Dot
Do I know the folks at America’s Test Kitchen? Actually, I do! My friend works there testing and comparing and all that good stuff.
My mom used to use those thin chocolate wafers for ice box cakes. Here’s an idea – Do you know the Flour Bakery Cookbook? Joanne has a recipe for homemade oreos. Same delicious choc wafer cookie. There’s got to be a good way to cut the dough real thin …
shelly @ohshelsbells
we always called this zebra cake!
kitchen afternoon
Love your buche de noel! Love my canon 7d!
Elizabeth
How in the world did you make that video?! I want to dance with the cookies!!
Denise
This is so brilliant.
Averie @ Averie Cooks
Joy it looks amazing! I can only imagine how GOOD it tastes! The flavors, the textures, and I love that it’s no bake.
I recently dusted off my mom’s 1970s recipe for creme de menthe bars and it called for those Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers and I literally went to Albertson’s, Ralph’s, and Vons on a grocery store scavenger hunt for those things but finally found them :) Now I know where I can go so I can make your icebox cake!
tucsonbabe
Love the video. One cannot help but smile. Great looking cake too.
Belinda@themoonblushbaker
I could not ask for better Xmas themed dessert. i love the ice box cake yule; i saw a recipe for one of these and doubt it. However yours looks so professional and classy.
The shots for this cake are mouth watering.
lalaluluj
Absolutely adorable! Jelly of your camera too ;)
Joan
i love it. such a fun video too. thanks joy and merry christmas
gracebeekman
Dang, girl! That cake looks so awesome! What a talent you have! Love it.
http://sometimesgracefully.com
nicoletang12
Hi Joy! This cake looks so yummy!! Definitely an easy recipe to try for Christmas! After assembling the cookies and cream together to make the log shape, can you just put it in the fridge to set, or do you have to freeze it? Is there a risk that the cookies and cream will remain frozen inside the icing, when serving?
Monica
Joy, you really are genius! The video is so fun and this log is just beautiful and so creative. Everyone will wonder ‘why didn’t I think to make an icebox yule log!’ We’re not Joy the Baker, that’s why. And the pictures and styling are just beautiful. Happy Holidays!
Angela
OMG! It’s perfect and I’m sure delicious too! Also the video is unbelievable! Great job!
Skye
Gorgeous. I love the idea of cookies and cream as the base to a yule log – such a simple idea and it would work well with other flavours too. And gorgeous video, by the way – adorable.
Have a happy Christmas, Joy xxx