Active Time

　　1 hour

　　Total Time

　　2 hours (plus cooling and drying for cranberries)

　　If you’ve ever wanted to make a bûche de Noël but simply don’t have the time or patience to make a Swiss roll cake and all of the decorations that come with it, we suggest this loaf de Noël. This decorated loaf cake delivers all of the drama and trappings of a traditional bûche de Noël with only a fraction of the work. Made in one bowl, sans mixer, this loaf comes together quickly with a handful of pantry staples and utilizes one batch of buttercream for both the inside and exterior of the cake. While simple in preparation, the final product is anything but.

　　There are a few special additions that make this festive cake shine. Cocoa powder gets bloomed in melted butter, which gives the cake a richer depth of flavor. While you can’t taste any coffee in the finished cake, the addition of instant espresso powder also helps to intensify the chocolaty flavor. Sour cream does double duty by keeping the cake plush and moist while adding a subtle tanginess. In order to mimic the layers of cream inside a roulade, the cake gets cut into thirds lengthwise and spread with two layers of vanilla buttercream (flavored and stabilized with white chocolate) so that when it’s sliced into, it’ll reveal a layer cake of sorts. The same vanilla buttercream gets mixed with melted chocolate to cover the outside of the cake to create the illusion of a log. Decorated with sugared cranberries and sprigs of rosemary, it’s a showstopper for any holiday table.

　　All products featured on Epicurious are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

　　

What you’ll need

　　Chevron

　　Chevron

　　9x5 Loaf Pan

　　$14 At Amazon

　　Stand Mixer

　　$389 At Amazon

　　Unsweetened Baker’s Chocolate

　　$8 At Amazon

　　

Ingredients

8–10 servings

　　

Cranberries

½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, divided

　　½ cup fresh or frozen cranberries

　　

Cake

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

　　1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar

　　⅔ cup (57 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder (such as Guittard Cocoa Rouge)

　　2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt

　　2 tsp. instant espresso powder

　　½ cup plus 6 Tbsp. (1¾ sticks) unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled

　　3 large eggs

　　1 cup sour cream

　　1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

　　1¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour

　　1¾ tsp. baking powder

　　

Buttercream and assembly

6 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped, or 1 cup unsweetened chocolate chips

　　6 oz. white chocolate, chopped, or 1 cup white chocolate chips

　　1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

　　3 cups (330 g) powdered sugar, sifted, plus more for dusting

　　1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

　　1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt

　　Rosemary sprigs (for decorating)

　　

Cranberries

Step 1

Bring ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar and ¼ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, 2–3 minutes. Let simple syrup cool 5 minutes.

　　

Step 2

Add ½ cup fresh or frozen cranberries to simple syrup and stir until coated. Using a slotted spoon, transfer cranberries to a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet and let sit at least 1 hour and up to 1 day to dry.

　　

Step 3

Place remaining ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar in a small bowl and, working one at a time, toss cranberries in sugar to coat. Transfer to a plate or bowl as you go; set aside.

　　Do Ahead: Cranberries can be sugared 3 days ahead. Transfer to an airtight container; cover and chill.

　　

Cake

Step 4

Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 325°. Lightly coat a 9x5" loaf pan with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Whisk 1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar, ⅔ cup (57 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder,, 2 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 2 tsp. instant espresso powder in a large bowl to combine. Add ½ cup plus 6 Tbsp. (1¾ sticks) unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled, and whisk until just combined. Add 3 large eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition until incorporated and smooth. Add 1 cup sour cream and 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract and whisk until smooth. Add 1¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour and 1¾ tsp. baking powder and whisk until combined and no dry streaks remain (a few small lumps are okay).

　　

Step 5

Scrape batter into prepared pan to fill three fourths full. (Do not overfill. If your loaf pan holds less than 7 cups you may have leftover batter.) Smooth surface with an offset spatula. Bake cake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 65–80 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool in pan 30 minutes. Run spatula around edges of cake, then turn out onto rack. Let cake cool completely.

　　Do ahead: Cake can be baked 3 days ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

　　

Buttercream and Assembly

Step 6

Microwave 6 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped, or 1 cup unsweetened chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in 15-second bursts, stirring after each burst, until melted, 1–2 minutes; set aside. Add 6 oz. white chocolate, chopped, or 1 cup white chocolate chips to another microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring after each burst, until melted, 1–2 minutes. Set aside separately.

　　

Step 7

Beat 1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, 3 cups (330 g) powdered sugar, sifted, 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed, scraping down sides of bowl as needed, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

　　

Step 8

Transfer half of the buttercream (about 1¼ cups) to bowl of reserved melted white chocolate. Stir with a rubber spatula until smooth. (Mixture might appear grainy at first, but keep stirring and it will smooth out. Some texture is fine.) Add melted unsweetened chocolate to remaining buttercream and fit back onto mixer; beat on medium-high speed until just combined, about 1 minute.

　　

Step 9

If the top of the cake has overflowed slightly around the edges, trim, to create an evenly rounded top. (Do not cut the top so it’s flat.) Place cake on a cutting board and use a serrated knife to cut into thirds lengthwise (you should have 3 long layers). Place bottom cake layer on a platter or large plate and spread half of vanilla buttercream evenly over with rubber or offset spatula. Place middle cake layer on top and spread remaining vanilla buttercream over. Set top cake layer on top. Spread half of chocolate buttercream around sides of cake. Chill cake at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. Loosely cover remaining chocolate buttercream in bowl and set aside at room temperature.

　　

Step 10

Remove cake from refrigerator and frost all over with reserved chocolate buttercream to cover completely. Drag a fork through frosting to make textured lines all over the cake (you want it to resemble tree bark). Chill cake at least 1 hour to let buttercream set.

　　

Step 11

Just before serving, place some powdered sugar in a fine-mesh sieve and dust cake. Decorate with sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs as desired to resemble holly.

　　Do ahead: Cake can be assembled 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.