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.

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.

It seems to have originally been a Nordic tradition. Yule is the name of the old Winter Solstice festivals in Scandinavia and other parts of northern Europe, such as Germany. Yule Logs could have started out an entire tree, or very large log, that was carefully chosen and brought into the house with great ceremony.

Interestingly, the Yule log was originally an entire tree! Families would bring the trunk of the Yule tree inside and stick the big end of it into the fireplace. The log would feed the fire through the 12 Days of Christmas (from Christmas Day through the evening of the 5th of January—known as Twelfth Night).

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.

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.

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 ...

One of the favourite sweet treats of Christmas was first created in remembrance of an ancient tradition. The Christmas Chocolate Yule Log we all know and love actually represents the historical practice of collecting and burning a very large log in the hearth, throughout the Christmas season.

Which cake is traditionally eaten on Christmas? ›

Christmas cake is a type of cake, often fruitcake, served at Christmas time in many countries.

Over the history of Christmas, yule logs date back to the 1600s when families would burn the real log on Christmas Eve to symbolize the coming of the new year and good luck. Then, they were popularized in French bakeries during the 19th century where they get their other common name, Bûche de Noël.

Fire, lighting and other visual effects complete the picture and bring some holiday magic direct from Arendelle to your living room. Arendelle Castle Yule Log: Cut Paper Edition will debut exclusively on Disney+, December 17, 2021.

Similar to a Swiss roll, the Yule log cake is made of a soft sponge cake and is believed to have originated in France around the 19th century and was known as Bûche de Noël. The cake is shaped, decorated and frosted to resemble the Yule log from the original tradition.

The first rolled, log-shaped cakes appeared in France in the late 19^th century. At a time when fireplaces and chimneys were fading from fashion, this dessert stepped in to take up the torch. Today, more than 50% of French people round off their Christmas dinner with a slice of Yule log.

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.