Bûche de Noël

The Yule log cake is a traditional Christmas dessert for many French-speaking people. The cake is decorated to look like a wooden log—a custom that stems from the European tradition of the lighting of the Yule log. This tradition traces its roots to the pagan ritual of burning a huge log in a bonfire to honor the winter solstice. As Christmas came to replace winter solstice celebrations, the Yule log was thrown on the fire on Christmas Eve in order to cook the midnight supper. The ashes fro