Amid all the gourmet Christmas treats, there is one which always sticks out: the Yule log.
Also known by its original French name, the bûche de Noël seems to defy festive spirit itself through its brown, slightly unsightly appearance. And yes, we all know that it can look like something else too.
But, despite its unconventional exterior, it is essentially a roulade – a sponge, with some form of cream filling and covered in brown icing (to look like a log).
To make it more bark-like, bakers usually drag a fork through the icing to create symmetrical lines.
It’s not as glamorous as the flaming Christmas pudding or marzipan coated Christmas cake (cc-ing our HuffPost US cousins who called it the “ugly dessert”), but it does have a rich history attached to it.
As York Castle Museum explained on TikTok, the cake does stem from a tree-related tradition which stretches back to a more pagan era.
Yule is a reference to the ancient festival meant to honour the winter solstice with many customs which have carried over into Christian culture.
Around the 17th Century, Europeans used to drag logs into their home, although it’s not entirely clear where they got the inspiration from – historians suspect either the Vikings of Scandinavia or tribes from Germany.
This log would then be decorated with ribbons, “anointed with spice and wine”, according to the TikTok, and kept inside the family home.
As York Castle Museum explained: “The tradition was to burn the log for the entire 12 days from Christmas Eve until the 12th night in the fireplace or hearth.
“It was important to keep the log burning as the fire was believed to drive away evil spirits, and bring good luck to the household.
“If the fire went out, it was considered very unlucky.”
A piece of the log would be saved to be used as a torch for next year’s too.
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♬ I Can Feel It (Christmas Instrumental) - Nick Sena and Danny Echevarria
The French (although it’s disputed exactly which chef was behind it) then transformed it into a cake in the 1800s, a move we should all be grateful for.
It’s not only more delicious and probably less of a fire hazard than the original yule log, there are the more practical benefits to this “ugly” cake, too.
As it’s not supposed to look glamorous, it’s the perfect cake for a beginner baker. If the sponge itself goes slightly wrong, then you can cover it up with chocolate icing.
As our baking queen Mary Berry says: “It’s utterly delicious and a perfect alternative to Christmas pudding!”
So maybe next time you want to insult the world’s ugliest dessert, just remember – it’s much older than you.
