A bûche de Noël is only as good as its cake. This recipe for vanilla chiffon cake delivers a perfect, fluffy, thin sheet of deliciousness that’s easy to make and even easier to roll up — if the pastry gods are with you, there will be no cracks.
This recipe follows the chiffon method, wherein lots of air is whipped into eggs and sugar to create a foam. Next, neutral-flavored oil, milk, vanilla, and white vinegar are added, and the acid in the vinegar will interact with the baking powder to create lift. The final step is gently folding in the flour and leavening by hand: Use a rubber spatula and a light hand to keep the batter as airy as possible.
The batter is spread in a half-sheet pan and bakes very quickly, so don’t wander off. Once it’s out of the oven you’ll dust it with powdered sugar, invert it onto a clean towel, and roll the cake and towel up like a sleeping bag. Don’t panic, you’re not going to eat the towel — it’s just there to keep the cake from sticking to itself as it cools. This step sets the cake into a cylinder form so it won’t crack when you unroll it, fill it, and re-roll it later.
While this process is not rocket surgery, it does happen quickly, so read the instructions all the way through a few times, follow the photos, and prep everything ahead of time. You’ll be rewarded with a delicious cake that features a gorgeous spiral inside when sliced.
Vanilla Chiffon Cake Recipe (for Buche de Noel)
Ingredients:
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (142 grams) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup (132 grams) sugar
3 tablespoons safflower oil
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
About ½ cup confectioner’s sugar, divided
Instructions:
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a rimmed half-sheet pan (these will measure in a range from 17 ¼ x 12 ¼-inches to 18 x 13 inches) with non-stick cooking spray. Line the bottom with a piece of parchment trimmed to fit the bottom of the pan exactly. Spray the parchment with cooking spray; set aside.
Step 2: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
Step 3: Beat the eggs in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment on high speed until light and doubled in volume, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and beat in the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Continue to beat until puffy and tripled in volume, 5 to 8 minutes. When you stop the machine and lift the whisk attachment, the batter will create thick ribbons that will sit on top of the rest of the batter for several seconds before sinking.
Step 4: Combine the oil, milk, vinegar, and vanilla in a measuring cup. With the machine on low, pour the oil mixture into the egg mixture and mix until blended. Remove the bowl from the mixer and sift a third of the flour mixture over the batter. Fold gently with a rubber spatula, making sure to dip down into the bottom and sides of the bowl, until no pockets of flour remain. Repeat with the remaining flour in 2 more additions. Do this as gently as possible so as not to knock any air out of the batter.
Step 5: Pour the batter into the center of the prepared baking sheet. Use an offset spatula to spread the batter evenly into the corners and sides.
Step 6: Bake on the center rack of the oven until the cake is light golden, is starting to pull away from the edges of the pan, and it springs back when pressed gently in the center, 10 to 12 minutes. Don’t overbake. Remove from the oven and let cool for just 1 minute.
Step 7: Working quickly, run a butter knife around the sides and edges of the pan to loosen the cake anywhere it might be sticking. Sift half of the powdered sugar evenly over the cake. Top the pan with a large, clean dish towel. Place a cutting board that is larger than the pan (or a full size sheet pan flat side down) over the half-sheet pan. Put on oven mitts, take a deep breath, and invert the set up so that the cake and towel are turned out onto the cutting board. Remove the cake pan and carefully peel away the parchment paper that lined the pan.
Step 8: Sift the remaining powdered sugar over the cake. With a short end facing you, fairly tightly roll the cake up with the towel like a sleeping bag. Place the cake seam side down on a cooling rack and let it cool completely, about 45 minutes.
Dina Ávila is a photographer living in Portland, Oregon.
