The Yule Log, or Bûche de Noël, tradition goes back centuries – with layers of chocolate, cake and cream, there’s a reason why it endures! This Keto Yule Log cake recipe is the perfect low carb and sugar-free version of this traditional holiday dessert.
Keto Yule Log or Keto Bûche de Noël?
Today we’ll be making a Keto Yule Log cake, or Keto Bûche de Noël, if you prefer! Same thing, different name. The French does sound a bit fancier, ooh la la! Whatever you prefer to call it, this gorgeous cake is made up of layers of chocolate cake rolled around a chocolate creme filling to resemble the rings of a tree. It is an enduring tradition to have one at the holidays!
The tradition of the yule log literally goes back centuries and originally started as a Norwegian celebration of the solstice. The tradition involved burning an actual log, a tree really! Like so many great pagan traditions, it got absorbed into the Christian tradition (like the very date of Christmas which was originally the Roman holiday Saturnalia!). And now, rather than burning a log, we just eat a log cake – makes perfect sense!? The tradition of making a log cake at Christmas continues in France and across the world in many families.
Enough about the crazy past of this delicious creation, let’s figure out how to make this holiday dessert keto. After all, cakes are usually make of flour and sugar! Let’s take a look at what we need to make this beautiful Keto Yule Log!
KEY INGREDIENTS KETO YULE LOG CAKE 🌲
Allulose
Allulose is a rare, naturally occurring sugar that is very low in calories and well as low carb. It is my favorite keto ingredient and the backbone of my baking. It is the perfect sweetener for our Keto Yule Log!
Check out more keto recipes with allulose.
Oat Fiber
This zero calorie fiber is light and fluffy but can be a bit dry on its own. It helps make for a light cake for the Keto Yule Log. LifeSourse is absolutely my recommended brand. Other brands have resulted in ruined baked goods so make the effort to get LifeSource brand oat fiber.
Check out more keto recipes with oat fiber.
Casein and Whey Proteins
These are the two other main ingredients to our flour. They work together extremely well with the oat fiber to produce a light fluffy cake that is high in protein, so it’s healthy too! These help us have a high-protein, low carb chocolate cake for this holiday treat.
Check out more keto recipes with casein protein and whey protein.
🥄TECHNIQUE
This recipe is a taaaaad more involved than most. But heck, we’re making a sugar-free, low carb Bûche De Noël here! It’s an artwork and an accomplishment! TIP: I HIGHLY recommend reading through the recipe and then coming back and checking out the technique and troubleshooting sections.
Cake
Spread the cake batter on a silicone sheet or parchment paper. This is important because the LAST thing you want is to be trying to pry off a stuck on cake! Attempt to spread it thinly and evenly, since the more uniform it is, the more evenly it will cool and the better it will roll. TIP: spread out the batter with a spatula and then give it a little shake to smooth out the ridges left by the spatula (picture below is before a little shake).
Bark
We’ll make the chocolate by a quick method of tempering it. Melt half of the chocolate and then add the other half of the chocolate to the melted chocolate. Stir the mixture until all of the chocolate is melted. This will help adjust the temperature of the chocolate and temper it so that the finished product will be shiny and solid at room temperature.
Spread out the melted chocolate on the plastic wrap to make the bark. Allow the chocolate to cool and harden completely. Removing the chocolate “bark” and applying it can be a little messy, just take your time and try to keep all your materials in one area. The cake will be worth it!
Mushrooms
These take a pinch of artistry – just tap into your inner artist and make some cute mushrooms. These are made in two pieces, a roundish ball to make the cap and a small cylinder to make the stem. Marzipan makes for a great clay. Toothpicks can act as an anchor for placing the festive fungi. TIP: be careful about where you place them, they are kind of heavy and can cause the cake to break. You can also elect to have them growing out of the platter!
Moss and Snow
When applying your “moss” and “snow” it can help to use a tiny sifter to help you spread the matcha and powdered allulose evenly. I choose to make one half of the log the damp side with moss and mushrooms growing out of it. Just tap into that inner artist. TIP: leave some parchment under the cake (I ripped mine in half so I could pull it out from under each side) to capture any extra moss or snow decorations.
🍳EQUIPMENT
- Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
- Baking sheet
- Mixing bowls
- Plastic wrap
- Spatula
- Toothpicks
🔍TROUBLESHOOTING
Let’s plan ahead in case we hit any bumps in the road!
Why is my cake batter batter dry?
This batter is naturally dry, but if it seems too dry did you omit the coffee and not replace it with almond milk? Double checking all the liquids, if it is still very dry try adding an additional tablespoon of almond milk. The final texture should be stiff like a mousse.
How do I prevent the cake from cooking unevenly?
Try to ensure that the cake layer is even so it will cook at the same rate. Also, rotate the pan half way through if your oven doesn’t heat evenly. I do not recommend using convection with this recipe.
My cake cracked when I rolled it up, now what?
Worry not, this cake will be prone to cracking! This is what our frosting and bark are for! Take a close look at my pictures – there are cracks in the cake – the frosting helps to cover that up and help the bark adhere. When the bark is applied, you won’t be able to tell. I also like the hyper-realistic look of the Keto Yule Log looking like a real log!
Keto Yule log trimmed and with a branch cut 
Keto Yule Log with chocolate frosting applied 
Keto Yule Log complete with matcha moss!
🍽SERVING
Keto Yule Log is traditional for the holidays but it could be great in many settings! Here are a few ideas!
How to serve Keto Yule Log Cake:
- Perfect for Christmas parties or Christmas eve 🎄
- With decorations it could make an awesome “fairy” or “army” birthday cake 🎂 for a little one
- Awesome for a bachelor party (picturing armadillo cake!)
What to drink with Keto Yule Log Cake:
This would be amazing served with some creamy coffee for an after dinner dessert. An ice cold glass of milk (almond or maybe macadamia!) would also be so delicious with these.
✅STORING
This cake holds up well in the fridge in an air tight container.
💕MORE RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- You’ll love this chocolate pull-apart Keto Babka Snowflake ❄️
- Keto Peppermint Marshmallows
- For chocolate cake lovers, Keto German Chocolate Cupcakes are also a chocolate winner!
- Keto Whoppie Pies AKA Gobs are also a really fun take on chocolate cakes.
- Enjoy your favorite ice cream with Keto Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches!
- Keto Coconut and Cheese Flan is another gorgeous (and easy!) must try
Keto Yule Log
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Baking Sheets
- Parchment Paper
- mixing bowls
- Plastic wrap
- spatula
- Toothpicks
Ingredients
CAKE
dry ingredients
- 1/2 cup oat fiber specifically LifeSource brand
- 1/2 cup allulose
- 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup casein protein specifically Muscle Feast
- 1/4 cup whey protein specifically Isopure
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
wet ingredients
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup avocado oil can substitute melted coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt sour cream also works
- 2 tablespoons coffee optional
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
FILLING
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup allulose
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 teaspoons vanilla
FROSTING
- 3 ounces sugar-free chocolate
- 3 ounces heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup hazelnuts finely chopped (can substitute with a different nut)
CHOCOLATE BARK
- 2 ounces sugar-free chocolate
MARZIPAN "MUSHROOMS"
- 1/4 cup almond flour finely ground
- 1/4 cup allulose powdered
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- water just enough to make it come together
- cocoa powder for sprinkling on top
GARNISH
- 2 teaspoons allulose powdered
- 1 teaspoon matcha
Instructions
CAKE INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- In one bowl, mix all dry ingredients. Cocoa and protein powders can clump so be very thorough.
- In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until the mixture is well incorporated. The texture should be pudding like. If it’s too stiff, add another tablespoon of almond milk.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread the batter out evenly across the parchment (SEE PHOTO). It will be very thin, approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
- Bake at 325 F and begin checking for doneness at 12 minutes. Cake is done when set and a knife inserted at the thickest part comes out clean.
- Remove cake and parchment and roll up, using a kitchen towel in the center.
- After cooled, return parchment and cake to the pan to get ready for the filling layer.
FILLING
- Add cream to the bowl of the stand mixer and mix until the texture of whipped cream.
- Add allulose, cocoa powder, vanilla and room temperature cream cheese and whip until combined.
- When the cake is completely cooled, unroll and add the filling. The cake might crack some. That is okay, it will be covered by frosting and bark. Rest cake in refrigerator while making bark and frosting.
CHOCOLATE BARK
- Melt half of the chocolate in the microwave. Be careful not to burn the chocolate. Mix the room temperature chocoloate into the melted chocolate until all chocolate it completed melted.
- Place a large rectangle of plastic wrap on your work surface. Using a spatula, spread the chocolate thinly over the plastic wrap.
- Allow to cool completely in the refrigerator until solid.
FROSTING
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave. Be careful not to burn the chocolate.
- Mix the melted chocolate with the heavy whipping cream and cool in the refrigerator.
- Grind the hazelnuts into very small pieces, you can use a grinder or blender. A knife works but we're looking for pretty small pieces. Be careful not to turn it into hazelnut butter!
- Take the cooled chocolate and cream mixture and whip it in the mixer (I often do this without cleaning it from the frosting – so naughty!). The mixture should thicken up as you go.
- When the chocolate and cream thicken, you can add in the hazelnut mixture. Keep cool in the fridge.
MARZIPAN " MUSHROOMS"
- Combine the finely ground almond flour, the powdered allulose, and almond extract.
- Add a little water until the mixture comes together enough to form, like a clay.
- This should be enough for 3 mushrooms. Divide the marzipan in 6 parts. Make three balls and flatten them a little for the mushroom caps. Make three rolled shapes for the stems of the mushrooms.
ASSEMBLY
- Take the filled cake from the fridge and cut off any ragged edges. These are yours to enjoy 🙂
- Cut about 1/4 of the "log" off at an angle. This offcut will be the branch in your log and make an interesting Y shape.
- Cover this Y shaped, trimmed log in frosting. Fill in any cracks that may have formed. The frosting won't show – it's more like spackle for the log and glue for the bark.
- Remove the bark from the fridge and bend the plastic wrap some so the chocolate breaks, forming "bark" for the log.
- You can apply the bark as individual pieces or try to use the plastic wrap to apply it direcly to the log. Either way is pretty messy so just have fun with it!
- With all the bark applied, it's time for some matcha "moss" – sprinkle some on one side of your log.
- Using toothpicks, anchor the mushrooms to the tree. If you place too many in one area, it can cause the cake to break. Spread them out a little, or also feel free to add them to the serving plate instead.
- Sprinkle a little cocoa powder on the mushrooms for interest.
- Finally, add some powdered allulose "snow" to your yule log.
- Refrigerate until served. Enjoy!
I’m always amazed with your Keto creations. This is amazing!
Thank you, Jessica! This was was fun and festive!
This is my most favourite cake ever! My mom makes it every year at Christmas and now that I am older, it has become my birthday cake, anytime I go home for the holidays. This keto version looks delicious. Love your mushrooms!!!
That’s such a sweet story! I thought it would be fun as a different birthday cake! You’ll have to try marzipan mushrooms next time you make one, they’re so yummy!
One of my very favorite Christmas traditions. I love that you made it keto – the guilt is gone!
Thank you, Sue! It was so fun to be able to make this one in a low carb version. I hope you’ll post a pic of yours!
I’m in awe! I need to see if I can recreate it! Thank you for the challenge!
Thank you so much, Betty Jo! I’m so excited to see how you enjoy it – you’ll have to snap a pic!
Absolutely looking good. I like the details of your recipe I havent done a yule log cake but I love eating them.
Thank you, Jeannie! I feel like I want to be with everyone in the kitchen when they’re baking! 🙂
Great recipe. I will give it a go. It is such an innovative way of making it x
Thank you, Marita! I can’t wait to see the pictures of your Yule Log! xo
I like your storing advice, but no thanks! All cakes are best stored in my tummy!
You are a veritable artist!
Thank you, Mihaela! You are too kind! It was very fun to make, that’s for sure. And, I agree, you are right – this is best stored in the tummy!
Oh my this is beautiful!! I love how you did the mushrooms too!
Thank you, Leah! It was really fun to make! I hope you’ll give it a try!
This is such a cool recipe! You did a beautiful job creating a keto Yule log. I love the look and idea behind it.
Thank you so much, Alyssa! It was so much fun to make! It also kind of looked like a tornado whipped through the kitchen after I was done! Ha! Happy Holidays!
I’ve never tried a Yule Log, but you made it look so easy! Might have to add this to my list of Christmas creations this year!
Thank you so much, Ana! I think you should try it a Yule Log! It’s so fun to get creative with it. Send me a pic when you do!
Wow! Your detailed work on this is amazing. I love your use of keto-inspired proteins and ingredients to turn a typically carb-filled treat into something a little less so.
Thanks so much, Christina! I had a ton of fun making this one! It’s a challenge to figure out how to turn these traditional treats into super low carb recipes but I enjoy it. Luckily my husband eats all the failures while I figure it out!
Wow! I am impressed with your work. It looks so tasty.
Thank you, Gina, this one was so fun to make! I’m looking forward to all the holiday baking!
I love this recipe. I’m very excited to make it for Christmas Eve dinner. I wanted to know if you thought I could make it the night before? I have to work Christmas Eve. Do you think it would still be tasty the next day? Thanks in advance!
Hi Debbie, thanks so much for writing and asking! I do think so! We had ours a couple of days and it kept really well. Keep it in the fridge (obviously!) and I’d recommend adding any decorations at the last minute – snow, moss, “mushrooms” if you’re using them. You can make the marzipan mushrooms ahead, I’d just add them to the cake at the last minute. I hope you have a wonderful holiday! Please feel free to contact me with any other questions here or @starfishinthekitchen on instagram.