Tronco de Natal, or ‘Christmas log’, is the Portuguese version of the bûche de Noël: a rolled sponge cake filled with chocolate and decorated to look like a log. It appears on Christmas tables in Portugal alongside bolo-rei, rabanadas and other holiday sweets.
The cake itself is a light, flexible sponge made without butter, which allows it to roll without cracking when it is rolled warm in a towel.
The filling is a simple chocolate ganache that is chilled and whipped to a spreadable texture. See our Bolo Rei (recipe on the site) and Salame de Chocolate (recipe on the site) for other Portuguese Christmas sweets.
Tronco de Natal Recipe
What you need
Ingredients
- For the sponge:
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar, for rolling
- For the chocolate ganache:
- 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Port wine or rum (optional)
- To decorate:
- Powdered sugar and cocoa powder for dusting
- Fresh rosemary sprigs and cranberries, optional
Cook along
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Line a 10 by 15-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper and grease lightly.
- Beat the egg yolks with 1/3 cup of the sugar and the vanilla until thick and pale, about 4 minutes.
- In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt until foamy. Gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and beat to stiff, glossy peaks.
- Sift the flour and cocoa over the yolks and fold in gently, then fold in one third of the whites to lighten. Fold in the rest until no streaks remain.
- Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until the top springs back.
- Meanwhile, lay a clean kitchen towel on the counter and dust it generously with powdered sugar. Turn the hot cake onto the towel, peel off the parchment and roll up the cake with the towel from the short end. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
- For the ganache, bring the cream just to a simmer and pour over the chopped chocolate. Let stand 2 minutes, then stir until smooth, adding the Port if using. Cool, then refrigerate about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to spread.
- Unroll the cake and spread with about half the ganache. Re-roll without the towel and place seam-side down on a platter.
- Cut a thin slice from one end at an angle and set it against the side of the log as a branch. Spread the remaining ganache over the log and drag a fork through it to create bark lines.
- Chill at least 30 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar and decorate before serving.
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