Serve this easy cake mix yule log cake as dessert with my holiday cranberry-walnut stuffed pork, creamed spinach with water chestnuts, and a santa spritz cocktail.
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★ Why You’ll Love this Recipe ★
There’s something so cozy, festive, and inviting about a holiday yule log! Especially one made of cake.
Made with cake mix, this recipe is super easy!
This recipe starts with boxed cake mix, saving time and ingredients. This Swiss roll recipe also uses marshmallow frosting for the filling. You can buy this special, yummy frosting ready-made which is another big time-saver!
The process is easy to follow.
I'll give you step-by-step directions. I also have a 1-minute how-to video that shows the process, including rolling the cake as well as decorating it to look just like a beautiful log.
You can absolutely nail this on the first try! Even if baking isn't your thing. Just follow the steps.
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
What ingredients are in this yule log cake?
This particular recipe is super simple. You start with cake mix then all you need is a handful of other ingredients to make this beautiful holiday log cake come to life.
Here's everything you need:
- Devil's Food chocolate cake mix. The devil's food cake flavor is rich which works well with the marshmallow filling. You can use chocolate cake mix too if you prefer something less rich.
- Water. Or you can use milk. Milk will add a rich and creamy flavor.
- Oil. Vegetable oil or any high-heat cooking oil works.
- Eggs. I prefer corn-fed free-range eggs. They have excellent flavor.
- Powdered sugar. This helps the cake not stick to itself when you roll it.
- Marshmallow frosting. This is the inside filling of the roll cake. You can use store-bought frosting that is specifically "marshmallow" flavor. It's not the same as marshmallow fluff. Or make your own marshmallow frosting.
- Chocolate frosting. This for the outside of the cake which we'll texture to look like bark! You can use store-bought, or I have a great, very simple homemade sea salt chocolate frosting recipe I like to use.
Finishing Touches
You can decorate this yule log cake however you'd like. An easy way to add a really beautiful touch is by garnishing with a few sprigs of fresh rosemary and a few fresh cranberries.
Sugar these garnishes by simply dipping the rosemary and cranberries in water. Shake off any excess water, then roll each in table sugar for a crystalized "snow covered" look.
★ How to Make this Yule Log Cake ★
This recipe is easy enough for novice bakers but it might be helpful to see how to prep and roll the cake before you try it.
Here's a snapshot of the steps involved.
- Beat eggs then mix in cake mix, water (or milk), and oil.
- Spread batter onto lined baking sheet.
- Bake and let cool slightly.
- Roll cake and let set to take shape.
- Unroll and layer with marshmallow frosting.
- Roll up cake with filling.
- Frost the outside.
- Create a bark texture using a fork.
- Add sugared rosemary and cranberries.
You can also watch the how-to video underneath the recipe, below.
★ Tips ★
Success on the First Try
- Bake time may vary depending on how thick you spread the batter out and also your type of oven. Just be sure not to overcook the cake or you may have trouble rolling it. Recommended baking sheet size is 12" x 18" for best results.
- Keep an eye on the batter. As soon as all the shiny parts disappear, check the center with a toothpick. You don't want to over cook or it will be harder to roll.
- When rolling the cake, be sure to use plenty of powdered sugar to prevent it from sticking to the towel.
- Don't let the cake cool for more than 5 minutes or it will be difficult to roll and may crack.
- If the cake cracks, just smooth over the cracks with frosting
- Roll the cake tightly and while it's still warm. You'll need to compress the cake a bit to get a good roll.
Get creative with your presentation.
- You may choose to slice off the ends of the cake and leave it unfrosted. Some of the tradition recipes for yule logs I've seen do this. I've seen the slices stacked together and attached to the side of the log with frosting to look like a branch. Up to you if you want to try this! There's no right or wrong way to do this in my opinion. This is a fun dessert recipe that can be decorated and served according to your own style. So have fun with it!
- To save time or simply for a different look, try using woodland-themed cake toppers to decorate vs. cranberries and rosemary.
Use a Cake Stand
A nice cake stand goes a long way in elevating the look of this cake. I love the way a rustic wood cake stand looks.
Add Cake Toppers
If you want to add a touch of whimsy, look into a cake topper set with a woodland theme.
Check out these shop links to get inspired:
★ FAQs ★
If you’ve never seen or enjoyed a yule log cake, I'd say it's similar to a giant Ho Ho or chocolate Swiss roll cake. Except instead of a chocolate coating, it's covered with chocolate frosting.
The frosting is often made to look like the bark of a log. With this recipe, I'm going to show you how to do this to your yule log! (Don't worry, it's really easy, no professional bakery skills required.)
Actually in general, a yule log cake is incredibly easy to make if you start with a cake mix.
You might be curious about origin of the yule log dessert. Or you might not be. So I'll keep it short and sweet and you can do your own Googling if you need more info.
The yule log is a Nordic tradition that began with an actual log which was part of an entire tree burned a little bit each day during the 12 days of Christmas. (Read the full story here). Somewhere along the way, the idea of the yule log was transformed into a dessert. Brilliant.
I love recipes that are easy and delicious. I’m a big fan of boxed cake mixes because they're cheap, easy and now you can buy them organic.
There's also a special marshmallow frosting you can buy ready-made that's absolutely delicious as the filling, and obviously it's super easy since all you have to do is spread it. I have a marshmallow frosting recipe too if you prefer to make your own. You choose what works for you!
I do recommend making your own chocolate frosting if you have time.
Homemade chocolate buttercream frosting (click for my recipe) is pretty easy to whip up and it's so amazingly good.
If you want to save time though, store-bought whipped chocolate frosting works great too.
Save time and use store-bought frosting or make your own. Your choice!
The flavors that work best, in my opinion, are:
Marshmallow frosting: Get my homemade marshmallow frosting recipe here, or sometimes you can find this frosting in stores. The flavor is a little different plan plain vanilla frosting, but vanilla frosting works well too. Marshmallow Fluff also tastes great, but I find it to be too sticky and doesn't spread well, so I prefer Marshmallow frosting if you can find it, or just make your own.
Peppermint frosting is also delicious and super fun! You can find this frosting at stores around the holidays.
Vanilla frosting: This works great and is readily available. I find the whipped frosting easiest to spread.
All of these options are delicious so choose your favorite or just use whatever is handy. Remember, this is an easy and low stress cake! 😉
Yes, you can! It's actually very quick and easy to make your own. Check out my 5-minute, no-cook, Homemade Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting recipe.
★ More Recipes You'll Love ★
Feeling the holiday spirit?
Try making some Christmas cookies too!
Typically this is a Christmas dessert so if you're reading this and Christmas is still pretty far away, pin this recipe for later!
This easy yule log cake recipe was featured on South Your Mouth!
Easy Yule Log Recipe Using Cake Mix
Equipment
- woodland cake decor
Ingredients
Cake
- 6 eggs
- 13.25 oz box chocolate cake mix
- ⅓ cup water
- ¼ cup vegetable oil or canola
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Filling
- 12 oz can peppermint, vanilla or marshmallow frosting to make your own, see notes
Frosting
- 12 oz whipped chocolate frosting canned or homemade
Garnish
- fresh cranberries and rosemary for garnish to sugar, see notes
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Beat eggs. In a large bowl, beat eggs with an electric mixer for 5 minutes until frothy and pale yellow in color.
- Create batter. Add cake mix, water and oil and beat on low for 2 minutes.
- Prepare baking sheet. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or a silicon liner, then coat liner with baking spray. Make sure to grease sides of the baking sheet as well.
- Add batter to baking sheet. Pour batter onto prepared 12x18 baking sheet and spread evenly.
- Bake. Bake at 350˚F for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool. As soon as toothpick comes out clean, remove from oven and let cool for at least 5 minutes, not more than 10.
- Release cake from pan. While the cake is still warm, grab a linen dish towel. Sprinkle both sides of the towel with powdered sugar to prevent cake from sticking to it then lay it on top of the cake. Holding the towel and pan together, gently flip the pan upside down so the cake drops onto the towel. Tap to release if needed.
- Roll cake. Peel parchment paper or silicon liner off of the cake. Then tightly but gently roll the cake, keeping the towel in place to separate the layers. Place the rolled cake, seam-side down, on a cooling rack and let cool for at least 15 minutes.
- Unroll and add filling. When cooled, gently unroll the cake and spread a layer of marshmallow frosting all the way to the edges. Gently but tightly roll cake back up to form a log. Place cake onto a serving dish, seam-side down. Make a branch. (Optional) If you'd like to make a "branch" cut away a slice of the cake, at an angle, and position at the side of the cake. Trim the angled end of the cake to be flat. This will leave you with a leftover slice so, as the chef, you can enjoy that if you'd like!Frost the entire outside of the log and branch with chocolate frosting.
- Add bark texture. Using a fork, create a bark-like pattern in the frosting.
- Garnish. Add fresh cranberries and rosemary or decorate your log. Or use your creativity to create a wintery scene using whatever decorative items you would like. Mushrooms and woodland creatures can be fun additions!
Video
Notes
- Recommended baking sheet size is 12″ x 18″ for best results.
- Because this cake is very thin, it is very easy to over bake.Be sure to spread batter evenly and remove from oven as soon as the cake passes the toothpick test.
- Ovens, pans, and altitudes vary. So for best results, and to avoid a dry cake, pull your cake out of the oven as soon as a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Another way to tell if the cake is done is as soon as it no longer looks wet on top.
- To sugar your rosemary and cranberries, dip them in warm warm, shake off excess water, then roll in sugar. Let dry, then add to your cake.
- Make your own filling: marshmallow frosting recipe.
- Make your own frosting: chocolate buttercream frosting recipe.
Ellen T. says
Thank you for this recipe! This was my first attempt at making a Yule Log. I followed your directions for the cake and rolling instructions. I used a ricotta and mascarpone filling, and whipped up store bought frosting with some milk. One small crack did appear on top, but that was easily filled with filling and frosted over. Can’t wait to serve this after Christmas dinner. Thank you again.
Rachel Starks says
For box cake mixes, I like to use a package of instant pudding in the cake batter to make my cakes moist. Should I not use instant pudding mix in this recipe, or would it be ok to add it? I’m thinking if I add instant pudding in your Yule log recipe it would make the cake too squishy to roll, and not able keep its log shape. Is this cake’s consistency like a sponge cake? Thanks! 🙂
Angela G. says
Hi Rachel, I think it would be OK to add pudding mix. I haven't tried it though, so no guarantees. The eggs are what help this cake hold together yet be flexible enough to roll. This does create a spongy texture. I hope this helps! Let me know if you try it adding the pudding mix. Also, there are cake mixes that include pudding in the mix you could try.
Rachel Starks says
Hi Angela. Thank you for your reply and advice! I will let you know how it turns out using pudding in the batter. I’m excited to try your recipe!
Angela G. says
You're welcome! I hope it turns out well for you! Excited to here what you think of the pudding mix addition.
Rachel S. says
Hello! First of all, I loved your recipe and how easy it was to make a Yule log cake. I did make it with the pudding and the cake came out with a little bit of a denser crumb but still had a moist texture. I will be using your recipe again in the future! 😊
cherney says
I followed this recipe and the cake was great. However, the pan size was too small resulting in a thick cake that rolled but then when we put the filling in and rolled again cracked and eventually became flat. If using a Duncan Hines cake mix use a bigger pan because the cake rises making the suggested pan too small. Also if making your own marshmallow frosting once its mixed put the bowl in a pot of hot water and let it melt a little to get rid of the sticky texture.
Huong says
What size eggs did you use?
Angela G. says
I use large size eggs.
Lisa says
Excellent recipe ..made my first time log a breeze ..I changed filling to a cream cheese filing with walnuts and cherries 🍒 and a vanilla butter cream outside as my family are not huge chocolate frosting fans ..came out amazing
Isabela M. says
After rolling the cake with the frosting in the middle, can i freeze/refrigerate it before decorating? I want to do this for christmas eve but it’s still 3 days away
Angela G. says
Yes you can freeze or refrigerate then just defrost to room temperature before icing. Thanks for asking. Happy holidays! .
Amy Leigh says
can you use a buttercream vanilla frosting inside if you don't like marshmallow?
Angela G. says
Hi Amy, Yes. Vanilla buttercream frosting is an excellent substitute if marshmallow flavor isn't your thing.
Nancy says
I need to make this for my sons French class. Can I roll it with parchment paper, if I bake it on paper longer than the baking sheet? What if I roll it immediately after I remove it from the oven?
Angela G. says
Hi Nancy, I think you could get away with rolling it with a long sheet of parchment paper if you don't have a clean dish towel. You should let it cool some before rolling or it may be too hot to handle. It also may come apart if you don't allow it too cool some before rolling. If you need to speed up the cooling process, trying putting it outside (assuming it's cold out) or in the fridge to cool it quickly.
Betty says
I always put my cake layers in front of a fan on kitchen counter top for faster cooling.