The classic yule log cake has been keto-fied! A delicious keto cake roll with sugar-free chocolate frosting. This amazing low carb cake will be the star of your holidays. And it’s totally nut-free!
This recipe goes out to my husband, whose wonderful mother made a Bûche de Noël every Christmas. She’s no longer with us so I promised him I would make a keto-friendly version for him to revel in the nostalgia.
But truth be told, I actually made this delicious cake LAST Christmas and am only getting to posting the recipe just now. Because I made it on Christmas Day and it was so beautiful, I just had to get photos. And then I sat on them for a full year, so that I could share it with you well in advance of the holiday.
There’s a good chance I might be making this keto yule log cake again this year!
Perfecting keto cake rolls
Cake roll is tricky to get right even when it’s full of sugar and gluten, so you can imagine how much harder it is with keto ingredients. If you understand the role of gluten in baking, you will understand why.
I once heard gluten described as a magical elastic band. It provides structure and strength, as well as elasticity, so the cake roll is more flexible and doesn’t crack as easily when you roll it.
But I’ve managed to make some really great keto cake rolls in my day, even without gluten. My keto pumpkin roll was the first one I ever tried and while it can crack a little, it worked out really well. And my Keto Gingerbread Cake Rollis a fan favorite every holiday season.
One of the best cake rolls I ever made is the Flourless Swiss Roll I featured in my new cookbook, The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking. I learned some great tricks with this one, especially as I had to make it multiple times. The first time, it turned out perfectly but I managed to delete the photos from my camera without downloading them.
The second time, I thought I’d attempt some shortcuts to make it easier. Simply put: It. Did. Not. Work. So I learned not to take any shortcuts or skip any important steps. The third time, it worked perfectly again and I knew I had the best keto cake roll recipe on my hands.
I used this same cake roll for the keto yule log. Why mess with perfection? I used a different filling and frosting, however. My ever popular Keto Chocolate Frosting was ideal for roughing up so that it looked more like a log.
How to make Keto Bûche de Noël
With this recipe, I managed to make a truly flexible chocolate cake roll that is far less prone to cracking. It is entirely flourless, with no almond flour and no coconut flour. It’s a perfect cake for anyone with nut allergies!
While it may seem laborious to separate the eggs and beat the whites, I urge you not to skip this step. I tried that as one of my shortcuts and it resulted in a cake that just wouldn’t roll without cracking all over the place.
The gelatin is really helpful for a more flexible cake as well. I have made cake rolls without it but it does make a difference. If you simply can’t use it, fine, but do expect a bit more cracking.
I say this all the time but it bears repeating: the combination of sweeteners is important! Swerve gives better structure to cakes but it hardens more. A bit of BochaSweet, allulose, or xylitol will help make the cake more flexible. Again, you can make it without, but do expect a bit more cracking as you roll it up.
Finally, I find that rolling the cake before filling creates more cracks. This is a departure from previous keto cake roll recipes. In past recipes, I’ve noticed that the unrolling process created it’s own set of cracks so I decided to forego that step and simply keep it somewhat warm as I prepared the filling.
I honestly believe that this is a keto Bûche de Noël worthy of my late mother-in-law’s approval. My husband was thrilled and I know you will be too.
Happy Keto Holidays!
Keto Bûche de Noël
Ingredients
Cake
- 6 tablespoon cocoa powder divided
- 6 tablespoon powdered Swerve Sweetener
- 1 tablespoon grassfed gelatin
- 6 large eggs separated
- 2 tablespoon BochaSweet (or allulose)
- 2 tablespoon brewed coffee or water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- Pinch salt
Filling
- 2 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup whipping cream divided
- ¼ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
- 1 recipe Keto Chocolate Buttercream
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 and line an 11×17 inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Grease the paper and pan sides very well. Dust thoroughly with 1 tablespoon of the cocoa powder.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together ¼ cup of the cocoa powder, the powdered sweetener, and the gelatin.
- In another medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the BochaSweet until lighter yellow and thickened, about 2 minutes. Beat in the coffee and the vanilla.
- Using clean beaters and a large clean bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and salt until they hold stiff peaks.
- Gently fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites. Then fold in the cocoa powder mixture until no streaks remain. Spread the batter even in the prepared pan and bake 10 to 15 minutes, until the top springs back when touched.
- Remove from the oven and let cool a few minutes, then run a knife around the edges to loosen. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder. Cover with another large piece of parchment paper, and then a kitchen towel. Place another large baking sheet overtop and flip the whole thing over. Keep covered and warm as you prepare the filling.
Filling:
- In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese with ¼ cup whipping cream until smooth.
- In a large bowl, beat the remaining whipping cream with the sweetener and vanilla extract until it holds soft peaks. Then add the cream cheese mixture and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Do not over-beat.
To Assemble
- When ready to fill, uncover the cake and gently peel off the parchment from what is now the top of the cake. Spread the frosting evenly overtop, leaving a ½ inch border around all the edges.
- Starting at one of the short ends, gently and carefully roll up the cake. The inner, tighter rolls may crack a little but this will be hidden in the inside of the cake. Place seam-side down on a cake platter.
- Cut off about 3 or 4 inches of the end of the cake roll on the diagonal and place this piece up against the side of the main roll with the cut end exposed, to resemble a branching log.
To Frost
- Prepare the chocolate buttercream as directed. Spread the frosting over the tops and sides of the cake roll, leaving the cut ends exposed for visual interest. (feel free to cover the uncut end of the roll entirely with frosting).
- Drag a fork in long lines all over the cake to rough up the frosting. Garnish with fresh rosemary twigs and a few fresh cranberries, if desired.
Carol-Anne says
Hi Carolyn 🙂
Truly appreciate all the testing you put into your recipes to ensure the best success for home cooks/bakers. Quick question I hope you can answer for me. As allulose is not approved for sale in Canada or the European Union (its not available other than through US online sources), would xylitol be an appropriate substitute in your recipes that call for allulose or BochaSweet? Thanks for your help! C.A.
Carolyn says
Yes, xylitol is the next best thing.
WR_Ok says
Can this cake roll be frozen and then thawed at room temp when ready to use? Will it hold up or end up crumbly?
Carolyn says
As long as it’s wrapped up tightly, it should be good.
Caroline says
Hi carolyn how long would this last in the fridge ????
Carolyn says
5 to 7 days.
Lauri says
I found this recipe last year and have been waiting all this time to make it for my family holiday dinner this year. It was an absolute hit! It will be on my Xmas menu every year from now on. Yum!
Carolyn says
I am so thrilled!
Sharon S. says
I’ve been doing keto for about 2 years and during that, I have lost a whopping 41 pounds.
Elizabeth says
I just made this amazing Keto Buche De Noel. The recipes directions where spot on and easy. The cake rolled up perfectly and the filling and icing turned out just perfect. Thank you for a wonderful recipe, and have a safe and healthy holiday!
Bridget Russo says
So it took me 5 1/2 hours but mostly because I have double vision and a poor memory. That was the best 5 1/2 hours spent since I don’t know when. As I beat the egg whites I remembered my mom saying “not yet, you want it to have stiff peaks”. I played some music and watched the new version of “A Christmas Carol” and for that 5 1/2 hours I wasn’t sad about not being able to visit my family in Boston. If I didn’t have diabetes and progressive I’d be eating fries, Baskin Robbins peppermint stick iced cream and having Baileys on the rocks with a big ole bowlful of Kraft Mac n Cheese just to make me feel better. I just made your recipe for Baileys and am over the moon happy.
Just a note – I found it easier to grease the parchment paper and dust it with cocoa before putting it in the pan.
I am skeptic on whether I cooked the cake long enough. When the timer set for 10 minutes when tiff I was so tired by then I put my finger gently on the top and it sprang back but when I went to put the knife around the edges I saw what I wonder is egg whites not cooked. You could hear a sort of dewy sound when I rolled it up, which was sooo easy I’ve ruined so many of these.
Thanks for taking my mind off the pandemic for a few hours ????
Connie says
Hi will it still work if I only use erythritol (can’t get allulose or Bochasweet in my country)? Or what other substitutions can I use? Thanks
kathy says
I was wanting to know that too
Anu says
This is just incredible, I’m blown away! I made this recipe from your book, not realising that your blog had it too, so I almost didn’t leave a review here but then stumbled upon this in one of my open tabs on my phone.. doh! So I made the recipe almost exactly as written (using allulose and erythritol in the sponge as I didn’t have any BochaSweet) and followed the instructions as written.. perfect! I had a few small cracks when rolling the sponge but by the end everything was hidden and it looked gorgeous. I opted for a smooth glaze (chocolate ganache, as per the recipe in the book, rather than chocolate buttercream) and, once set, dusted it with edible gold dust.. so elegant 🙂 The combination of cream cheese and chocolate is spot on and the textures match so beautifully. This has to be one of my favourite recipes of yours, thank you!!
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it!
Eni says
Sooo… long Story short, I made the roll and whipped topping and rolled up and covered awaiting frosting as we were too full to have on Boxing Day. Unfortunately the cake accidentally sat out at room temp for about 24 hours. Do you think it would still be ok to eat? I’m concerned about the whipped (egg white) topping with cream cheese, but maybe the sugar would stabilize it enough for 24hrs? I’m ready now to make the buttercream frosting but don’t want to cover a spoiled cake. Or maybe unroll and remake the whipped topping? Really want to salvage this !! Thanks ps. It has been refrigerated for the past 24hrs
Carolyn says
It should be fine. there is no egg white in the filling, so I am not sure what you are talking about.
Ryan says
I had always want to try a Yule Log, being keto now, stumbling upon this was perfect!
I actually made it several days in advance, (in case I needed to make something else).
Everything worked out, first try! May be beginners luck, but I’ll take it.
It was a HUGE hit! No one knew it wasn’t a “regular” cake!
Thank you so much for this recipe 🙂
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it!
Jennifer Burkhart says
Can I make this a day ahead of time? I’d like to make it today for Christmas tomorrow? Thanks so much!
Carolyn says
Yes, should be fine.
Catherine says
I was a little worried about leaving the cake flat and not rolling it up to cool, however, when I filled it and rolled it up….it was flawless…not a single crack. Amazing cake, so delicious
Carolyn says
Hooray! Glad it worked. I know it’s different than the traditional method for cake roll but I started to notice that rolling it first produced cracks when you unrolled it again to fill it.
Anne Gosetti says
I just finished making this and tasted along the way…so good! Thanks for the recipe!
Carolyn says
So glad to hear it!
Fawnjemison says
Hi Carolyn would like to try this recipe for Xmas do the eggs need to be room temperature I do have Bocha sweet however I only have powdered monk fruit will it work the same
Carolyn says
Egg whites whip best at room temp but separate them when they are cold, as it’s easier. Not sure about the powdered monkfruit… if it’s Lakanto, then it’s 2x as sweet as swerve.
Fawnjemison says
Thank you it is Laktano powdered monkfruit I will cut it down a bit don’t want it too sweet
Margaret Garcia says
I just lOVE LOVE LOVE your website!!!
Cindy Mann says
Can this be frozen before frosting?
Carolyn says
Yes, that should work fine. Wrap it up tightly!
Karen says
Cannot wait to make this! Drooling ….
Mary Gosney says
Is the bocha sweet essential is it different from swerve?
Carolyn says
Hi Mary, I wrote about that in the How To Make section of this post. It will tell you everything you want to know! 🙂
Mary says
Yea sorry lol read right over that part!