Here we are, just a few days before Christmas–and technically a few days past Yule, which was December 21st (the winter solstice). So far in this holiday-themed “fun fact” series, we’ve talked about Yule’s origins, wassailing, and mistletoe. Today we’ll round things out by discussing my favorite of the four: the Yule log!
Now, those of you who followed along with my “Topsy Turvy” story over on Instagram will remember that Red and her friends spent a lot of time talking about a Yule log. In their tradition, they meant an actual log, one which was used to fuel the fire during the Yule feast. Centuries ago, a Yule log might actually have been an entire tree. It was brought inside and lit as a celebration of light in dark times–and a nice practical way to stay warm, too. All across Europe, the Yule log continued to be a popular Christmas tradition. Sometimes, rather than a fire, people would opt to use the log as a candle holder (less warm, but it still gets the point across!).
But of course, actual logs aren’t tasty. And while many of us these days don’t have a hearth for burning wood, we can enjoy a baked treat! The Yule log cake, also known as la Bûche de Noël, is a chocolate sponge cake wrapped around a cream filling and iced so that it looks, appropriately, like a log. Of course, these days you can get all kinds of varieties and twists on this theme. The actual origins of the cake are a bit obscure–most likely French, sometime during the 1800s. Since then, the cake has replaced the actual log in popularity. And really, is anyone surprised? 
If you have some cake and are looking for a short story to enjoy along with it, don’t forget that my holiday short story “Twelve Sleuths A-Searching” is free! You can download it here. Happy holidays!
Selected Sources
I quite enjoyed this article from ManyEats.com, which includes everything from Yule’s origins to rumors about Napoleon. There’s also a much more straightforward entry on WhyChristmas.com. And if you have Netflix, check out The Great British Baking Show past episodes, where contestants have made Yule Log cakes!
