Giada’s Tiramisu-Inspired Yule Log Is the Dreamiest Christmas Treat

Greeting cards have all been sent and the Christmas rush is just about through—now you just have to make those final decisions about your holiday menu. Maybe you stick with tried-and-true Christmas classics; maybe you opt for fun family traditions—if you’re Giada De Laurentiis, you combine them both into something truly festive.

We can usually count on Giada for some holiday recipes that will get us inspired, whether they’re part of a Feast of Seven Fishes menu or a delightfully simple batch of cookies. But Giada may have outdone herself with this Tiramisu Yule Log.

Giada took to Instagram to share the recipe, which combines all the flavor of tiramisu with the festive presentation of a Yule log. Ladyfingers get replaced with a soft vanilla sponge cake, which Giada brushes with a combination of espresso and rum, tops with mascarpone buttercream and rolls into the classic jellyroll shape. The whole log gets topped with a layer of rich chocolate ganache, slivered almonds and a dusting of powdered sugar.

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It’s not the simplest recipe—it will probably take you a little more than an hour to make the cake, buttercream and ganache, then roll and decorate the cake—but it promises to be a delicious one. 

To try it yourself, you’ll mostly need baking staples that you might already have on hand for the holiday season. Eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and powdered sugar go into the cake, plus espresso and dark rum for the coffee soak. Then you’ll need mascarpone cheese, butter, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla for the buttercream, as well as semisweet chocolate, heavy cream, slivered almonds, cocoa powder and powdered sugar for the ganache and decorations.

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You’ll whip up the batter and bake it on a 12-by-17-inch sheet pan—just be sure to spray the pan well with nonstick cooking spray and put down a sheet of parchment paper, then spritz the paper, as well. To roll the cake, you’ll use a clean kitchen towel that is at least as large as your sheet pan, with a piece of parchment paper on top of that. Dust the parchment with powdered sugar to keep the cake from sticking as you roll. 

Gently remove the baked cake from the edges of the pan and quickly flip the pan upside down over the powdered-sugar-coated parchment. The cake should release from the pan, so you can gently peel off the parchment that it baked on and give the cake a generous dusting of powdered sugar. Use the towel to slowly roll the cake into a cylinder, starting from one of the short ends. (The cake will be much more forgiving to roll up when it’s hot out of the oven, so don't wait for it to cool.) Let the cake cool in rolled form.

Once it’s ready to fill and decorate, carefully unroll it and use a pastry brush to spread the espresso-rum mixture evenly over your cake. Mix together the frosting ingredients with a mixer until it's fluffy, then spread the icing evenly over the cake, leaving a small border unfrosted—the buttercream will spread when you re-roll!

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With the buttercream applied, you can roll up your cake again, using the towel underneath to help you. Place the rolled cake seam-side down on a serving platter and let it chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Make the chocolate ganache and pour it over the cake, using a spatula to spread the chocolate evenly. Just wipe away excess ganache on the platter with a paper towel. Then comes the complicated part: decorating. 

You can recruit family members to help you with this or choose to think of it as a meditative practice—or you can skip it altogether. Using the slivered almonds, shingle the almonds in overlapping rows to make a bark-like pattern on your log. When that's done, pop it back in the fridge until it's dessert time. When you’re ready to serve, use a sieve to dust the almonds with cocoa powder, then with powdered sugar for a snowy effect.

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It’s a trickier recipe than you might make on a regular basis, but it is sure to impress. Pair it, like Giada does, with a rousing game of cards with family and friends, and you’ll be well on your way to a truly memorable Christmas.