This recipe was clipped from Parade magazine, date unknown. Bûche de Noël is a traditional dessert served during the Christmas holidays in France, Belgium, Quebec, Lebanon and several other Christian-populated francophone countries. As the name indicates, the cake is generally prepared, presented, and garnished so as to look like a log ready for the fire. Source: Wikipedia: Buche de Nöel (includes a picture). Recipe is typed below along with a scanned copy.

Bûche de Nöel

1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons breakfast cocoa (not instant)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup pancake mix
Confectioners (powdered) sugar
2 cans ready-to-use chocolate frosting

Grease bottom and sides of jelly roll pan 10″x15″x1″, line with waxed paper; grease paper thoroughly. Add salt to eggs; beat until thick and lemon colored. Combine sugar and cocoa; add gradually to eggs, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla and pancake mix; beat until smooth. (Batter will be quite thin.) Spread batter evenly in pan; bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes. Sprinkle dry tea towel generously with confectioners (powdered) sugar; loosen edges of cake; turn out on towel; peel off waxed paper. Roll cake up in towel; let stand 20 minutes. Unroll. Spread with some of the frosting; roll up. Cut a thin slice from one end; unroll slice; cut in half; re-roll each half to resemble stumps of cut-off branches. Frost log with remaining frosting, using pastry tube with serrated tip, or marking with a fork or spatula to resemble bark. Place “stumps” on top. If desired, decorate with vine and leaves made with white or green frosting, using a pastry tube with appropriate tips, and cinnamon red hots for berries. Sprinkle with flaked coconut to resemble drifts of snow. Chill or freeze until ready to serve. Makes 12 servings.

FROM PARADE’S TEST KITCHEN