Low FODMAP White Chocolate Bûche de Noël
Our Low FODMAP White Chocolate Bûche de Noël features a yellow sponge cake, rolled around a cranberry and Swiss Meringue buttercream filling, with a buttercream exterior and white chocolate “bark”. Confectioners’ sugar dusted on top looks like snow. All gluten-free, lactose-free and of course, low FODMAP.
Ingredients:
White Chocolate Bark:
- 4- ounces (115 g) white chocolate, chopped finely, such as Callebaut, Valrhona Ivoire or El Rey Icoa
Cranberry Filling:
- 12- ounces (340 g) fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 ½ cups (297 g) sugar
- 1/4 cups (60 ml) water
Cake:
- 1 ¼ cups (181 g) low FODMAP gluten-free flour, such as King Arthur Measure for Measure Flour; you want a soft, cake flour type flour for this recipe; plus extra
- ¾ cup (149 g) sugar, divided
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder; use gluten-free if following a gluten-free diet
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
- ½ cup (120 ml) neutral flavored vegetable oil, such as rice bran or canola
- ¼ cup (60 ml) water, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Decoration:
- 1 batch Swiss Meringue Buttercream, soft and ready to use
- Pine boughs, optional
- Pinecones, optional
- Confectioners’ sugar
Preparation:
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For the White Chocolate Bark: Melt the chopped white chocolate in the top of a double boiler until smooth. Spread melted white chocolate thinly on the flat back of a scrupulously clean half-sheet pan. Allow the chocolate to set and firm up, which can be hastened in the refrigerator. Making the “bark” is all about temperature. If the chocolate is too cold when you try to make the curls and shards, it will shatter. If it is too warm, it won’t hold its shape, so you will have to manipulate the temperature. The technique is the same. Take a sharp metal bench scraper, place it at the edge of the chocolate and hold at a 45° angle and push away from you. The shapes will form and you will be able to tell right way whether the chocolate is too cold or too warm. Real bark is variable, so you are looking to create pieces that are the length of the bench scraper blade but of various thickness and level of “curl”. Use the photos as a guide. Store in an airtight container in the fridge until needed, up to a week.
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For the Cranberry Filling: Combine cranberries, sugar and water in a non-reactive saucepan, stir together and bring to a vigorous simmer over medium heat. Simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Cool. Filling is ready to use or may be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. It will become very firm after refrigeration. Allow to come to room temperature and stir to loosen up before assembling cake.
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For the Cake: Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a rimmed half-sheet baking pan (approx. 18-inches by 13-inches; 46 cm by 33 cm) with parchment paper. Coat paper with nonstick spray and dust lightly with extra flour, tapping out excess.
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Whisk 1 ¼ cups (181 g) flour, almost all the sugar (just save about a tablespoon aside, doing this by eye), baking powder and salt together in a small bowl to aerate and combine; set aside. Whisk the egg yolks, oil, water and vanilla together in a separate bowl, then whisk in the flour mixture until smooth.
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In the clean, grease-free bowl of a stand mixer fitted with wire whip attachment, whip egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until soft peaks form and beat in reserved tablespoon of sugar. Do not overbeat. The peaks should be “just” firm, but not stiff. Add a large scoopful of the whipped egg whites to the cake batter and begin to fold in to lighten the batter, then add remaining whipped egg whites and finish folding together. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth into an even layer with a large offset spatula. Tap pan on work surface to dislodge large air bubbles.
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Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes. The cake should be light golden in color and will spring back when pressed lightly in center. Do not over-bake or it will lose some flexibility. A toothpick will test clean. While cake is baking, dampen a clean linen towel with water. Lay linen towel on top of cake, then place cake rack on top of linen. Invert carefully, lift pan up and away and then carefully peel away parchment paper. Allow cake to cool for a few minutes until barely warm, then roll up, starting with one long side. Use the towel to help guide your rolling, but don’t roll the towel inside the spiral! Place cake, seam side down, on rack to cool completely. Cake is ready to fill or may be wrapped very well in plastic wrap and held at room temperature for about 24 hours.
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Assembly: Have Swiss Meringue Buttercream soft, spreadable and ready to go. The cranberry filling should be room temperature. Have a flat platter ready that is large enough to hold the entire log, perhaps with a branch going off to the side.
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Unroll the cake and spread the cranberry filling all over, leaving a ½-inch (12 mm) border along one long side. Cover the cranberry filling with a thin layer of buttercream. It is okay if the two mix together a bit. Firmly roll up the log with the empty border on the far side. Place seam side down on work surface and use hands to give log a good squeeze and even it out if needed. Cut the ends so that they are neat and even. Cut off about a quarter of the log on the diagonal to create the “branch”. Cut off a short “stump” if you like, too, as I did for the photos.
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Place strips of parchment paper on your platter to protect it from buttercream. You will want to situate them in such a way that you will be able to pull them out from under the log after it is covered with buttercream. Place the main log down on the platter and cover it with buttercream, making long swipes with your icing spatula to evoke “bark” along the length of the log. Frost the ends as well. Decide where you will attach the “branch”, nestle the diagonal side against the main log, then cover the branch with buttercream. Attach the “stump” as well, which I chose to do on the top, a tad off center. All cake surfaces should be covered with buttercream at this point. Use a fork to make “rings” on the cut edges of the log. Pull parchment strips out and away and discard. Use a small offset spatula to patch up any areas that need it with buttercream.
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Arrange the chocolate “bark” on the log. There is no wrong way. Just as every tree is different, and even parts of the same tree are different, just go for a bark effect. The cake can be held at this point overnight. Drape lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Or, if you have a very cool basement or garage, you can use those areas too (but NOT if you have mice or critters!).
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Bring to room temperature before serving. Tuck pine boughs and pinecones here and there, if you like. Dust with confectioners’ sugar “snow” right before serving. Simply slice the logs crosswise to serve.
Notes:
Tips
FODMAP Information
Our recipes are based on Monash University and FODMAP Friendly science.
- Butter: Both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have lab tested butter. Monash states that a low FODMAP Green Light portion is 1 tablespoon or 19 g and also states that “butter is high in fat and does not contain carbohydrates (FODMAPs)”. FODMAP Friendly gives it a “Pass” at 1 tablespoon or 19 g. Both recommended serving sizes are presented as part of healthy eating guidelines, not as maximum FODMAP serving size. Fat can affect guy motility and trigger IBS symptoms in some people. Eat to your tolerance.
- Chocolate: Monash University has lab tested dark, milk and white chocolate all have low FODMAP amounts: 85% dark at 20 g; dark at 30 g; milk at 20 g; white at 25 g.
- Cranberries: Both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have lab tested cranberries. FODMAP Friendly has lab tested fresh cranberries and gives them a “Fail” at 40 g or 3/8 cup. On the Monash app you will find Dried Cranberries are given a Green Light low FODMAP serving of 1 Australian tablespoon, or 15 g. On the Monash website itself they discuss fresh cranberries and state that 130 grams fresh, which is about a scant 1 1/4 cups, should be tolerated well.
- Eggs: Eggs are high in protein and do not contain carbohydrates, according to Monash University.
- Oil: All pure oils are fats and contain no carbohydrates, therefore they contain no FODMAPs.
- Sugar: Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have both lab tested white, granulated sugar. Monash states that a Green Light low FODMAP serving size of white sugar is 1/4 cup (50 g). FODMAP Friendly simply states that they have tested 1 tablespoon and that it is low FODMAP. Regular granulated white sugar is sucrose, which is a disaccharide made up of equal parts glucose and fructose. Sucrose is broken down and absorbed efficiently in the small intestine.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.