[Paris] The prettiest Bûche de Noël of 2015

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Christmas is no doubt the busiest season for pastry chefs. I spent my past three Christmas in different pastry kitchens in Paris, and the most memorable was definitely at Fauchon where we made over 6000 cakes for the season. Imagine: a kitchen filled with pastry chefs in Santa hats working on Christmas cakes until late nights…yup, that was us. “Bûche de Noël” is literally a “Christmas log”, but of course nowadays pastry chefs are going above and beyond the log shape, using Christmas as the opportunity to showcase their creativity. Here are a few of my favorites from the 2015 Christmas cake collection, sharing them with you so we can drool together.

Lenôtre

Name: La bûche à trésors
Flavors: chocolate, yuzu, almond, citrus
Price: 130 €

Lenôtre works with a different brand every year to create their Christmas cake, and this year, it’s Hermes’ petit h. All these little items on the cake are sculpted from chocolate and almond paste, very pretty…too pretty, in fact, that I wouldn’t know where to cut!

lenotre

Jean-Paul Hévin

Name: Bûche d’Enfer
Flavors: dark chocolate, nougat, buckwheat honey
Price: 36-77 €

A contrast of red and black, with flames and little demons…this is not your warm and fuzzy Christmas cake. The demons chocolate stand is optional for purchase, but I guess the cake wouldn’t be as interesting with only the red flames. In terms of flavor, it’s JPH’s specialty – chocolate.

jphevin 2

Fauchon

Name: Houx Là Là
Flavors: Bergamot, lemon, milk chocolate, vanilla, raspberry
Price: 100 €

All I want to say is that this cake looks very complicated to assemble…to my colleagues who are still there, good luck. I wonder if this year they are also going to churn out 6000 Christmas cakes?

fauchon 2

Café Pouchkine

Name: La Skoulptoura

Flavors: Caramel, poached pear, Tonka beans
Price: 96 €

Russian-French pastry shop Café Pouchkine has always had an exceedingly splendid style. Their Christmas cake this year isn’t as jaw-dropping as the one from last year, but it’s still very pretty.

pouchkine

Hugo & Victor

Name: La bûche Marion
Flavors: meringue, hazelnut, orange, coffee
Price: 69 €

Hugo & Victor has the tendency to associate itself with fashion and celebrities, and this year they worked with Catherine Deneuve to design their Christmas cake and named it “Marion” after one of the characters Deneuve has played.

hugo victor

Des Gateaux et du Pain

Name: Pamplemousse Rosa
Flavors: rose, grapefruit
Price: 38-66 €

Claire Damon never seems to spend too much time designing her Christmas cakes, and usually just picks one of her creations and make it into a log shape. This year, it’s the rose/grapefruit-flavored Pamplemousse Rosa.

des gateaux et du pain

Pierre Marcolini

Name: Bûches caramel, exotique et chocolat
Flavors: caramel, tropical fruits, chocolate
Price: 7.50-45 €

Chocolate master Pierre Marcolini’s Christmas cakes look fairly conservative in terms of design and flavors, probably more suitable for those looking for something traditional (but also very pretty).

pierre marcolini 2

La Maison du Chocolat

Name: Bûche “Féerique”
Flavors: chocolate, passion fruit, orange, lime, mango
Price: 95 €

Passionfruit, orange, lime, mango…I can imagine these fruity flavors associating very well with chocolate. La Maison du Chocolat’s pastry selection is also suited for those with a more traditional palate.

la maison du chocolat

A la mère de famille

Name: Bûche “empreinte”
Flavors: chocolate, vanilla, pecan, caramel
Price: 47€

I’ve actually never been to this pastry shop, but the Christmas cake design is just too cute. Their Christmas cake from last year was eye-catching as well, do Google it if you are interested.

a la mere de famille

La Pâtisserie des Rêves

Name: Vintage Vanille
Flavors: vanilla, cherry
Price: 65 €

Like always, Philippe Conticini wants to transport people back to their childhood, and that’s why he created this vintage vanilla cherry cake. The design looks like a snow-laden tree log, with plenty of vanilla seeds…

patiesserie des reves

Angelina

Name: Annick Goutal
Flavors: vanilla, cherry blossom, lemon, lime, yuzu, basil, black chocolate
Price: 70 €

Angelina collaborates with perfume brand Annick Goutal to design this Christmas cake. The flavor looks a bit complicated to me…

angelina

Anne-Sophie Pic

Name: Mur Végétal
Flavors: chocolate, tarragon, mint, basil
Price: 65 €

The vegetable wall design is very creative, and flavors of tarragon, mint, and basil also corresponds with the looks. I really want to try this one!

anne sophie pic

Royal Monceau

Name: Perpétua
Flavors: chocolate, chocolate, chocolate
Price: ? €

Designed by Pierre Hermé for hotel Royal Monceau, this cake is chocolate-flavored from head to toe. I can’t find the price online though…and it’s limited edition only.

pierre herme

Prince de Galles

Name: 1928
Flavors: chestnut, orange, milk chocolat
Price: 95 €

Like the sleek-looking mosaic tile shapes, and love the chestnut-orange-milk chocolate combination.

prince de galles 2

Barrière Le Fouquet’s

Flavors: coconut, lime, passionfruit, raspberry
Price: 95 €

Another cake that doesn’t look like a cake. How does one proceed to cut this? I’d rather put this at home as a decor.

fouqet's

Westin

Name: Le Cadeau
Flavors: almond, cherry, vanilla, lime, chocolate
Price: 75 €

I haven’t previously heard much about the pastries from The Westin, but this Christmas tree gift box design is very lovely. A nice present to give and to receive.

westin

Plaza Athénée

Name: Piano Gianjuda
Flavors: hazelnut, orange, Earl Grey
Price: 125 €

Celebrity pastry chef Christophe Michalak’s Christmas cake this year looks like a kitchen stovetop. It’s perhaps too cutesy for me, though the flavor combination sounds very alluring…

plaza athenee 2

Peninsula

Name: L’envol des sens
Flavors: dark chocolate, pecan, caramel, banana, white chocolate
Price: 110 €

Julien Alvarez created this Christmas cake with the restaurant “L’oiseau Blanc” in mind, with the design being reminiscent of an airplane.

peninsula

Le Bristol

Name: La bûche revisitée
Flavors: caramel pecan, chocolate, creme brulee, vanilla
Price: 18 €/person

Laurent Jeannin’s Christmas cake this year looks simple and sleek, the flavor seems to be more or less traditional, but this exceptional pastry chef rarely fails to impress, and I’d definitely be up for trying this cake if I were in Paris.

bristol

Shangri-la

Name: Sphère de Noël
Flavors: chocolate, hazelnut, lemongrass, orange, yuzu
Price: 108€

Michaël Bartocetti has only been on board at the Shangri-la for a few months, and is already impressing us with this beautiful Christmas cake. Another one of those that I can’t bring myself to cut open.

shangrila

Le Meurice

Name: Cerise piment d’Espelette
Flavors: cherry, tarragon, Espelette chili, chocolate
Price: 120 €

So many cherries! Cedric Grolet is known for his meticulously-sculpted fruits, and this year’s Christmas cake is another showcase for that. Do note that these are not real cherries, but cherries sculpted from mousse.

meurice 2

Picard

Name: Chalet enneigé au chocolat
Flavors: chocolate
Price: 18,95€

After so many 100+ euros Christmas cakes, let’s end on a more affordable note with Picard’s chocolate chalet. Picard is a popular frozen food chain in France, and its cute little chalet-shaped ice-cream cake is only 18,95 €. Very affordable, no?

picard

Bravo to all the pastry chefs for their creativity and techniques – I can only imagine how much time and thought have been put into designing and creating these beautiful pieces. Now it’s just a bit sad that I can only see but not taste these cakes…for those living in Paris, do realize how lucky you are, and go get them cakes.

3 thoughts on “[Paris] The prettiest Bûche de Noël of 2015

  1. i’m astounded by how much creativity they have! like you mentioned, i’m not sure where to start cutting some of these, and a couple of the flavor combos seem a little out there, but i’d still try all of them in a heartbeat.

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