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!
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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…
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…
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
Same – I’d love to try these…feeling a bit sad about not being in Paris at the moment!