What would a Christmas meal be without a bûche de Noël? Fruity or chocolatey, traditional or original, it is the must-have dessert of the holiday season. The list of pastry shops—and not only French ones—offering bûches de Noël in the New York area is long, so we’ve chosen a few of our favorites.
The Most Parisian: La Maison du Chocolat
Celebrate the holidays with a 100% chocolate bûche de Noël from one of the best Parisian chocolate makers: La Maison du Chocolat. Master chocolatier Nicolas Cloiseau and his team have developed three creations combining delicate sponge cake and exquisite chocolate mousse for an unmatched festive chocolate experience. We recommend the Caracas for true aficionados. An $82 bûche de Noël serves 8 people. Order here 48 hours in advance for pickup at their Madison Avenue boutique.
La Maison du Chocolat, 1018 Madison Avenue – (212) 744-7117
The Most New York: Dominique Ansel
This one is, of course, signed by the most New York of French pastry chefs, Dominique Ansel. This year, he surprised us with a completely original yet very classic recipe by revisiting sticky toffee pudding. The result is a festive cake made of vanilla salted caramel crémeux, brown sugar ganache, and a soft chocolate sponge filled with dates and soaked in molasses syrup, which serves 6 to 8 people. Pre-order here for pickup at the Soho bakery or here for pickup at the Flatiron Workshop from Friday, December 19 to Wednesday, December 24.
Dominique Ansel, Soho Bakery 189 Spring Street – (212) 219-2773
Flatiron Workshop, 17 East 27th Street – (212) 901-1015
The Most Original: Lysée
And the award for the most original creation once again goes to Lysée and its chef, Eunji Lee, one of Manhattan’s best pastry chefs. This year, she surprises us with a haute-couture Yule log that will look stunning on your table: a Mont Blanc creation made with chestnut cream, vanilla mousse, and shortbread. This bûche de Noël serves 6 to 8 people, at a cost of $130. Pre-orders are already open on their website with in-store pickup.
Lysée, 44 E 21st Street.
The Most Elegant: Ladurée
Just in time for the holidays, the famous macaron house has just opened a new showcase right next to Rockefeller Center. It’s an elegant location for which Ladurée partnered with the textile house Brunschwig & Fils, where you’ll find the classics: viennoiseries, pastries, langues de chat cookies, and a special-edition box of macarons. But bûche de Noël lovers won’t be left out for the holidays, with the Ispahan log, a festive interpretation of their iconic dessert often described as “an edible bouquet of roses,” with its rose-lychee-raspberry pairing. Also available are bûches de Noël in Chocolate-caramel and Pistachio flavors. These desserts cost $100 and serve 6 to 8 people. They are available now for pre-order (until December 20) with in-store pickup between December 15 and 31. Individual versions are now available in stores.
Ladurée has 7 locations in New York, listed here.
The Gluten-Free One: Colson
Are you a lemon tart fan, but don’t want to stray from the Yule log tradition? Colson has got you covered. The pastry shop, which has locations in Park Slope and Industry City, offers a gluten-free reinterpretation of the famous meringue dessert, with almond sponge cake, lemon curd, and caramel buttercream—topped, of course, with meringue. The dessert costs $58 and serves 8–10 people, and half-sizes are available for $34.
Colson Bakery, 374 9th St, Brooklyn – (718) 965-6400 and 253 36th St, Brooklyn – (347) 637-6676
The Most Traditional: Balthazar
The bûche de Noël from the bakery inside the Balthazar restaurant in Soho is iconic: a rolled sponge cake soaked in mocha syrup, delicately enclosing a light chestnut mousse, all covered in chocolate shavings. This Christmas dessert will undoubtedly remind you of France, priced at $85, and serving 8 to 10 people. Order by phone, via email at [email protected], or on their website. Delivery is available Monday through Sunday from 9 am to 4 pm.
Balthazar Bakery, 80 Spring Street – (212) 965-1785
The Best Value: Whole Foods and Wegmans
If your budget is tighter or you’re expecting a busload of tourists for your Christmas feast, opt for the bûche de Noël from Whole Foods ($26.99, serves 6), which you can order on their website or add to your cart on their app. There’s also the Wegmans version ($22 serves 6), made with chocolate buttercream rolled in chocolate sponge cake and decorated. Yes, you read that right—a supermarket bûche de Noël. But these really deliver when it comes to both looks and taste.
Whole Foods has numerous locations across New York City
Wegmans, 770 Broadway
For Pistachio Lovers: L’Atelier du Chocolat
Chef Eric Girerd of L’Atelier du Chocolat in Jersey City has designed three exceptional Christmas desserts, but our favorite is undoubtedly his pistachio version. The Pista’Chic is made of a soft almond Joconde sponge, generously filled with a subtle pistachio cream and topped with an elegant mirror glaze covered with fine chocolate shavings. This bûche de Noël is both artisanal and gluten-free. Two sizes are available: serving 6 people ($48) or 8 people ($64). Order by phone or on their website.
L’Atelier du Chocolat, 251 Newark Avenue – (201) 332-9220 and 1 Path Plaza, Concourse Level – (201) 633-4883
The Most Comforting: Lafayette Bakery
Chef Scott at Lafayette Bakery will delight his customers this year with a milk chocolate and pecan bûche de Noël, featuring chocolate sponge cake, praline whipped cream, and caramel mousse. This bûche de Noël costs $85 and serves 8 people. It can be ordered here for in-store pickup on December 24 or 25.
Lafayette Grand Café & Bakery, 380 Lafayette Street
The Most Decadent: Miss Madeleine
Imagine the taste of a Ferrero Rocher—Nutella, hazelnut, and wafer—combined with milk chocolate mousse, all shaped into a beautifully decorated bûche de Noël. With this dessert full of childhood flavors, we bet your guests will want to start the festivities with something sweet! The Ferrero Rocher bûche de Noël serves 8 people, and is priced at $69.90. Order here for in-store pickup (Manhattan and New Jersey) on December 22, 23, and 24. Mocha and Tarte Tatin flavors are also available.
Miss Madeleine, 400 E 82nd Street – (646) 896-1227 and 35 Washington St unit G, Tenafly, NJ
This article was originally published in French on French Morning. It has been translated into English by Valentine Marchou.
