Bûche de Noël 

(Yule Log)

4 eggs
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cold water
1 cup cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Your favorite Chocolate Icing

1. Grease and cover bottom of a 10 x 15 inch (23 x 38 cm) jelly roll pan with wax paper. Beat eggs until frothy and pale lemon in color.
2. Add sugar and water and beat until batter becomes white.
3. Sift dry ingredients and gently add them to the batter with a spatula.
4. Add vanilla and almond extract and pour batter into pan.
5. Bake in middle of oven at 400°F (220°C) for 15 minutes.
6. Remove cake from mold while still warm, and place on a piece of wax paper sprinkled with white or icing sugar. Roll cake and let cool on a wire rack.
7. Unroll and fill with jam or buttercream. Roll cake again and cut a 2-inch slice from one end. Diagonally cut this slice in two and attach these two parts, with a dab of icing, to the side of the cake. By doing so, the cake should have the shape of a log with two knots on top.
8. Frost both ends and top of knots with white icing. Cover the rest of the log with chocolate icing. Run a fork lengthwise through the icing. This will give the log the appearance of true wood. For knots and ends of the log, use fork again, but this time in a circular motion.
9. If desired, decorate with green leaves made of almond paste and red cherry or small red cinnamon candies.

The Yule Log, a jelly roll style caked iced with butter cream, is the traditional dessert served at Christmas dinner. It's a tradition that was brought over from France.

From Traditional Quebec Cooking.