The buche de noel is a Christmas cake in the shape of a tree log. I used Nick Malgieri’s recipe from his book, Perfect Cakes. I baked a layer of chocolate genoise sheet cake, then frosted it with mocha buttercream. The sheet cake was then rolled into a cylinder. One end was truncated, and the cut piece placed atop the cake formed a branch. I frosted the cake with the remaining buttercream and used an offset spatula and/or fork to create a bark-like texture. The mushrooms, holly leaves and berries and pine cones are all made of marzipan. As a final touch, the entire assembled cake is dusted with cocoa powder and confectioner’s sugar. Happy Holidays!!!