On its own, Abigail Johnson Dodge’s Champ de Noël is a magnificent cake: flavorful, and sporting a spectacular reveal of vertical layers. Because it’s a riff on the traditional bûche de Noël, it’s a perfect candidate for lots of holiday-centric embellishments and decorations. Here are some ideas to consider.
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How-ToChocolate Shard "Bark"
Sharp, irregular shards of dark chocolate look strikingly like pieces of bark, and the shards are actually super-easy to make. -
RecipeMeringue Mushrooms
The classic bûche de Noël decoration is a scattering of these crisp meringue mushrooms. Arrange extras around the base. -
How-ToChocolate Shavings
For smaller pieces of "bark" simply shave chocolate off of a large block with a vegetable peeler. Get the technique here. -
ArticleSugared Mint Leaves
Sugared mint gives the impression of ice-frosted leaves. Learn how to do it here. -
How-ToChocolate Leaves
If you want to go all-chocolate in your decorations, you can make impressions of rose leaves using dark or white chocolate. See the technique here. -
ArticleSugared Cranberries
Sugared berries offer a pop of color against the brown and beige tones of the cake and are lovely paired with sugared mint leaves. -
IngredientSilver Dragées
Silver dragées are a simple garnish that make the cake look particularly ice-kissed.
