Bûche de Noël, France

France's Christmas log: a thin sponge spread with filling, rolled up and covered in chocolate cream combed to look like bark. The cut end shows the spiral that makes it a log. It stands in for the Yule log once burned in the hearth, and while French pastry shops sell elaborate versions every December, a homemade one like this needs only a sheet of sponge and a steady hand when rolling.