Billot Log Cake is inspired by the famous Vachon snack cake & is perfect for Canada Day. It’s a sponge cake roll with buttercream raspberries & coconut.
Billot Log Cake a.k.a. Raspberry Buttercream Log
Previously published June 2013.
NOTE added to recipe for an alternate suggestion when fresh berries are not available. See notes at end of recipe.
With the Canada Day weekend just a few days away I decided to create a dessert for our nation’s 146th birthday. It is based yet again on another popular snack cake from my childhood, Vachon’s Billot Log cake.
A Billot Log is mini sponge roll cake filled with raspberry jelly and sweet frosting and rolled in coconut. We’ve previously featured another Vachon inspired cake in our Jos Louis Cake.
Billot Log Cake a.k.a. Raspberry Buttercream Log
The red and white coloring of the little treats is reflective of the Canadian flag. So with some sweet fresh raspberries in the fridge I decided to take inspiration from it and create a homage to the Billot Log cake.
Fine cut dried (desiccated) unsweetened coconut is the type I use in this recipe but you can use sweetened if that is what you have on hand.
I made it in particular for my son Noah who absolutely loves raspberries and specifically asked for a cake with lots of frosting. He thought this cake was the best thing ever.
Fresh raspberries should be used in this recipe. Frozen will melt into the frosting as they thaw & make it runny.
I know he’ll be asking for it again and I wouldn’t be surprised if it makes another appearance as his birthday cake later this summer.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Billot Log, I thought this YouTube “un-boxing” of the snack cake was quite amusing. Happy Canada Day!
RECIPE UPDATE: How to use raspberry jam or compote instead of fresh berries.
This recipe borrows from a French technique to enclose whole berries in the buttercream frosting. However fresh raspberries are not always available and in any case, the Vachon snack cake version does use raspberry jam.
So, I’d recommend using a good quality raspberry jam instead or even better, make your own or use the raspberry compote recipe used in another if our Vachon inspired recipes for Homemade Flakies.
Raspberry compote
Homemade Flakies with raspberry compote.
You can double that compote recipe recipe if you want a thicker jam layer.
Spread the jam or compote directly and evenly onto the sponge cake after unrolling. I find a piping bag with an open tip helps to spread frosting evenly over the jam without mixing the two together.
Roll the cake as directed and again, chill it well before serving as this helps to slice the cake better and more easily.
Another Vachon inspired recipe!
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Billot Log Cake a.k.a. Raspberry Buttercream Log
Billot Log Cake is inspired by the famous Vachon snack cake & is perfect for Canada Day. It's a sponge cake roll with buttercream raspberries & coconut.
Ingredients
For the Sponge Cake
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 6 eggs separated, room temperature
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup sugar, separated in 2 portions of 1/2 cup each.
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
- 4 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 1 cup butter
- Approximately 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
You will also need
- 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
- 3/4 cup raspberry jam or jelly
- 2 tbsp water
- 3/4 cup unsweetened or sweetened dried coconut
Instructions
To prepare the Sponge Cake
Line the bottom of a 12 x 18 inch jelly roll pan or ridged cookie sheet with parchment paper cut to it's exact size. Do NOT grease the pan. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Sift together the flour and baking soda and set aside.
Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy.
Add 1/2 cup sugar gradually until egg whites come to soft peaks. Set aside in another bowl.
Beat the egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar until foamy and thickened.
Fold beaten egg yolks into the beaten egg whites along with the vanilla for only a few turns.
Slowly and gradually folding in the flour and baking powder mixture very gently BY HAND using a rubber spatula until just incorporated into the whipped egg white mixture. I mix in the dry ingredients in 3 equal portions. Do not over mix, you just want the flour to be incorporated; over mixing will deflate the egg whites and result in a tough textured final product.
Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until the center springs back when touched.
Cool in the pan for about 15 minutes.
Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan to release the cake.
Cover the top of the cake with another sheet of parchment paper and invert onto the counter top.
Beginning at the shortest side, loosely roll the cake up between the two sheets of paper, letting it rest with the edge seam on the bottom.
Let it cool completely. This technique will allow the cake to be more easily rolled later without cracking when the filling is added.
To prepare the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
In the bowl of an electric mixer blend together the icing sugar and until the butter is well incorporated but the mixture is still a bit crumbly.
Add the milk and vanilla extract.
Add the milk a little at a time until the frosting is light, fluffy and smooth. I like to beat the frosting for an additional 5 minutes once I get the consistency correct in order to beat in more air and make it lighter and creamier.
To construct the cake.
Unroll the sponge cake and remove the top parchment paper. Spread the frosting evenly over the cake. Sprinkle the surface of the frosting evenly with the raspberries.
Starting at a short side of the cake, begin to roll the cake up, removing the bottom parchment paper as you go. The parchment paper is a great help in rolling the cake.Let the cake rest on a serving plate with the seam side down.
Mix together the raspberry jam and water. Heat the jelly and water in the microwave or in a small pot on the stove until it is smooth and evenly blended.
Brush the heated jelly all over the surface of the cake roll.
Finally sprinkle the entire surface of the cake roll with the dried coconut.
Chill the cake in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving. I like to make this cake the day before to give time for the raspberries to meld with the sugar in the frosting making it even better.
Notes
This recipe borrows from a French technique to enclose whole berries in the buttercream frosting. However fresh raspberries are not always available and in any case, the Vachon snack cake version does use raspberry jam.
So, I'd recommend using a good quality raspberry jam instead or even better, make your own or use the raspberry compote recipe used in another if our Vachon inspired recipes for Homemade Flakies.
You can double that compote recipe recipe if you want a thicker jam layer.
Spread the jam or compote directly and evenly onto the sponge cake after unrolling. I find a piping bag with an open tip helps to spread frosting evenly over the jam without mixing the two together.
Roll the cake as directed and again, chill it well before serving as this helps to slice the cake better and more easily.
Nutrition Information
Yield
16Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 389Total Fat 16gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 100mgSodium 157mgCarbohydrates 59gFiber 2gSugar 48gProtein 4g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
Pat
Friday 6th of June 2025
This looks fabulous, must try when my raspberries come in! In the meantime, do you think it could be made with strawberries? They are very good here this year. Thanks!
Barry C. Parsons
Saturday 7th of June 2025
Of course
Pam
Friday 12th of November 2021
Here it is middle of the night and I'm trying to make something for my girl to take to a school concert tomorrow and I don't know what to do. Baking soda or baking powder? Going for maximum loft, I'm leaning toward baking soda. Hopefully it will turn out, but I definitely would like to know which it is in the end, baking powder (in recipe list) or baking soda (in the recipe instructions).
Here's my theory: Writing out ingredients is mechanical, so I can see losing focus and accidentally substituting powder for soda. Conversely, writing out instructions requires active engagement and therefore the potential for error is reduced. The author's reference to baking soda then, though it represents a divergence from the recipe list, is most likely the ingredient one is meant to use.
Am I right? Fingers crossed, this jelly roll will turn out, but I'll check back regardless. :)
Lynn Parsons
Thursday 18th of November 2021
It should be baking powder
Eileen
Tuesday 30th of June 2015
While watching the Billot Log video, I kept thinking Open the box and eat one or two or the whole box!!!! LOL
adrian @ the food gays
Monday 30th of June 2014
this looks like a great holiday dessert. and i especially loved the unboxing video ;p
Barry C. Parsons
Monday 7th of July 2014
Thanks I figured folks outside Canada would not know what a "Billot Log" was, so the video was a great addition.
Viviane
Thursday 27th of June 2013
Cela me semble délicieux, merci