Pear, Vanilla and Caramel Yule Log

Pear, Vanilla and Caramel Yule Log is a medium French recipe that serves 8. 350 calories per serving. Recipe by Once Upon a Time Pastry on YouTube.

Prep: 1 hr 28 min | Cook: 52 min | Total: 2 hrs 40 min

Cost: $22.29 total, $2.79 per serving

Ingredients

  • 300 g Canned pears in syrup (Drained, reserved)
  • 12 feuilles Gelatin sheets (4 sheets for each insert)
  • 1 gousse Vanilla bean (Seeds scraped)
  • 100 g White sugar (For the caramel)
  • 30 ml Liquid glucose (If available, otherwise honey)
  • 30 ml Honey (Alternative to glucose)
  • 500 ml Heavy cream (200 ml for the caramel, 300 ml for the bavarois)
  • 1 pincée Sea salt flakes (For the caramel)
  • 4 unités Egg yolks (Fresh)
  • 250 ml Whole milk (For the bavarois)
  • 80 g Granulated sugar (For the bavarois)
  • 250 g All‑purpose flour (For the sweet pastry)
  • 125 g Unsalted butter (Cold, diced)
  • 70 g Powdered sugar (For the sweet pastry)
  • 1 unités Egg (For the sweet pastry)
  • 1 bouteille Velvet spray (decorative chocolate) (Optional for finishing)

Instructions

  1. Soak the gelatin (pear insert)

    Place 4 gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water and let soak for 5 minutes.

    Time: PT5M

  2. Cook the pears in syrup with vanilla

    Put the drained pears with their syrup in a saucepan, add the seeds of the vanilla bean and heat over medium heat until simmering (≈90°C).

    Time: PT10M

    Temperature: 90°C

  3. Incorporate the squeezed gelatin

    Remove the saucepan from the heat, squeeze the gelatin and add it to the hot mixture, mixing quickly.

    Time: PT2M

  4. Mix pear purée and pieces

    Blend half of the pears to obtain a smooth purée, then fold the remaining pear pieces into the purée.

    Time: PT5M

  5. Form the pear insert

    Pour the mixture into the insert mold, smooth the surface and place in the freezer for 2 hours to set.

    Time: PT2H

  6. Soak the gelatin (caramel insert)

    Place 4 gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes.

    Time: PT5M

  7. Prepare the caramel

    In a saucepan, heat the sugar, water and glucose (or honey) until a golden caramel forms (≈150°C).

    Time: PT7M

    Temperature: 150°C

  8. Add the hot cream and salt

    Off the heat, pour the hot liquid cream (200 ml) and a pinch of fleur de sel into the caramel, mixing quickly.

    Time: PT2M

  9. Cool with cold cream

    Add the cold liquid cream (100 ml) to lower the caramel temperature.

    Time: PT2M

  10. Enrich with egg yolks and heat to 82°C

    Stir in the 4 egg yolks, return the saucepan to low heat and heat until reaching 82°C while stirring constantly.

    Time: PT5M

    Temperature: 82°C

  11. Incorporate the squeezed gelatin

    Remove from heat, let cool slightly then add the squeezed gelatin, mix well.

    Time: PT2M

  12. Set the caramel insert

    Pour the caramel into the insert mold, place in the freezer for 2 hours until firmly set.

    Time: PT2H

  13. Soak the gelatin (bavaroise)

    Place 4 gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes.

    Time: PT5M

  14. Infuse vanilla in the milk

    Scrape the seeds of the vanilla bean, add them to the whole milk and bring to a boil, then let infuse for 1 hour off the heat.

    Time: PT5M

    Temperature: 100°C

  15. Whisk egg yolks and sugar

    In a bowl, whisk the 4 egg yolks with 80 g of sugar until the mixture lightens.

    Time: PT5M

  16. Temper the hot milk into the egg‑sugar mixture

    Gradually pour the hot milk over the egg‑sugar mixture while whisking constantly.

    Time: PT5M

  17. Cook the bavaroise to 75°C

    Return everything to the saucepan and gently heat until reaching 75°C, without boiling.

    Time: PT5M

    Temperature: 75°C

  18. Add gelatin and cool

    Transfer the custard to a container, incorporate the squeezed gelatin, then let cool to room temperature (≈10 minutes).

    Time: PT10M

  19. Whisk the cold liquid cream

    Whisk 300 ml of very cold liquid cream until soft peaks form.

    Time: PT5M

  20. Fold the whipped cream into the bavaroise

    Using a spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled custard until a homogeneous texture is achieved.

    Time: PT5M

  21. First freeze of the log mold

    Pour the bavaroise into the log mold halfway, smooth and place in the freezer for 20 minutes to firm slightly.

    Time: PT20M

  22. Prepare the sweet pastry

    Mix flour, powdered sugar, butter and egg until a homogeneous dough forms, roll out and cut to the size of the log mold.

    Time: PT15M

  23. Bake the sweet pastry

    Preheat the oven to 180°C, place the dough on a sheet and bake for 20 minutes until lightly golden.

    Time: PT20M

    Temperature: 180°C

  24. Unmold the pear insert and place it

    Remove the pear insert from its mold, place it inside the log mold (flat side up).

    Time: PT5M

  25. Complete with the remaining bavaroise

    Pour the rest of the bavaroise around the pear insert, smooth the surface.

    Time: PT5M

  26. Add the sweet pastry and freeze overnight

    Lay the sweet pastry on top, cover and place in the freezer for at least 12 hours (ideally overnight).

    Time: PT12H

  27. Finishing on the day

    Unmold the log, lightly spray with velvet spray for decorative finishing.

    Time: PT5M

  28. Defrost before serving

    Transfer the log to the refrigerator and let thaw for at least 7 hours before serving.

    Time: PT7H

Nutrition Facts

Calories
350
Protein
5 g
Carbohydrates
45 g
Fat
18 g
Fiber
2 g

Dietary info: vegetarian, contains gluten, contains dairy, low-calorie

Allergens: eggs, milk, gluten

Last updated: April 7, 2026

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Pear, Vanilla and Caramel Yule Log

Recipe by Once Upon a Time Pastry

A festive log with pear, vanilla and caramel flavors, made with a pear insert, a caramel insert and a light vanilla bavarois, all surrounded by a homemade sweet pastry. Ideal for Christmas meals or any special occasion.

MediumFrenchServes 8

Shop all ingredients on Amazon in one click • Printable PDF with shopping checklist

Source Video
25h
Prep
40m
Cook
3h 5m
Cleanup
28h 45m
Total

Cost Breakdown

$22.29
Total cost
$2.79
Per serving

Critical Success Points

  • Incorporate gelatin off the heat
  • Reach 82°C during the caramel
  • Reach 75°C for the bavaroise
  • Do not overheat the caramel
  • Unmold the pear insert correctly (flat side up)
  • Freeze the caramel long enough for it to set

Safety Warnings

  • The caramel reaches very high temperatures; handle with fire‑resistant gloves.
  • Hot gelatin can cause burns; let it cool slightly before handling.
  • Use a thermometer to avoid overcooking the eggs and caramel coagulation.

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