Eggnog Cake ~ Sugar Pies

Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and Happy New Year to everyone! We had a lovely little holiday here at Sugar Pies. I got a new Kindle e-reader which I'm coming to love. I honestly never thought I'd join the e-book trend because of my love of paper books. However, after just a few minutes not only was I finding it easy to read but since I read so often in bed just touching a button to turn pages was wonderful. I'm afraid I'm hooked. While I won't give up real books totally, I'll certainly be making more space on my shelves by switching to e-books for a big portion of my reading.

During the holidays a friend commissioned her Christmas dinner dessert from me. My first thought was a sumptuous Eggnog Cheesecake. This would be a brand new recipe for me because my friend, Nora, wanted something she hadn't had before from my kitchen. Of course, this meant either trying out a new recipe or developing one quickly. I opted for trying a new recipe. Long story short, the cheesecake itself was fantastic. In Michael's words it was "to die for." Unfortunately, I hated the crust. It came out far too moist and soggy and while it looked good on the spring form pan tray, it didn't look so hot when plated. I certainly couldn't send that out. So it went into the refrigerator for us to consume.

Lacking a lot of time, I quickly returned to cakes which I can do in my sleep. I threw together a very moist and rich butter bundt cake flavored with eggnog and spices. It's quite delicious and was a hit, I hear, at Nora's dinner. However, I also hear that they would have been happy with the soggy crust cheesecake. I sent Nora a piece when she picked up her cake and she loved it - despite the less than stellar crust. Obviously, that gingersnap crust is optional and when I do it again I might omit a crust completely.

The Eggnog Cake can also feature a little bourbon (I love Southern Comfort in this). It's an optional ingredient which I added to my home version. You didn't think I wouldn't do two so I could taste, did you? The SoCo gives it a little extra oomph. I used it both in the batter and lightly brushed over the warm cake before glazing.

This cake is great glazed or plain. Nora's was glazed with a butter, eggnog and sugar glaze which was quite rich and finished with a sprinkle of nutmeg. My home version was left plain. Both are wonderful and the cake bakes up so nicely that you can get away with sprinkling it with a bit of powdered sugar if you want to forgo the glaze.

Put this little cake in your files for next Christmas or try it out for your New Year's party! You'll be glad you did!

Eggnog Cake

Description: The perfect cake to celebrate the holiday season!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbs. Southern Comfort, divided (optional)
1/2 cup sour cream
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp Kosher salt
1 cup refrigerated eggnog

Glaze:

1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup refrigerated eggnog
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. Southern Comfort (optional)

Method

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan and set aside.
In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment cream together butter and sugars until fluffy.
With mixer on slow speed, add eggs and yolk one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add vanilla and 2 tbs. of Southern Comfort (if using). Add Sour cream and mix well.
In separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt. With mixer on low speed add flour mixture alternating with eggnog - beginning and ending with flour.
Pour into prepared cake pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in pan for 10 minutes then turn out on wire rack to cool completely. If using the Southern Comfort, brush the top of the cake with remaining 1 tbs. while still warm.
When cake has cooled completely, place powdered sugar in a large bowl. Melt butter with eggnog and Southern Comfort (if using) in a small saucepan. Pour into bowl with sugar and whisk until combined. If glaze is too thick add just a bit of hot water to thin. If too thin add a bit of powdered sugar until you get the consistency you desire. A thicker glaze tends to work well on this cake.