Eggnog for Next Year

December 27, 2009

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I’m a little late with this cake.  Can you eat eggnog flavored things after Christmas?  I say sure, why not?  If we are all going to leave our trees up until after the first of the year, we can certainly enjoy a little eggnog pound cake until then, right?

If you don’t agree, please file this recipe away for next Christmas.  Even me, the avowed chocolate lover, thought this cake was pretty special.  So pretty, so fragrant, so buttery and delicious.  Eggnog is about the last thing on Earth that I would ever drink, even with lots of rum in it, but the flavor in the cake is subtle and intoxicating.  Spicy, creamy, and rich.  Plus the cake is easy to make and it stores well.  I got this recipe from Flo Braker’s Baking for All Occasions which is not my favorite baking book.  I have mentioned this before, but I don’t like how the recipes are laid out and I have also baked some duds from it.  But, this cake makes up for a lot.

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One Year Ago:  Penne with Greek Style Vegetable Marinade

Eggnog Pound Cake with Crystal Rum Glaze
Adapted from Baking for All Occasions
Serves Many

Cake
1/2 cup dried currants (DT: I used dried cranberries)
2 tbsp. dark rum or water
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup store-bought refrigerated eggnog
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Crystal Rum Glaze
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp. dark rum
2 tbsp. water

Before Baking: In a small bowl, combine the currants (or cranberries) and rum and set aside to macerate for 15 minutes.  Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (or 325°F if the pan has a dark finish).  Butter a 10-inch angel food pan, then lightly flour it, tapping out the excess.

To Make the Cake: Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg into a medium bowl.  Set aside.  Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-low speed until creamy and smooth, 30-45 seconds.  Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the sugar in a steady stream and continue to beat on medium speed until light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

With the mixer still on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, beat after each addition until incorporated and stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  One the lowest speed, add the flour mixture in four additions alternately with the eggnog in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing after each addition until incorporated.  Stop the mixer as needed to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the vanilla during the final moments of mixing.  Scrape the paddle and using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the currants (or cranberries) and any remaining rum.  Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with the spatula.

Bake the cake just until the top springs back when lightly touched in the center and the sides are beginning to come away from the pan, 55 to 65 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let cool in the pan for about 10 minutes while you prepare the glaze.

To Make the Crystal Rum Glaze: In a small bowl, combine the sugar, rum, and water and stir with a rubber spatula just until blended.

Using a thin knife, gently pry the cake away from the pan to release it.  Invert a wire rack on top of the cake, invert the cake onto it, and carefully lift off the pan.  Slide a sheet of waxed paper under the rack to catch any drips from the glaze.  Using a pastry brush, coat the top and sides of the warm cake with all of the glaze.  Let the cake cool completely before serving.

(I wrapped this cake well in foil and let it sit at room temperature overnight and it was still totally fresh.  I’m sure it could freeze beautifully for at least a month.)



5 Comments »

  1. What a great way to use up all that eggnog!
    Of course, you have to post this AFTER the holidays.
    I love currants…it sounds like a heavy duty, rum cake withe eggnog! How can this be bad?

    Comment by stacey snacks — December 27, 2009 @ 1:17 am

  2. Yes! You can have eggnog after xmas! This looks great and so do you. Is that a brand new haircut?! Tres chic!

    Comment by redmenace — December 29, 2009 @ 4:35 pm

  3. I have a thing for nutmeg, so I’m firmly of the belief that you can (and should!) be eating this cake after Christmas … Heck, with the cold of January ahead of us, its spicy warmth would surely be welcomed for a good, long while still.

    Comment by tara — December 30, 2009 @ 1:23 am

  4. I wish this pound cake were sitting in my kitchen right now! It looks absolutely perfect. I may have to make this–eggnog season or not.;)

    Comment by lisaiscooking — January 1, 2010 @ 3:41 pm

  5. I recently made an eggnog poundcake too! Yours looks so nice and soft and delicious. What recipes did you try out from this book that didn’t turn out well? I have the cookbook as well and have only made one thing from it (a boston cream pie), which was good. I can understand why you don’t like the layout of the book but I love the layout of the recipes themselves.

    Comment by Ashley — January 4, 2010 @ 3:18 am



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