Have your egg nog and eat it too with this holiday take on a traditional dessert.
I don’t remember egg nog growing up. We might have had it, but if we did, it was definitely alcoholic. But when I first came to America, my husband’s grandmother always had two things in the house around Christmas: egg nog and fruitcake–and I instantly loved them both. (Yes, thanks to Grandma, I’m one of those rare people who eat fruitcake instead of using it as a paperweight. Haha!)
As much as I enjoy egg nog, however, I always end up with too much of it. It’s just too rich for me to drink all of it. So that’s how it hit me: why not make a sponge cake and soak it in egg nog? And why not go one step further and make egg nog whipped cream to top it? The result is an egg nog lover’s dream. And make sure you do it right and top it with a dusting of nutmeg!
Cake Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 5 eggs (with yolks and whites separated)
- 1 cup sugar (divided into 3/4 cup and 1/4 cup portions)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup milk
Syrup Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups egg nog
Topping Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 4 tbsp egg nog
- nutmeg for serving
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 13″x9″ cake pan.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed for about 2-3 minutes, until a pale yellow color. While continuing to beat, mix in vanilla extract, then milk, then the flour mixture from step 2.
- In a large bowl, beat egg whites for 1-2 minutes, until soft peaks form. While continuing to beat, slowly add in 1/4 cup sugar, and beat for 1-2 minutes, until stiff.
- Gently fold egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture, until combined.
- Pour the batter into prepared baking pan and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool to room temperature. Once cool, poke holes in it with a fork.
- Pour 1 1/4 cups egg nog over the cake, and let it soak for 30-40 minutes. While it soaks, continue on to next step to make whipped cream topping.
- Beat heavy cream for about 2 minutes. While continuing to beat, slowly add 3 tbsp sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form, then add egg nog and beat until mixed.
- Spread the whipped cream topping evenly over the cake. Serve with a dusting of nutmeg. Refrigerate before and between serving (it tastes best if you make it the day before and let it sit over night in the fridge).
See how this recipe is made by watching the video below:
Приятного аппетита! (Priyatnova appetita! Russian for ‘Bon Appetit!’)
I am a follower of Christ, wife of a pastor, mother of a strong-willed little boy, and native of Russia. In addition to cooking and baking, I enjoy drinking coffee and relaxing on the beach.