EGGNOG BIRTHDAY CAKE

 

today on the blog we are not just celebrating one special birthday, but two! many, many years ago my dad got the best 40th birthday gift ever.. ME! or maybe it was the worst.. haha so a happy 65th birthday to my dad, as i too turn a quarter century old today. with having a birthday so close to christmas, i thought making an eggnog cake was acceptable! i know, i know, eggnog is kind of a controversial christmas flavour. when i did a recent twitter pole, only 50% of people said yes to the eggnog (anyone else sensing a say yes to the dress holiday spinoff?!).. but i bet this cake would change their mind! if not for the eggnog, then because it's naked! the eggnog flavour is not over powering, but it's there! it's infused in the cake & frosting. have you ever had this cooked flour frosting? it's one of my favourite frostings to make because it's light tasting & fluffy, without being overly sweet like buttercream tends to be. it may seem weird having flour in frosting, but once you try it you will understand.

this recipe has been adapted from taste of home

ingredients

for the cake

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups raw sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon dark rum or rum extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 cup eggnog

for the frosting

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup eggnog
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon rum or rum extract

directions

  • pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
  • in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment cream butter & sugar until light and fluffy. add eggs one a time, followed by vanilla & rum.
  • in a separate bowl sift flour, baking powder, salt & nutmeg. add the dry ingredients to the the wet ingredients, alternating with the eggnog.
  • grease & flour two 8-inch round cake pans. evenly distribute the batter.
  • bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cakes bounce back to touch.
  • while the cakes are in the oven, begin to make the cooked frosting. in a frying pan over medium heat add flour, salt & eggnog. stir until the mixture is clump free. cook (constantly stirring) until the mixture has thickened. remove from heat & let cool completely.
  • once the eggnog flour mixture has cooled beat butter, sugar, vanilla & rum extract until light and fluffy. add the eggnog flour mixture.
  • frost cakes as desired. i decorated with pine needles, cinnamon sticks & cranberries!

like what you see? get it here. le creuset frying pan | cake stand | cake server | linen | plate | flatware  

SALTED CARAMEL APPLE CIDER

 

because it's not fall without apple cider, i'm sharing a recipe for this salted caramel apple cider up on the west elm blog! get the recipe HERE! this drink will keep you warm & cozy all season long!

SALTED BUTTER CHESTNUT SHORTBREAD COOKIE

 

blast those christmas tunes because i officially declare it is christmas time. i know most people don’t start their holiday baking until american thanksgiving is over, but canadian thanksgiving is LONG over. i started my holiday baking & recipe testing weeks ago (you are welcome). first things first, today i am bringing you a classic christmas cookie with a bonne maman chestnut twist. since we all don't have a fireplace & thus cannot have chestnuts roasting on an open fire.. bonne maman has created a delicious jar of chestnut spread for the holidays! bonne maman is a family owned company who’s products are made in france. they create high quality jams & preserves using traditional recipes passed down from generations & 100% natural ingredients. shortbread cookies are my favourite holiday cookie. growing up, my mom used to buy a box of them around the holidays & hide them in the basement freezer until christmas day, knowing i would eat all of them beforehand. oh you bet i would go sneak downstairs and snack of a few pre-christmas shortbread cookies, thinking i was so stealth (mom if you are reading this, i’m sorry. but i’m sure you already knew by the half empty container & trail of crumbs). so today i dedicate the first batch of christmas cookies to shortbread, featuring salted butter & chestnuts! because i am clearly obsessed with salted sweets. if you aren’t a fan of chestnuts, feel free to swap in your favourite bonne maman jams & jellies as the filling!

ingredients

  • 1 cup salted butter, room temperature
  • ¾ cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 jar bonne maman chestnut spread (or favourite jam)

directions

  • in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment beat butter & sugar until just combined. add vanilla.
  • sift in flour & salt, beat until dough comes together.
  • roll out on floured surface & shape into a disk. if dough is a bit crumbly, add a teaspoon of water. wrap in plastic & refrigerate for one hour.
  • once dough has chilled, roll out on a floured surface to ¼ inch thick. use desired cookie cutters to create cookie shape.
  • bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until the edges JUST begin to brown. let cool to room temperature.
  • once cool enough to handle add a teaspoon of bonne maman chestnut spread to the bottom cookie & top with another. dust with powdered sugar & enjoy!

thank you so much to bonne maman for sponsoring this post! all opinions are my own. i promise this chestnut spread is DELICIOUS. so delicious that i ate all the leftovers with a spoon.. err but what else is new.