Eggnog Cake with Gingerbread Brittle & Holiday Nog Cream Cheese Buttercream
Servings: 10
Ingredients
For the Eggnog Cake:
- 2 ¼ cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 ¼ tsp. Baking Powder
- ½ tsp. Salt
- ½ tsp. Ground Nutmeg
- ½ tsp. Ground Cinnamon
- ½ cup Unsalted Butter softened
- ¼ cup Olive Oil
- ¾ cup Granulated Cane Sugar
- ¾ cup Light Brown Sugar
- 3 large Eggs
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 1 ¼ cups MALK Organics Holiday Nog
For the Gingerbread Brittle:
- 1 cup Granulated Cane Sugar
- ½ cup Honey
- ¼ cup Water
- 1 cup Pecans chopped
- ¼ cup Candied Ginger chopped
- 2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
- Pinch of Salt
- 1 tsp. Baking Soda
For the Holiday Nog Cream Cheese Buttercream:
- 8 oz. Cream Cheese room temp.
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter softened
- 3-4 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract or vanilla bean paste
- 3-4 tbsp. MALK Organics Holiday Nog
- ½ tsp. Ground Nutmeg
Instructions
- To Make the Eggnog Cake: Preheat oven to 350F. Butter two 8” cake pans then line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Mix well.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the butter, olive oil, granulated cane sugar, and brown sugar. Beat for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- While beating on LOW speed, add the eggs one at a time. Fold in the vanilla extract.
- Add half of the flour mixture and half of the Holiday Nog. Mix JUST until incorporated.
- Add the remaining flour mixture and Holiday Nog to once again mix JUST until combined. Try not to over mix the batter.
- Divide the cake batter between the prepared cake pans, then smooth out the tops with the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the centers are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- To Make the Gingerbread Brittle: Prep all the ingredients, as well as a large baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, honey, water, and salt. Mix until the sugar is dissolved.
- Using a candy thermometer, bring the mixture to 300F. Reduce heat to a simmer, then work quickly to stir in the butter, chopped pecans, and chopped candied ginger.
- Stir in the baking soda, then immediately pour onto the prepared sheet pan. Spread out to about ¼” thick. Let cool for 15-20 minutes, until hardened.
- Place in a resealable bag to break up into fine pieces. Set aside. If prepping in advance, store in a brown paper bag or airtight container away from direct heat and sunlight to preserve its crunch.
- To Make the Holiday Nog Cream Cheese Buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the softened butter and cream cheese. Beat for 2-3 minutes, until smooth.
- Add the vanilla, nutmeg, and two cups of powdered sugar. Beat for 2 minutes.
- Continue adding another cup of powdered sugar, beating for 1 minute in between, until a light and airy buttercream. Add the Holiday Nog to help loosen up the frosting.
- To Assemble the Cake: Slice the cooled cake layers in half. Layer each cake with a generous amount of the buttercream, followed by the crumbled gingerbread brittle. Once you’ve add the final cake layer, use an offset spatula to frost a crumb coat. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes, then frost the cake with remaining buttercream as desired!
