Canadian
Bob & Doug McKenzie’s Eggnog Cake
Bob & Doug McKenzie’s Eggnog Cake brings cup butter, room temperature, cups all-purpose flour and the rest of the crew together in a recipe that is practical enough for a normal kitchen but still has enough personality to avoid tasting like committee food.
What It Is
Merry Christmas ya hoser!. This Eggnog spiked cake is a great dessert for any after party or after eating that wonderful Christmas turkey. Try it with added spiced rum for a buzz. Eggnog cake from the Great White North, hosers optional.
Origin
This version is connected to as: Canada (Yukon, NWT), England (Dorchester).. I keep that connection as part of the recipe’s personality without pretending every dish arrived with a notarized birth certificate.
Fun Fact
The cookbook version really does pair ½ cup butter, room temperature with 2 cups all-purpose flour. That combination comes straight from the original recipe, not from a late-night refrigerator séance.
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter, room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1¼ cups white sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup prepared eggnog
- ¼ tsp finely grated lemon peel
- 2 tbsp bourbon whiskey
Steps
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
- Beat ½ cup butter and 1¼ cups sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add eggs, one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into butter mixture before adding the next. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon lemon peel, mixing well. ¼ cup all-purpose flour ¼ tsp salt 1½ cups prepared eggnog 1 cup butter, room temp 1½ cups white sugar 1½ tsp vanilla extract ¼ tsp rum-flavored extract ¼ tsp finely grated lemon peel ½ cup finely chopped toasted pecans (optional)
- Combine 2 cups flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Pour flour mixture into the batter alternately with 1 cup eggnog, mixing until just incorporated. Stir in bourbon. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.
- Bake in preheated oven until cake springs back when touched lightly with a fingertip or a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes (test both cake layers). Cool in pans for 10 minutes before inverting on a wire rack to cool completely.
- To make frosting, combine ¼ cup flour and ¼ teaspoon salt in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in 1½ cups eggnog, whisking until smooth.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. When mixture boils, cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool completely to room temperature.
- Beat 1 cup butter and 1½ cups sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in cooled eggnog mixture, 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract, rum extract, and ¼ teaspoon grated lemon peel. Beat on high speed until mixture is fully incorporated and frosting is fluffy.
- Spread cake with plain frosting between cake layers, over the top and on the sides. Coat the sides with toasted pecans, pressing the nuts onto sides in small handfuls. Refrigerate until serving time. DA NOG! Eggnog’s origins can be traced back to sack posset, an Elizabethan-era drink made with spices, milk, eggs and fortified wine like Madeira. It was served thick, hot and somewhat chunky (the milk was curdled by the hot spiced wine). The word nog comes from noggin, which is a small wooden mug typically used to drink ale.
Notes
Taste near the end and adjust. Salt, acid and heat are much easier to add than remove, despite what some of my more enthusiastic recipes occasionally imply.
Substitutions
No specific substitution note is given in the cookbook. Spoon & Scribble option: use comparable nuts, fruit or flavourings where the structure of the dessert stays the same.
Storage
Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate in a covered container. Keep crisp garnishes separate whenever possible so tomorrow’s lunch does not become damp architecture.
Freezing
Freeze cooked components in meal-sized airtight portions where practical. Dairy-heavy sauces and fresh garnishes may change texture, so add those fresh after reheating when possible.