Contest Winning Eggnog Cake Recipes

DEEP SOUTH EGGNOG CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
• Beat 1/2 cup butter and 1 1/4 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.
• 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 1/4 cup flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a saucepan. Gradually whisk in 1 1/2 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 1 1/2 cups sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Mix in cooled eggnog mixture, 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, rum extract, and 1/8 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.

CONTEST-WINNING EGGNOG CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add extracts. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with eggnog, beating well after each addition. Pour into two greased 9-in. round baking pans. , Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, in a small saucepan, combine flour and salt. Gradually stir in eggnog until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat whisking constantly; cook and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Cool to room temperature., In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in eggnog mixture and vanilla until smooth. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake. If desired, decorate with decorating gel. Store in the refrigerator.

THE PERFECT CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl and mix until combined.
• In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
• With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• Pour the batter into two 8-inch round prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350°F, until a cake tester or toothpick comes out mostly clean (not wet).
• Cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

EGGNOG POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a tube pan by coating with cooking spray and dusting with flour.
• Using a stand or hand mixer, cream butter and shortening together. Mix in sugar and whip until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, blending thoroughly. Continue to mix while adding in nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla.
• With beater running, add flour and eggnog alternating into sugar mixture, starting and stopping with flour. Pour into prepared 10 inch tube pan. Bake for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a skewer that should come out clean when cooked completely.
• Let cake cool for 20 minutes then remove from pan. When cake is completely cooled, store covered.

AWARD-WINNING MASCARPONE POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Coat a 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan with solid vegetable shortening, then sprinkle with granulated sugar. Or, spray with cake release, my favorite!
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter, shortening, and mascarpone until smooth.
• Add sugar and beat until fluffy, mixture will lighten in color slightly.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
• Slowly add flour to mixture and combine.
• Add vanilla, butter, and almond extracts and combine.
• Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour and 15 to 20 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean or with 'dry' crumbs.
• Allow to cool on the countertop on a wire rack 15 minutes before inverting on a serving tray. Cool completely before covering.
• Cake can be stored in an air-tight container on the counter-top for 3 to 4 days or refrigerator for one week.