Eggnog Cake
Browned butter, eggnog spice cake with eggnog buttercream and cinnamon chip ganache.
Servings: 1 3-layer 8-inch cake or 4-layer 6-inch cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 3 cups (339 g) cake flour
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons (6.6 g) cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon (2.64 g) ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon (2.3 g) nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) ground cloves
- 1 cup (226 g) browned butter, made ahead and softened
- 1 1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (55 g) brown sugar
- 5 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons (8.4 g) vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup (335 g) eggnog, at room temperature
For the Buttercream
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (339 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold and cut into cubes
- 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
- 6 tablespoons (100.5 g) eggnog
- 1 teaspoon (2.64 g) cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) nutmeg
- 2 teaspoon (8.4 g) vanilla extract
- *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping you’ll want to make an extra 1/2 batch.
For the Ganache
- 1 cup 150 g Hershey's cinnamon baking chips
- 1/4 cup 57.75 g heavy whipping cream
Instructions
For the Cake
- In a medium saucepan, melt the one cup of butter over medium-high heat. Continue to cook, swirling occasionally, until the butter is browned and fragrant. The butter will foam up a bit and there will be bit of browned butter at the bottom of the pan when it's done. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the butter to a heat-safe container. Refrigerate until the consistency of softened butter. (I made my browned butter the night before baking and took it out of the fridge a few hours before I started so it had time to soften).
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray your 3 8-inch or 4 6-inch pans with nonstick spray, line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper rounds and spray again. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine and whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the browned butter until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, and increase the speed to medium-high. Beat the butter and sugars for about 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for another 30 seconds.
- With the mixer on medium-low, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until combined in between each addition. Add the vanilla. Mix until incorporated and scrape down the bowl again.
- Turn your mixer to low speed. Add the flour mixture alternating with the eggnog, starting and ending with the flour. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds or until combined. Do not over beat your batter.
- Using a kitchen scale, evenly distribute the cake batter between the pans. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. Let the cakes cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before removing them from the pans to cool completely. Can be individually wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the freezer for up to two weeks.
For the Buttercream
- 1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- With the mixer on low, gradually add the remaining ingredients until combined.
- Turn the mixer to medium-high and continue to beat the buttercream until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Use a wooden spoon to mix frosting to get rid of air pockets.
For the Ganache
- In a microwave safe bowl or over the stove, heat the cream until simmering. Pour the cream over the cinnamon chips and stir until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth and silky.
- The mixture cool slightly before using. It will thicken up during this time.
Assembly
- After leveling your cakes, if needed, spread a dab of frosting on your cake board, and place the first cake layer, top side up, on top.
- Cover the first cake layer with about 3/4 cup eggnog buttercream, and then drizzle with the cinnamon chip ganache. To make sure the ganache doesn't come out the sides of the came, use your offset icing spatula to create a little barrier around the edge of the cake or pipe a rim of frosting around the edge of the cake.
- Repeat step 2 with your second cake layer. The final cake layer should be placed top side down.
- Apply a thin layer of frosting around the cake. Freeze the cake for 10 to 15 minutes to set the crumb coat.
- Continue frosting the cake with the remaining buttercream.
- Use extra cinnamon chip ganache as a drip on top.