Your loved ones will enjoy this festive Eggnog Layer Cake.
Eggnog Layer Cake
Makes 1 (9-inch) cake
Ingredients
- Cake:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- Filling:
- 2 cups whole milk, divided
- ½ cup sugar, divided
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon rum extract
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Frosting:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter
- 7 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 5 to 6 tablespoons whole milk
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons rum extract
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Garnish: white chocolate curls, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 3 (9-inch) round cake pans with baking spray with flour. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper, and spray pans again.
- For cake: In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, and vanilla with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Spoon batter into prepared pans, smoothing tops with an offset spatula.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.
- For filling: In a medium saucepan, bring 1¾ cups milk and ¼ cup sugar to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together cornstarch, salt, and remaining ¼ cup sugar. Add egg yolks, egg, and remaining ¼ cup milk, whisking until combined. Gradually add half of hot milk mixture to egg mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk egg mixture into remaining hot milk mixture in saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter, rum extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg, stirring until butter is melted. Let cool slightly. Spoon into a bowl; cover surface with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature until completely cool.
- For frosting: In a large bowl, beat butter with a mixer at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar, milk, and salt, beating until a spreadable consistency is reached. Beat in rum extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- To assemble: Place one cake layer, flat side up, on a serving plate. Pipe a ¼-inch border of frosting around top edge of cake. Spread half of cooled filling over cake layer, stopping at piped frosting. Place second cake layer, flat side down, on a work surface, and repeat procedure with frosting and remaining filling. Gently place over cake layer on serving plate. Place third cake layer, flat side up, on work surface. Spread 1 cup frosting onto cake layer. Place on top of cake layers on serving plate. Place a wooden skewer, trimmed to fit, through center of cake. Gently spread remaining frosting on top and sides of cake. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Discard wooden skewer. Garnish with white chocolate curls, cinnamon, and nutmeg, if desired.
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