I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love “occasion” baking. Holidays, baby showers, you name it - if there’s a specific design theme or time-of-the-year flavors involved, count me in. And at this time of the year I get particularly excited, because for some reason it seems inappropriate to make eggnog and gingerbread flavored things outside of December. Crazy, right?
I already knew I wanted to make Joanne Chang’s (Flour Bakery, Boston) Deep Dark Spicy Gingerbread with Coffee Glaze for my office’s holiday party, but I also wanted to pair it with a sweeter Eggnog treat. I couldn’t decide between eggnog bars or a second bundt cake, so I put my dilemma out to the Facebook hive mind. The response that convinced me?
“I like being able to say, 'Anything: Two Ways' when you serve them together. Sounds like you're on a cooking competition show or in a fancy restaurant. 'Tonight I have for you Bundt Cake, Two Ways.’” - my friend Christian (check out his amazing brewery in CT! )
So, with that, it was decided that I would also make an Eggnog Bundt Cake with a Spiked Glaze. No, not a spiky glaze - spiked - as in a hefty amount of rum (or bourbon, or whatever strikes your fancy). It’s sweet and moist and and sometimes fudgy and spiced and just downright delicious if you’re an eggnog fan. The gingerbread cake is exactly what it says it is - deep, dark, and spicy. Better be a real fan of ginger for this one!
Happy Holidays, and Happy Baking!
DEEP DARK SPICY GINGERBREAD WITH COFFEE GLAZE
INGREDIENTS & SUPPLIES:
490g AP flour (3.5c)
1TB baking powder
1/2tsp kosher salt
2tsp ground ginger
1tsp freshly ground black pepper (yes, freshly ground is important here)
1/2tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (yes, freshly grated is important here)
2 sticks butter, room temperature
156g light brown sugar (3/4c packed)
480g molasses (1.5c)
240g boiling water (1c)
1tsp baking soda
Cake goop (see link in directions below) or a little extra butter/shortening & flour
12-cup bundt pan (if you only have a 10-cup one, just make sure you leave at least 1” of space between the top of the batter and top of the pan, even if it means not using all of the batter)
2-3TB double-strength coffee & 1c powdered sugar (for the glaze) *If you’re not a coffee fan you could swap this for a simple cream cheese frosting or make any other kind of glaze by swapping the coffee for a different liquid - milk + a flavored extract, or bailey’s or bourbon or brandy, etc
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 350F. Prepare your bundt pan by using your cake goop with a tiny bit of cocoa for color; or grease it fully with melted butter or shortening, and then throw some cocoa in - tap it around to cover the bottom and sides, then tap any excess out into the sink.
Whisk together your dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt & spices) in a bowl set it aside.
Whisk your two eggs until they’re combined in a separate bowl, then whisk in your grated ginger. Set aside.
In your mixer cream together your butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy (approx. 2-3 minutes, scrape down the bowl sides as necessary to get everything an even color/texture).
With your mixer on low, gradually add the egg mixture. Once combined enough so it’s not liquid, stop the mixer to scrape down the sides, then mix on medium speed until homogeneous.
In a separate bowl (that can hold at least 4 cups of liquid), whisk together the molasses and boiling water, then whisk in the baking soda. It will foam up like crazy!
Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with your molasses mixture in 2 additions - you can keep the mixer on low and add the next ingredient when the previous has just combined, or you can turn the mixer off to add it. Either way, never keep mixing after all the dry has been incorporated (you don’t want chewy bread-like cake, so don’t make gluten!) After you’ve added it all, stop the mixer to scrape down the sides, and mix it for 15-20 seconds on medium speed.
Pour the batter into the pan, taking care not to get any little splatters up on the sides, and smooth it out evenly with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
Your cake will be done when the top springs back when pressed lightly, and when a cake tester or toothpick comes out of the middle with a few moist crumbs - not covered in batter, but not clean either. Don’t overbake this cake! Start checking it at 45 minutes when it might be done (earlier if you’ve not used all the batter or are using multiple smaller pans), but it could take as long as 60 minutes depending on your oven.
Let the cake rest in the pan for ~25 minutes, then invert it onto a cooling rack.
To make the glaze (don’t do this before the cake is out of the pan), whisk together the powdered sugar and enough of your liquid to make a smooth spreadable glaze. While the cake is still warm put the cooling rack over a cookie sheet or sheet pan with wax paper on it, and spread or pour the glaze evenly over the top of the cake. Let the glaze set for ~60 minutes before serving.
adapted from Joanne Chang’s Flour Cookbook
EGGNOG BUNDT CAKE WITH SPIKED GLAZE
INGREDIENTS & SUPPLIES:
360g AP Flour (3c)
1tsp salt
1tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
170g Eggnog (3/4c)
1TB vanilla
18TB (2 sticks + 2TB) butter, room temperature
400g sugar (2c)
3 large eggs + 1 yolk
1TB dark rum
1tsp nutmeg
1/4tsp cinnamon
Cake goop (see link in directions below) or a little extra butter/shortening & flour
10-12 cup Bundt pan
3TB dark rum & 1.5c powdered sugar (for the glaze) *If you’re not a rum fan you could make any other kind of glaze by swapping the coffee for a different liquid - bourbon, eggnog, a combination of the two, or milk + any flavored extract.
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 350F. Prepare your bundt pan by using your cake goop, or grease it fully with melted butter or shortening, and then throw some flour in - tap it around to cover the bottom and sides, then tap any excess out into the sink.
Whisk together your dry ingredients in a bowl, and your eggnog & vanilla in another bowl - set both aside.
In your mixer cream together your butter and sugar until light and fluffy (approx. 2-3 minutes, scrape down the bowl sides as necessary to get everything an even color/texture).
Add the eggs and yolk one at a time until each are fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with your eggnog mixture in 2 additions - you can keep the mixer on low and add the next ingredient when the previous has just combined, or you can turn the mixer off to add it. Either way, never keep mixing after all the dry has been incorporated (you don’t want chewy bread-like cake, so don’t make gluten!) After you’ve added it all, stop the mixer to scrape down the sides, and mix it on medium speed for 10-15 seconds or just until homogeneous.
Scoop out 1 cup of the cake batter into a separate bowl, and add to it your rum, nutmeg and cinnamon, mixing until they’re well combined.
Scoop about half (or maybe a little more) of your regular batter into your bundt pan, spreading it evenly around the bottom with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Then spoon in your rum/spice batter evenly around, keeping it in the middle of the regular batter so it gets encased and will end up in the middle of the cake - take care not to let it touch the outside or inside edges of the pan. Gently dollop the rest of the regular batter evenly around on top of the spiced mix, erring toward the edges so that when you spread it together evenly to cover the spiced batter, you’re spreading toward the middle of the pan and not toward the edges. Do this gently!
Your cake will be done when a cake tester or toothpick comes out of the middle with a few moist crumbs - not covered in batter, but not clean either. Start checking it at 45 minutes when it might be done (earlier if you’ve not used all the batter or are using multiple smaller pans), but it could take as long as 60 minutes depending on your oven.
Let the cake rest in the pan for ~25 minutes, then invert it onto a rack to let it cool.
To make the glaze (don’t do this until the cake has cooled completed), whisk together the powdered sugar and enough of your liquid to make a smooth spreadable glaze (it’s possible you’ll need a little more than 3TB). Place your cooling rack over a cookie sheet or sheet pan with wax paper on it, and spread or pour the glaze evenly over the top of the cake. Let the glaze set for ~60 minutes before serving.
adapted from Brown Eyed Baker