Brown Sugar Eggnog Holiday Cake with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting & Apple Cider Cranberry Topping

Description

The perfect holiday cake that hits all the right notes!  The cake it made with brown sugar, eggnog and holiday spices.  The White chocolate cream cheese frosting is decadent a beautiful compliment to the spice in the cake.  The apple cider cranberry topping pulls everything together with a slightly tangy yet addictive fresh element.  And the best part of this cake is that if you cook it in a bunt pan the assemble is extremely simple! No cutting, chilling or frosting multiple layers – just throw everything together!

This recipe makes a relatively small batch with 8 servings.  If you want a larger cake just double or even triple this recipes.  Add 5 minutes to the baking time if you choose to double.  Add 10 minutes to the baking time if you choose to triple.

Ingredients

Cake

• 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter

• ¼ cup sour cream

• 1 large egg at room temperature

• 2/3 cup brown sugar (light or dark or a mixture of the two)

• ½ Tbs Vanilla Extract

• ½ cup eggnog

• 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• ½ tsp nutmeg

• ¼ tsp all spice

• 1/3 tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp baking powder

• 1/3 teaspoon salt

Apple Cider Cranberry Topping

• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

• 2 Tbs Maple Syrup

• 2 Tbs White Sugar

• 3 Tbs Apple Cider

• Zest of half an orange

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ¼ tsp ground ginger

• ¼ ground cinnamon

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature

• 3 Tbs cream cheese at room temperature

• ¾ cups powdered sugar

• 3 ounces white chocolate melted & cooled

• 1.2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

The Cake

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a bunt cake pan with melted of softened butter (you can also to traditional round cake pans) just check on cake with an inserted toothpick

2.    With a stand or hand-held mixer beat together the melted butter, sour cream, egg, brown sugar vanilla and eggnog.  Slowly add the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until just combined.

3.    Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake 25 minutes or until the tops are set and slightly golden brown. You can also check by inserting a toothpick.  If it comes out clean and with only a few crumbs it should be done. *If using traditional round cake pans or are doubling/tripling the recipe, you will need to cook for an addition 5-10 minutes. 

4.    Let cool before removing from pan and assembling

To Make Cranberry Topping

1.    Add the cranberries, maple syrup, sugar and apple cider to a small pot over medium-high heat.  

2.    Bring the mixture to a boil and start to break down the cranberries using a fork

3.    Continue to cook for an addition 10 minutes or until the topping has thickened to your desired consistency.

4.    Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, ginger and cinnamon.

5.    Let cool

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

1.     Add butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar to a bowl. Beat with a stand or hand-held mixer until together light and fluffy.

2.    Add melted white chocolate and vanilla and beat until combined

Assembly

1.    Plop frosting on top of cooled cake and use a large spoon to spread out in a rustic, swirled manner.  Be sure to spread some down the sides as well

2.    Add the Cranberry on top of the frosting

3.    (Optional) Finish with a little bit of lemon vest, cinnamon and powdered sugar