In the Kitchen with Chef Barbara Mojon Gugnoni

Pastry Chef, Barbara Mojon Gugnoni shares her recipe for a festive Spiced Rum Eggnog Cake with Dried Cranberries and Rum Eggnog Glaze…  Sounds like the perfect end to any holiday gathering!

Spiced Rum Eggnog Cake with Dried Cranberries and Rum Eggnog Glaze

3 cups sifted all purpose flour

1 ¾ cup white sugar

½ cup light brown sugar

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or ¾ teaspoon grated nutmeg

7/8 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 ¾ sticks)

2 oz. vegetable oil

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup eggnog, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 Tbsp. spiced rum

1 ½ cups dried cranberries tossed with 1 Tbsp. all purpose flour

Glaze:

 ¾ cup confectionary sugar

2 – 3 Tbsp. eggnog (more if needed to make consistency easier to drizzle)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon spiced rum

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 10-12 cup bundt pan with baking spray or grease pan with vegetable shortening and then dust with flour.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking power, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.  Cream the butter until light and fluffy.  Gradually add the sugars and mix well.  Add the oil and mix.  Add eggs one at a time and beat just until incorporated.  Add vanilla and rum and mix.  Gradually add the flour mixture in three additions alternately with the eggnog, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.  Stir in the dried cranberries that have been mixed with the tablespoon of flour.

Pour batter into prepared pan and level off the top of the batter.  Place in oven and bake for 55-65 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted close to the center comes out clean.  Cover loosely with aluminum foil after 45 minutes if the cake is getting too brown.

Remove from oven and cool on a baking rack for 15-20 minutes.  Turn right side up onto another rack that has been sprayed with baking spray or greased and let cool completely.

Glaze:  Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and drizzle over completely cooled cake.  Garnish with a dusting of confectionary sugar and marzipan holly berries and leaves.