I recently extolled the virtues of sheet cake with my Thanksgiving post on Sweet Potato Sheet Cake with Caramel Icing. Now I want to move into the holidays with this decadent eggnog version. It still feeds a crowd, looks lovely, can be made ahead and easily transported. And it is absolutely brimming with seasonal cheer. I made this twice last year and got many requests for the recipe. It is a simple snowy white, but feel free to fancy it up as you like. I used some festive gold and silver sanding sugar, but really go for it – I can see one of those fancy sprinkle mixes with shapes and glitter and sprinkles. Everything should be fun and festive at this time of year!
Choose a good bottled dairy egg nog. The cake is nice and moist with a sweet and crackly icing. Definitely sift the confectioners’ sugar so you have a lovely smooth surface. If adding sprinkles or sanding sugar or edible glitter, I recommend you have that all ready to go and do it as soon as you’ve iced the cake, working quickly, so it will adhere. This decadent icing sets quickly. You can serve this in large squares on its own, or cut into smaller ones with a scoop of ice cream (eggnog if you find it, but salted caramel is a nice touch) or with a little cup of eggnog to go with.
Ingredients
- For the Cake
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup boiling water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
2 large eggs
½ cup dairy eggnog
- For the Icing
4 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup dairy eggnog
Directions
- For the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 11 by 17 inch rimmed baking sheet liberally with baking spray like Bakers joy.
- Melt the butter in a 2 cup measuring jug in the microwave and bring water to a boil. Put the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and nutmeg in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl and do it by hand). Spin to combine, then add the eggs and eggnog and beat until combined. Beat together as well as you can – it is stiff at this point. Pour the water into the jug with the melted butter so you have 2 cups, then pour that in the mixer and beat until smooth and combined. It will be a very thin batter. Pour the batter into the prepared sheet pan and spread it into an even layer. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, until the cake is lightly browned, a tester inserted in the center comes out clean and it is springy when you touch it with a finger. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool (don’t remove the cake, just the put the pan on the rack) and immediately ice.
- For the Icing
- While the cake is cooking, sift the confectioners’ sugar with the nutmeg into a bowl. You definitely want to sift so you get a smooth, lump free lovely surface. About 2 minutes before the cake is ready, put the butter and eggnog in a large saucepan, preferably one with a pouring spout, over medium heat and bring just to a bubble and the butter is melted completely. Don’t boil, just bubble gently. When the cake comes out of the oven, whisk the confectioners’ sugar into the eggnog mix until completely smooth. Working quickly, pour about ¾ of the frosting over the cake and spread to an even layer with an offset spatula or thin spatula. Pour over the remaining icing and spread it all out into an even layer. Work quickly, this icing sets faster than you think it will and it is best to spread quickly to create a smooth, glossy top. If it starts to pull, stop spreading and just tilt the pan. Cool the cake completely before serving.
- When cool, the cake will keep loosely covered for up to a day.
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