Eggnog Glazed Gingerbread Cake
The me, cake is stupid without frosting. If frosting isn’t involved, you’re eating a freaking muffin. And muffins are great and all, unless you want effing cake. And that’s what I wanted last weekend, at home by myself. I wanted cake that was engulfed in frosting. Yes, engulfed. No measly ass muffin cake for me. No way. So I made this spice cake then I sat there trying to decide how to frost the cake. Sure, I could frost it in flowers like on my flourless chocolate cake in my book. Or I could frost it then slightly remove the frosting so it looks naked. That’s so hip right now. Or I could ice it like a normal cake. Then I said f*ck it, I’m making a glaze and dumping it on the cake. I have no patience. And that’s what I did. Sh*t got crazy pretty quickly. Or should I say sticky. Before I could even get the photo ready, the glaze was going everywhere. Like a bat out of hell. If that’s where bats lived. I just didn’t think it through. I snapped as many shots as possible before licking icing off of the everything. Ew, I hate when people lick their fingers.
So remember when making this cake: frosting may go everywhere and you may have to lick your fingers. You’re welcome.
Last night I got home late after a quick 29 hour trip to KC. I thought KC was adorable but man does that Midwest wind smack ya straight to the bone. All I wanted while I was there was drink hot cocoa and slurp soup. Which is why I’m making a soup tonight. Did you try my ham recipe or are you thinking about it? Because if you did/are, be sure to not throw the bone out. Ham bone soup is definitely going down!
Coming back to a couple feet of snow in Colorado didn’t make things any more enjoyable when I had to wake up at 5am this morning to coach. I have 47 layers on and my hands are still freezing. I’m so pumped to get away from snow soon. Headed to Costa Rica in January for my PaleOMG fitness retreat. Any of you lovely people coming with me?
Eggnog Frosted Gingerbread Cake
- Yield: 12 pieces 1x
Ingredients
- 3 cups blanched almond flour
- 3/4 cup tapioca flour
- 3 tablespoons coconut flour
- 3/4 cup maple sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/8 teaspoon all spice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup ghee, melted
- 3 tablespoons molasses
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
For the icing
- 1 batch of Vanilla Buttercream from Juli Bauer’s Paleo Cookbook*
- 2 tablespoons egg nog**
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
For decorations
- rosemary sprigs
- dusting of organic powdered sugar
- pine cones (do not eat)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 nine inch round cake pans.
- Sift together all the flours, sugar, baking soda, spices and salt into a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together ghee, molasses and eggs.
- Pour the wet mixture into dry mixture and mix until completely combine. Pour the batter equally between both cake pans and place in the middle rack of the oven to bake for 20 minutes. Let cool completely.
- This is where things get a tad more complicated. First, you’re going to make your buttercream. Second, you’re going to divide the buttercream in half and add the eggnog, cinnamon and nutmeg to the second half and mix until combine into a smooth glaze.
- Set one half of the cake on a cake stand then frost the top of the cake with the normal buttercream. Set the second half of the cake on top then pour the glaze on top of the cake, using a spoon to smooth out evenly. Sprinkle a bit of powdered sugar on cake and garnish with rosemary sprigs and pine cones. Serve immediately.
- Store in fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
*Any buttercream recipe will do if you don’t have the book. Don’t go freaking out.
**I used grass fed egg nog that I found, but feel free to use a almond milk or coconut milk brand egg nog or you can make your own!
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More Desserts Perfect for the Holidays:
Layered Flourless Chocolate Cake from Juli Bauer’s Paleo Cookbook
Holiday Raspberry Caramel Tart
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Make & Serve This Dish With:
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Oh, Hi! I’m Juli.
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28 thoughts on “Eggnog Glazed Gingerbread Cake”
This cake looks and sounds INCREDIBLE!!!! I am soooo making this for Christmas! And YES I am coming to Costa Rica with you! I am so freakin excited – cannot wait!!! 😀
Juli,
I’ve been following you for a little over three years now. My, oh my, have your photographs improved! Your staging and lighting have come a long way from photographing food in tupperware containers! Your staging is creative and beautiful. It really enhances the dish you’re writing about. Okay, I’ll stop being a proud Mom now lol.
awwwww thank you!! i definitely try much harder than way back when in 2012 when i was taking pics of crockpot food at 4am lol. i will definitely continue to try to improve them!
So, this cake recipe looks like it would make a pretty good muffin! 🙂
Can you replace the butter in your buttercream recipe with ghee? Or any thing else? I can’t eat regular butter. Thank you, I really want to make this!
you could use palm shortening!
This looks incredible! ! All your recipes are delicious! Love your new book! I just have a question about baking with almond flour. Does the brand make a difference? I was wondering what brand you use? I live in Ontario, canada and all I can find is Bob’s red mill and when ever I use it in a cake/muffin recipe, it turns out really soggy. Could this be the flour or the just me? ! Thanks so much! Keep up the great work! !
See if you can find Honeyville on Amazon. If not, sift the Bob’s a couple of times to get the finer grain (throw out the larger pieces that don’t pass through or save them for a savory dish).
Hahaha I just had to say that I love the “do not eat” disclaimer on the pine cones
Oh, and the recipe looks delicious 🙂
Looks amazing! Is that 3/4 cup maple sugar? Thanks!
yes, sorry about that. all fixed!
Well shit, son, I’m making this this weekend. P.S. I love the heads up about the pine cones. Some people, right?
It’s warm as hell here in VA this Christmas but still SO looking forward to Costa Rica in a few short weeks! Can’t wait! Also, this cake is beautiful. I think the drip-factor adds a gourmet touch, well played.
This looks soooo good! Thought I was done with holiday baking. It appears I was mistaken.
So, OT, but I am going to have to fly into Denver for a week probably in February for some physical therapy and wondered if you have any packing tips. I live in TX and probably need help packing for the vastly different weather! Snow boots? Heavy coats? Just layers?
Ooh, and a “what I packed” Segment might be fun! I swear I am so bad, I end up trying to bring my whole closet. Drives my husband nuts.
definitely bring some snow boots, heavy jackets and scarves for when you’re here in colorado. February is usually a crappy month snow-wise so be sure to pack some sweaters too!
This cake makes me want to lick my computer screen, no joke! It looks like perfection!
how much buttercream is required for the recipe please ?
about 1 1/2 cups
is there a substitute for the maple sugar ? How much buttercream is requires as I dont have the book Thanks!
a little over 1 1/2 cups and you could use coconut sugar instead, the color will just come out different
It seems quite daunting to bake with tapioca flour! I’ve never used it before! But this looks better than any other gingerbread cake I’ve seen!
I love gingerbread-like cakes/cookies. Since I don’t take almonds too well, I only use this recipe as a base to make gingerbread muffins. I grind walnuts as almond replacement. I also added some cashews for today’s batch which seems to work (getting a bit tired of using walnuts for everything). I also use maple sirup instead of molasses – since that is not an easy ingredient to get over here. I also whip the egg whites and add some sparkling water, and I use coconut fat instead of ghee.
Well what can I say – it worked the first time, and today I think I made the 3rd or 4th batch of these muffins. They come out perfect everytime, so thank you for a great and easy recipe!
Maybe my variation helps whoever can’t get along with almonds either. I also vary some additional ingredients – today I put a blob of walnut honey (I call it walzipan haha) in the middle/added chocolate chips. Originally wanted to try apple slices but we were out, duh. So that’s for next time!
★★★★★
Would it work if I substituted coconut oil for the ghee in the cake?
it should, i just haven’t tried it that way
This is the third year in a row I will make this cake, but last year I had an accident while baking it that made it even better ! After the cakes are baked take the icing and put them both in a bowl and mash them together. Put the mixture in a 9 x 12 dish and bake again. It made a sort of heavenly gingerbread eggnog brownie!! Definitely my favorite Christmas dessert!
that’s awesome!! so cool to hear that you continue to make it!
So I decided to try this recipe, and I made the butter cream and separated it to make the glaze. My glaze isn’t becoming glaze, it’s just kind of chunky? Do I need to warm it up? Or let it sit at room temp for a while then mix it again?
it could have to do with the temperature of the house. if it’s too cold, that may happen. i’m sorry you experienced that! i would try letting it sit at a slightly warmer temperature if it’s too cool in the house