Eggnog Pound Cake
Ingredients
1/2 cup dried currants, raisins or cranberries
2 Tbsp dark rum or water
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup eggnog mixed with 1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp grated orange zest
Glaze
3 Tbsp orange juice
1 Tbsp dark rum
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Directions
1. Soak currants in rum in a small bowl for 15 minutes.
2. Adjust rack to lower third of oven. Preheat the oven to 325.F (350.F if the pan doesn't have a dark finish).
Butter a 9 to 10 inch bundt pan (original recipe calls for a Festive Cake Pan).
3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter until creamy, 30-45 seconds. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape bowl with a rubber spatula occasionally as needed. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.
5. At very low speed, add dry ingredients in 4 additions, alternating with eggnog (begin and end with dry ingredients). Scrape bowl occasionally. Gently fold in orange zest, currants and any remaining rum.
6. Spoon batter into pan; spread evenly. Bake 55-65 minutes, or until cake springs back when touched lightly in the center and pulls away from the sides of the pan. You can also use a long toothpick or thin bamboo skewer and insert into the thickest part of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's done.
7. Remove from oven and cool upright in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes.
8. Prepare glaze by blending together sugar, orange juice, and rum.
9. Invert cake onto a rack, over a sheet of waxed paper. Use a pastry brush to brush the surface of the cake with the glaze. Cool completely before serving. Serves 20.
Notes from Evie: Baked at convection setting I used a 325 degree oven. I've made mini cakes from this recipe and got 12 plus a mini loaf pan. I also found out that eggnog can be frozen if you don't have time to bake the cake and the eggnog is in danger of going sour.
Source: www.elise.com
