Dessert First!

SHEILA’S SPICY NOELLA EGGNOG CAKE

Eggnog Cake

½ pound (2 sticks) butter or margarine,

at room temperature

1 ½ cups sugar

4 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

3 cups all -purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking p0wder

2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 cup eggnog

Glaze

½ cup sugar

¼ pound (1 stick) butter or Margarine

¼ cup water

¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ cup dark rum

¼ cup brandy

Powdered sugar for Garnishing

Preheat oven to 325 °. Grease a 15 x 10 ½ x 1

jellyroll pan; line it with waxed paper or parchment

and grease the paper. Cream the butter and

1 ¼ cups of the sugar in a large mixing bowl with an

electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Beat in the egg yolks. Stir together the flour,

baking powder and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add alternately

the flour mixture in fourths and the eggnog in

thirds, beginning and ending with flour. The batter

will be thick. In a separate mixing blow, bet the

egg whites until they are thick and soft. Slowly

beat in the remaining ¼ cup sugar, mixing until

stiff but still moist peaks form. Stir a dollop of

the whites into the batter to lighten it, and then

fold in the rest until thoroughly incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing

the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 25 to 35

minutes or until the cake tester comes out clean

and the top springs back when pressed with a

fingertip. Remove the cake from the over and

cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

While the cake cools, make the glaze by bringing

the sugar, butter, water, and nutmeg to a boil in

a small saucepan. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove the glaze from the heat and stir in the

rum and brandy. The glaze will be very thin.

After the cake has cooled for 10 minutes, invert it

onto a large platter, baking sheet, or sheet of

heavy foil. Brush hot glaze over the entire top

of the warm cake and until all of it is used.

Let the cake sit at room temperature uncovered

for 1 to 2 hours. Then cover with foil and let

sit at room temperature overnight. The cake may

be refrigerated or frozen, well covered.

Cut the cake into 1 ½ inch squares, making

10 cuts lengthwise and 7 cuts crosswise.

Sift powdered sugar lightly over the top

The cake maybe refrigerated tightly covered,

up to 5 days, or it maybe be frozen. Defrost,

wrapped, in the refrigerator.

Makes 70 squares