I’m trying to finish up my book revisions and as with everyone else in the world who has a task to complete, I’m procrastinating. My preferred procrastination activity is writing (thus today’s post!). Some people might clean but, as we’ve already established, that’s not me. I had a friend who loved to “run the sweeper,” as she called it. She did that every day after work and probably still does (we’ve lost touch unfortunately so I can’t even ask her for advice). I wish I found that satisfying like writing or puttering in the garden. Imagine having a house so clean that you don’t have to clean when you know someone is coming to visit BUT you clean anyway because you like to. Crazy.

On a pretty regular basis, Haley and I laugh together until we’re crying. I couldn’t even tell you what we laugh about because, to the casual observer, it’s not funny. You know how it is. If you have to explain the punchline, the joke doesn’t work. The same is definitely true when you’re laughing until your sides ache and tears are running down your cheeks. For example, Ken would occasionally mildly injure himself (like bump his head on an open cabinet) and then say “ow” in a deliberately funny voice that’s hard to describe in writing. So, one day recently, Haley bumped her knee and deliberately said “ow” exactly the same way Ken did. We looked at each other and just started laughing. We laughed until our sides ached, slowing and then setting each other off again. I think, when I look back, that it was a strange kind of joyful grieving, honestly, a group of words that I would not have expected to type in a grouping.  

We finished the Eggnog Cake. It lasted really well. And it gets more flavorful over time which is lovely. I am going to make one modification, though, next time I make it. Just like with my mom’s lemonade cake (heavenly), I’m going to use a skewer to make holes all over the top of the cake before I add the glaze, so it soaks into the cake a bit.  Also, I used a golden rum — I’m a non-drinker so I had to GOOGLE (!) to find out that darker rums are stronger (though that seems obvious in retrospect). Finally, we usually make our cakes from scratch but for this recipe, I highly recommend that you don’t bother. The eggnog makes the cake crumb very delicate without the extra effort. 

Anyway, giving credit where it’s due, I was looking for ways to cook with eggnog and ultimately combined huffpost and allrecipes.com recipes to create this (it’s really easy but I like to over-explain things, as you already know): 

Eggnog Cake

The Cake

• ¾ cup eggnog
• ¼ cup rum (or ~2 tbsp rum extract)
• 1 tbsp vanilla
• 1 yellow or white cake mix
• 2 – 2 ¼ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 stick softened butter (I always use salted but to each their own!)
• 3 eggs
• Spray a bundt or deep springform pan. 

Preheat your oven to 350F. 

Start the butter in your mixer, mixing until it’s nice and lemon yellow! While that’s going: Mix the eggnog, rum, and vanilla together. Set aside.  Mix the dry ingredients together. Set aside.

Add the eggs to the butter, one at a time and blend thoroughly. Then: 

• Add a third of the dry ingredients. Mix.
• Add half of the wet ingredients. Mix.
• Add another third of the dry. Mix. 
• Add the rest of the wet. Mix
• Add the rest of the dry. And mix. 

(Typing this made me sing “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands. No idea why.) 

Pour your creamy smooth batter into your prepared pan and bake for 30+ minutes, depending on your oven. Your tester should come out clean and your cake top should be golden brown. Your cake needs to cool somewhat before you start the glaze. I let mine sit for about 20 minutes (the pan was cool to the touch) before I inverted the pan and slide the cake onto a cake plate. 

The Glaze

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tbsp rum
• 3 tbsp eggnog
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• Optional nutmeg for the top of the glaze

Mix all dry ingredients together and then add the wet. You can use a whisk/your muscles or a mixer for this part. Your glaze will be a little thick, but not frosting-thick. Make sure your cake is touchable temperature and then drizzle the glaze over the top. If you pour the glaze onto the cake too soon, it will ALL melt and run off the sides onto the cake plate (trust me on this; I’ve done it!). As your final touch, if you like nutmeg, sprinkle some nutmeg onto the glaze (as you would across the top of a glass of eggnog). 

Some for you. Some for your 90 year old neighbors. And someone else you love.

Wishing you baking and a moment of laughing until you cry.