Not everyone loves eggnog.
I am not one of those people!
I LOVE it.
I get giddy waiting for the grocery store to begin stocking my favorite holiday drink. How lucky we are that most stores now carry a vegan version!!Miracles happen everyday, y'all!
Even if you don’t love to drink eggnog, I’m going to go out on a limb and say I think you still may love this cake.
My eggnog hating husband went back for seconds. It’s the perfect mix of buttery vanilla, nutmeg, and a touch of bourbon in the frosting for an added noggy kick.
If you want to leave out the bourbon, go ahead, it will still be delicious!
Vegan and dairy free baking does not need to be intimidating. Now days more than ever it is so easy. There are so many options for replacing eggs and dairy in a recipe!
We use aquafaba in this recipe to replace the eggs. Aquafaba is simply the liquid from canned beans, and can be whipped up to resemble whipped egg whites, making it a wonder egg substitute in many recipes! Cheap, easy, and near vegan baking magic! Seriously, what a time to be alive y’all.
So go forth with confidence and bake yourself a vegan cake, and remember this holiday season you can have your nog, and eat it too!
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all purpose white flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup aquafaba (whipped chickpea liquid, you are measuring out the WHIPPED aquafaba, not the liquid)
1 cup vegan eggnog, store bought or try Meggan Leals recipe from Cooking On Caffeine
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup vegan butter
Buttercream:
1/2 cup vegan butter
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons eggnog
Instructions:
preheat oven to 350 degrees
Prepare (2) 8 inch cake pans by first coating with a thin layer of vegan butter, then lightly dusting pans with flour.
Prepare the aquafaba according to instructions. (follow link to recipe and instructions)
In the bowl of your stand mixer, or a large bowl if using a hand mixer, whisk together all of your dry cake ingredients.
Add the butter, and all of the eggnog into the dry ingredients. Cream on medium speed for a few minutes until completely smooth. Add vanilla and mix for a few more seconds.
Next, with a spatula, gently fold in the aquafaba, careful not to over mix. You do not want to deflate the aquafaba. If you do, your cake will not be as fluffy.
Evenly divide batter between the 2 prepared pans and bake cakes for 40 - 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow cakes to cool in the pans on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes.
While cakes are cooling prepare the frosting by mixing together the butter and shortening in your stand mixer or using an electric hand mixer. Add in the vanilla, spices, and bourbon and continue mixing until well incorporated. Slowly begin beating in the powdered sugar. The frosting should be pretty stiff. Begin adding just enough eggnog to thin the frosting enough to easily spread on the cake. ( if you leave out the bourbon, you will need a little extra eggnog)
Once cakes have cooled for 20 minutes, turn them out onto the cooling rack to cool completely. Once cakes are completely cooled, begin frosting by adding a layer of buttercream on one cake layer, and spreading evenly to the edges. Place other cake layer on top and cover the cake with remaining buttercream.
Store cake in the refrigerator and serve at room temperature.
*We have altered some instructions from the original recipe to help cut down on the deflating of the aquafaba. Over mixing the aquafaba will cause it to deflate, resulting in a more dense cake. Being careful to gently fold in the aquafaba will help achieve a nice light crumb.
