Eggnog Hot Chocolate Pound Cake

What happens when you mix eggnog and hot chocolate? One amazing cake with two of your favorite winter beverages! Perfect for holiday parties.

Today is the Friday of the last weekend before Christmas. What are you doing this weekend? If I had to guess many of you will be baking cookies, attending holiday parties, and/or crazy enough to go shopping. I remember the last time I tried going to the mall the weekend before Christmas (and not to buy a present, just retail therapy with a friend and neglected to realize what weekend it was) and it took over an hour to get out of the parking lot. Insanity. Never again. I am however committing to the other two aforementioned tasks this weekend – getting covered in snow-like sugar while baking and then eating party food until my belly resembles Santa’s.

This pound cake embodies the two best wintry drinks: eggnog and hot chocolate. Both eggnog and hot chocolate mix are used in the making of this pound cake, which results in the perfect pound cake to appear at your next holiday party. It didn’t take long for it to be reduced to crumbs. Spike it with a little bit of rum if you dare.

P.S. Does anyone else see the face in the swirl in the pictures above? It looks like Bugs bunny with his ears slightly chopped off to me.

One year ago: Meyer Lemon Chess Pie

Three years ago: Pecan Fruit Cake

EGGNOG HOT CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

Makes 1 pound cake

Ingredients:

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp rum or extract (optional)

3/4 cup eggnog, room temperature

1/4 cup hot cocoa mix (I used my homemade dark chocolate mix)

1 Tbsp boiling water

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8×4-inch loaf pan, set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
3. In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla and rum (if using).
4. Alternately add the flour mixture and the eggnog, mixing just until incorporated.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the hot cocoa mix and boiling water. Add 1/2 cup of the batter and mix to combine. Spoon one-third of the plain batter into the prepared pan and top with dollops of 1/3 of the chocolate batter. Repeat twice, ending with the chocolate dollops.
6. Using a butter knife, swirl the mixture a couple of times.
7. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 70-75 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Adapted slightly from Woman’s Day, September 2014.