At long last, Christmas is upon us! At our house we look forward to the Christmas season every year: the tree, the lights, the decorations, the baking, the hustle and bustle…we LOVE Christmas. There’s a joyful energy in the air for the whole month. It’s magical.

But Christmas can be a little bit like planning a wedding. (An analogy that is top of mind for me this year.) You get caught up in the details – the parties, the shopping, getting your house ready – and you forget to pause and remember what the day is really all about. In the wedding analogy, this means focusing on the marriage rather than the accompanying party. On Christmas this means remembering what we’re really celebrating – the first half of that word: Christ. He’s the sole reason for the hope and joy that Christmas encompasses. He was the perfect gift. In fact, He’s the only gift that really matters.

So this Christmas, amid the unwrapping and eggnog and cookies, we hope you have a minute to  stop and reflect on the real reason for the day. We’ll be doing the same. And…we’ll be munching on this…

This eggnog cake is the perfect last-minute dessert. (Perfect for a last-minute post! Did this week get away from anyone else?!) It is super easy, super moist and the almond crust negates the need for glazing. We make this cake every year…usually at the last minute!

Although we have baked lots of eggnog goodies this cake is one we keep coming back to. It uses lots of eggnog, and the rum-infused batter is to-die-for good! Seasonal, homemade, fast. Perfect.

P.S. It uses a yellow cake mix. Please don’t judge, (or better yet, please don’t tell!)

You can think of this post as our little Christmas card and know that we’re sending prayers and love and best wishes from our family to yours for a blessed, happy, joyful Christmas! Merry Christmas!!

Gather Up:
3 tablespoons softened butter
½ cup sliced almonds
1 package yellow cake mix
½ teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs
1 ½ cup eggnog
¼ cup melted butter
2 tablespoons dark rum

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Generously grease a bundt pan with 3 tablespoons of butter. Sprinkle the almonds against the sides and bottom of the pan. Do not skimp on the butter – it will form the almond crust around the cake.

In an electric mixer combine the cake mix, nutmeg, eggs, eggnog, melted butter and rum. Beat until smooth and fluffy, about 4 minutes.

Pour into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 45 – 50 minutes.

Cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert onto rack and cool completely.

Love…Nancy, Ellen and Robin