Bored of snowballs after the Christmas celebrations? If the answer is yes, this delicious leftover advocaat cake is the perfect bake for you. With a tweak here and there this recipe could just as well be called eggnog cake or snowball cake. All cases covered.
Although we’re now into Veganuary and I’m going with it as I do every January, this bake is not a vegan one. I made it and enjoyed it before the New Year though, so I haven’t broken my diet. Just saying.
Dive Right In
- What Is Advocaat?
- Is Advocaat The Same As Eggnog?
- Why Make Leftover Advocaat Cake?
- Leftover Advocaat Cake
- Leftover Advocaat Cream Cheese Icing
- Ingredients
- How To Make Leftover Advocaat Cake
- How To Make A Snowball Cake
- How To Make An Eggnog Cake
- Other Recipes For Using Up Leftovers
- Keep In Touch
- The Recipe
What Is Advocaat?
Advocaat (aedvaka or advocatenborrel) is a Dutch liqueur dating back to the seventeenth century. It’s made with eggs, sugar and brandy, so it’s quite strong. Because of the eggs, the colour is bright yellow and the mixture is thick. It’s very rich and tastes like a sort of alcoholic custard.
In Holland homemade versions of advocaat abound. It’s popularly served in small glasses with a dollop of whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa powder on top.
Advocaat is the Dutch name for lawyer, so presumably it was a drink favoured by the legal profession. Borrel means small drink, one meant for sipping whilst chatting. So I’m guessing the translated meaning is “lawyer’s liqueur”.
In the UK, advocaat is most commonly used to make festive snowballs. Snowballs are a mix of advocaat and fizzy lemonade, usually with a squeeze of lime in it for good measure. These drinks are synonymous with Christmas and it’s not unusual for families to get a bottle of the yellow stuff in for the festive season.
Personally, I find the addition of lemonade too sweet, so I use sparkling water instead with an extra squeeze of lime. It works a treat.
Is Advocaat The Same As Eggnog?
Well no, not exactly. Eggnog is an old British drink which also contains eggs, sugar and alcohol, but there the similarity ends. Unlike advocaat, eggnog is whipped up with milk and cream.
Instead of the brandy used to make advocaat, rum is the popular choice for eggnog. And when it comes to spices, vanilla is associated with advocaat whereas it’s nutmeg for eggnog.
In the seventeenth century, eggnog hit America and it’s been a yuletide hit there ever since.
Why Make Leftover Advocaat Cake
Homemade advocaat doesn’t keep very well. But even if you buy a bottle of the commercial stuff, which is what I do, it’s best to drink it within six months. So this leftover advocaat cake is a very good way to use up any leftovers.
There are, however, a few other good reasons as to why you might want to make this cake.
- Easy and Accessible – Apart from the advocaat, this cake uses the sort of ingredients you’re likely to have in your kitchen. It’s actually quite a simple bake and the preparation process is easy and straightforward.
- Festive and Special Occasion Appeal – If advocaat is associated with holidays or special occasions in your region, an advocaat cake recipe is great for celebrations. It’s a festive way to enjoy a beloved and nostalgic liqueur in a different form.
- Love Food Hate Waste – If you hate wasting food and drink as much as I do, this cake is a great way to repurpose any advocaat leftover after the festivities. It also helps to clear the clutter.
- Unique and Distinctive Twist – Using leftover advocaat in this cake provides a unique twist to an otherwise fairly plain bake. It adds a distinctive rich flavour profile that’s bound to hit the spot. The advocaat cream cheese icing, whilst not necessary, is recommended.
Leftover Advocaat Cake
This cake is the perfect bake if you find yourself with a bit of advocaat liqueur lingering in the bottle after the festivities are over. It’s easy to make and produces a moist and tender sponge infused with the rich and creamy essence of advocaat.
The advocaat cream cheese icing on the top, though not necessary, adds another layer of deliciousness that complements the cake perfectly.
I like to bake this recipe as a sharing traybake type of cake. If you choose to bake it as a whole round cake, which you can do, the icing may prove rather difficult to apply. The cake domes a little as it bakes.
This matters less with a square cake which you can cover with icing quite successfully. So if you prefer the idea of a round cake, it might be best to omit the icing. Just dust with a little icing sugar and cocoa powder instead.
It’s a great cake for keeping everyone guessing as to what it is. Everyone seems to like it, but no one has yet guessed advocaat.
Leftover Advocaat Cream Cheese Icing
Rather than whipped cream, as is the Dutch tradition for serving advocaat, I’ve topped my cake with a very moreish advocaat cream cheese icing. It’s not overly sweet, but it is lush.
As for the chocolate, well yes, it’s there. I like to scatter the icing with a little finely grated chocolate. A light dusting of cocoa powder works well too though.
Ingredients
Apart from the advocaat, you’re likely to find all of the ingredients you need for this cake in your cupboard or fridge.
Natural yoghurt works wonders in cakes. It brings natural acidity which helps to balance sweetness. It also reacts with the baking powder and thus helps to leaven the bake.
If you don’t have any, you can use Greek yoghurt instead. But as it’s very thick, use just one tablespoon and mix it with one tablespoon of water.
Nutmeg is an optional ingredient. It adds fresh, warm and aromatic notes and is synonymous with eggnog.
I use spelt flour as it’s such a good one for baking. Unusually for me, rather than go with a hundred percent wholemeal flour, I went for a mix of wholemeal and white this time. Just because that’s what I had in the cupboard.
If you want to use a hundred percent wholemeal flour or wholemeal spelt, it will work just fine. It’s what I usually use.
Other than the ingredients mentioned above, you’ll need butter, unrefined caster sugar, vanilla extract, baking powder and eggs.
How To Make Leftover Advocaat Cake
This leftover advocaat cake is a simple, yet delicious, traybake. If, however, you’d prefer a plainer cake, it stands up well on its own without any icing. Just bake in a round tin rather than a square one.
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions and quantities of ingredients used.
Step 1. Cream Butter
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. The key to this is ensuring your butter is soft. Take it out of the fridge at least one hour before you need to use it. This gives it a chance to warm up and soften.
I make my cakes by hand with a bowl and wooden spoon. However, it’s fine to use an electric mixer if you prefer.
Top Tip
If your kitchen is cold, as mine is in the winter, you’re butter may never soften. It helps to partially melt the butter. I cube it, then add to a pan and place over a low heat. When the butter is not quite half melted, remove from the heat and beat it into the sugar straight away.
Step 2. Beat In Eggs
Beat in the eggs, one by one, then add the vanilla extract and beat that in too. Eggs are best for mixing if they’re at room temperature. If the mixture curdles, add a little of the flour, which helps it come back together again.
Beat in the advocaat.
Step 3. Sift Flour
Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl. Make sure you tip any bran left in the sieve back into the bowl.
Stir everything together until just combined. The mixture is quite stiff, so don’t worry.
Stir in the yoghurt and nutmeg, if using. The yoghurt will loosen the mixture a little.
Top Tip
Fresh nutmeg is best as the flavour can fade quite quickly once grated. However, you only need a small amount as this spice is highly aromatic. Grate in a little, stir and taste. If you think it needs more, add another grating.
Step 4. Bake Cake
Scrape the mixture into your lined and greased cake tin and level the top. I use a silicone mould so that I don’t have to line it.
Bake in the centre of the oven until the top is golden, firm to the touch and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Leave in the tin for ten minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
Step 5. Make Icing
Stir the icing sugar, cream cheese and nutmeg (if using) together in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Having said that, try not to over mix or the cheese may become runny.
Stir in the advocaat until just combined.
Spread the mix over the cooled cake with a palette knife, if you have one. Otherwise use a flat bladed knife or back of a spoon.
For best results, turn the cake bottom side up. It’s easier to spread the icing on the flat base of the cake, rather than the top, which is likely to be a little domed.
Top with a light dusting of cocoa powder or a little finely grated chocolate.
Cut the cake into twelve rectangles and serve.
Top Tips
If baking the cake in a round cake tin rather than a square or rectangular one, it will need an additional five to ten minutes in the oven.
Once iced, the cake is best eaten within twenty four hours. However, it will keep for a couple of days in an airtight container, if kept in a cool place.
How To Make A Snowball Cake
For a snowball cake, follow the recipe as is, but add the grated zest of a lemon along with half of the juice. Don’t add the optional nutmeg nor dust the top with cocoa powder.
How To Make An Eggnog Cake
For an eggnog cake, follow the recipe as is, but add in the optional nutmeg. And don’t dust the top with cocoa powder.
Other Recipes For Using Up Leftovers
- Apple brown betty
- Christmas cupcakes with booze-soaked fruit
- Courgette strata (vegan)
- Italian green sauce
- Leftover cake trifle
- Leftover mashed potato omelette
Keep in Touch
Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this leftover advocaat cake, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or advice for making similar cakes?
Please rate the recipe. If you post pictures of your creations on social media, use the hashtag #tinandthyme so I can see them.
For more delicious and nutritious recipes follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest. And don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to my weekly newsletter. Or why not join the conversation in our Healthy Vegetarian Whole Food Recipes Facebook Group?
If you’d like more cake recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Leftover Advocaat Cake. PIN IT.
Leftover Advocaat Cake
Ingredients
Advocaat Cake
- 175 g unsalted butter softened
- 175 g golden caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (I used vanilla sugar and ½ tsp vanilla extract)
- 2 medium eggs
- 2 tbsp advocaat (30ml)
- 200 g spelt flour (I used a mix of white and wholemeal)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp natural yoghurt
- light grating of nutmeg optional
Advocaat Icing
- 200 g cream cheese
- 25 g icing sugar double if you like it sweet – sifted
- 3 tbsp advocaat (45ml)
- light grating of nutmeg optional
- cocoa powder for dusting (I used a little finely grated 100% chocolate)
Instructions
Advocaat Cake
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.175 g unsalted butter, 175 g golden caster sugar
- Beat in the eggs, one by one along with the vanilla extract.1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 medium eggs
- Beat in the advocaat.2 tbsp advocaat
- Sift in the flour and baking powder, then add in any bran left in the sieve.200 g spelt flour, 2 tsp baking powder
- Stir until just combined, then stir in the yoghurt and nutmeg, if using.2 tbsp natural yoghurt, light grating of nutmeg
- Scrape the mixture into a lined and greased 20 cm (8″) square cake tin and level the top.
- Bake at 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4) for about 35 minutes or until the top is firm to the touch and an inserted skewer comes out clean.
- Leave in the tin for ten minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
Advocaat Icing
- Stir the icing sugar, cream cheese and nutmeg (if using) together in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Having said that, try not to over mix or the cheese may become runny.200 g cream cheese, 25 g icing sugar, light grating of nutmeg
- Stir in the advocaat until just combined.3 tbsp advocaat
- Spread the mix over the cooled cake with a palette knife, if you have one. Otherwise use a flat bladed knife or back of a spoon.
- Top with a light dusting of cocoa powder or a little finely grated chocolate.cocoa powder
- Cut the cake into twelve rectangles and serve.
sherry says
happy new year to you!
Choclette says
Thank you Sherry, I wish you the same.