I’m usually a layer cake girl through and through, but during the holiday hustle and bustle I often reach for easy desserts I can throw together and make ahead of time. Ever since I discovered the no-bake method for cheesecake it’s becoming more and more of a go-to! It’s so easy to whip up a day (or more!) ahead of time and the flavor possibilities are endless. My latest flavor concoction: this no-bake eggnog cheesecake with a biscoff cookie crust. If you love eggnog, drop everything you’re doing and MAKE THIS for your next festive gathering! 

This no-bake eggnog cheesecake is creamy and custard-like, perfectly spiced, packed with eggnog flavor, and couldn’t be easier to make. You’ll basically whip most of the ingredients together to combine them and gently fold in some whipped cream before pouring it into a Biscoff cookie crust. Once refrigerated, the filling sets into a thick mousse-like consistency – rich and creamy yet easily holds its shape when cut into slices. I love the no-bake method because it’s so fail-proof and yields such a delicious result with minimal effort! 

The biscoff cookie crust takes this no-bake eggnog cheesecake one step beyond and adds caramel spice notes that make the whole dessert even more festive! If you’d prefer a more traditional crust, you could substitute the biscoff cookie crumbs in the recipe below for graham cracker crumbs. 

Key Ingredients for No-Bake Eggnog Cheesecake 

Let’s talk about the key ingredients involved in this no-bake eggnog cheesecake filling:

• Cream Cheese – essential for adding that classic tangy cheesecake flavor and for creating a thick filling. You must use full-fat brick-style cream cheese in this recipe in order to create the perfect filling consistency. Cream cheese spreads and low fat options contain a lot more water, which will end up turning your filling into eggnog cheesecake soup. 
• Granulated Sugar – this helps break down the cream cheese and adds just the right amount of sweetness. There’s not a ton of sugar in this recipe so that the tangy cheesecake flavor comes through.
• Heavy Whipping Cream – beating the heavy whipping cream (or double cream) into stiff peaks is the key to achieving a thick and custard-like cheesecake filling. Don’t substitute this or settle for soft peaks! You’ll want to whip it with a whisk attachment or hand mixer for about 2-3 minutes. 
• Eggnog – I used traditional store-bought eggnog for this recipe, but feel free to experiment with different types of eggnog! If you have a homemade recipe you love, it should work. 
• Rum Extract – I never have alcohol on hand (I’m straight edge) but feel free to substitute this for actual rum if you want to! If you’d rather use rum extract you should be able to find this in the baking aisle at your local grocery store. 
• Spices – to really amplify the eggnog flavor I added extra cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

How to Decorate No-Bake Eggnog Cheesecake

Once the no-bake cheesecake is set (after 8+ hours), you can decorate however you’d like! I removed mine from the springform pan and piped on some homemade whipped cream (that I spiked with a little eggnog!) in a crescent formation using Wilton Tip 1M for the rosettes and Tip 32 for the stars. Then, I garnished the piping with Biscoff cookie crumbs, sugared cranberries, and little sprigs of rosemary. Feel free to get creative and decorate however you’d like! 

Making No-Bake Cheesecake Ahead of Time

One of the greatest things about this no-bake cheesecake is you can make it ahead of time! After you add the filling into your Biscoff cookie crust, you’ll place it in the refrigerator to set up for at least 6-8 hours (but overnight is best). You can make it up to two days in advance, which is a game changer when it comes to planning for holiday hoopla. 

If you want to make it even further in advance you can freeze this no-bake eggnog cheesecake after the filling is set. So basically refrigerate it overnight and then pop it in the freezer for up to 3 months! Just be sure to wrap it well – I recommend removing the sides from the springform pan and covering the cheesecake surface and sides with one layer of plastic wrap and one layer of aluminum foil. 

This no-bake eggnog cheesecake is sure to be a hit at your next holiday party! I can’t wait for you to make it.

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No-Bake Eggnog Cheesecake with Biscoff Cookie Crust

A deliciously festive eggnog cheesecake made without any baking! Rich and creamy no-bake cheesecake filling infused with spiced eggnog on a beautiful Biscoff cookie crust.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Refrigeration 8 hours

Servings 12 slices

Ingredients

Biscoff Cookie Crust

• 1 package (250g) Biscoff cookies
• 1/3 Cup (75g) unsalted butter, melted

Eggnog Cheesecake Filling

• 2 Cups (480ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
• 16 Oz (452g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese, room temperature NOT the spread
• 1 Cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) eggnog
• 1 tsp rum extract or rum
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

Eggnog Whipped Cream

• 1 Cup (240ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1/4 Cup (60ml) eggnog
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/3 Cup (40g) powdered sugar

Additional Garnish

• fresh rosemary sprigs
• sugared cranberries* recipe link in notes
• Biscoff cookie crumbs

Instructions

Make the Biscoff Cookie Crust

• Using a food processor, grind the Biscoff cookies into a fine crumb. You can alternatively place the Biscoff cookies in a large Ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to crush them into crumbs.
• Add the Biscoff cookie crumbs into a medium bowl and pour the melted butter on top. Mix until uniform, then press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan or 10-inch springform pan. Use a round glass or jar to pack the crust as tightly as possible (this helps keep it together when you cut the cheesecake slices later). Freeze the Biscoff cookie crust in the pan for 10-20 minutes while you prepare the eggnog cheesecake filling.

Make the Eggnog Cheesecake Filling

• Using a hand mixer with a medium bowl or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4–5 minutes. Set aside.
• In another large bowl (either with a hand mixer or stand mixer), beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium until creamy. Scrape down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the eggnog, rum extract (or actual rum), nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and combined (no lumps), about 2–3 minutes.
• Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined.
• Remove the Biscoff crust from the freezer and add the eggnog cheesecake filling into it. Spread the filling to the edges of the crust and smooth the top using an angled spatula, then cover it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 2 days. For best results, chill the cheesecake overnight. This will yield the most set filling.

Make the Eggnog Whipped Cream

• Place the metal bowl from your stand mixer and the whisk attachment (or a medium metal bowl and hand mixer attachments) into the freezer for 10 minutes to chill.
• Add all of the eggnog whipped cream ingredients into the chilled bowl. mix together on low speed until combined, then increase the speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form, 2-3 minutes.

Assembly

• When you’re ready to serve the no-bake eggnog cheesecake, remove the rim from the springform pan. Divide the eggnog whipped cream between two piping bags, one fitted with Wilton Tip 1M and one fitted with Wilton Tip 32. Pipe rosettes with Tip 1M and stars with Tip 32 in a crescent formation. Garnish with sugared cranberries and fresh rosemary sprigs.

Notes

*Find my recipe for sugared cranberries in this blog post. 

Make Ahead Tips:

1. After making and freezing the Biscoff cookie crust, it can be covered and stored in the refrigerator until you add the filling (1-2 days ahead is best for the freshest flavor).
2. You can make and assemble the no-bake eggnog cheesecake up to 2 days in advance, stored in the refrigerator and covered in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. You can alternatively freeze the cheesecake for up to 3 months after it’s set in the refrigerator. Be sure to cover well if freezing. I recommend one layer of plastic wrap and one layer of aluminum foil. 

Leftovers: Store leftovers (covered well) in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

This no-bake eggnog cheesecake is sure to be a hit for the holiday season! I hope you love it as much as I do. Let me know what you think in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram if you post a pic! I love to see what you create.

The post No-Bake Eggnog Cheesecake with Biscoff Cookie Crust appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

It has been quite awhile since I whipped up a cupcake recipe and now all I want to do is write more cupcake recipes! They’re just so fun and so quick to throw together. These sugared cranberry cupcakes are no exception – perfect for taking to your next holiday party or baking on a whim. And they look so festive with those sugared cranberries on top that who could resist?

I love a good surprise swirl, so these sugared cranberry cupcakes have a vanilla cupcake base with a cranberry swirl baked right inside. The swirl is made from fresh sweetened cranberries boiled with orange juice, orange zest, and a little cornstarch for thickening. When those cranberries heat up, they burst out their juices and the whole thing thickens into a jam-like consistency. Once it’s room temperature, you’ll add the cranberry mixture into each filled cupcake tin and swirl it right into the vanilla cupcake batter with a toothpick. They bake up so beautifully and are the perfect holiday flavor!

For the frosting, I could not stop thinking about topping these cupcakes with white chocolate buttercream and it turned out to be a delicious idea! I love this frosting because it has the perfect white chocolate flavor without being too sweet and it pipes like a dream. It’s silky smooth and just dreamy with those cranberry swirled cupcakes. 

The white chocolate buttercream is super easy to make, but there is one thing that can end up going wrong if you’re not careful: the temperature of the melted white chocolate. I always melt my white chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals (it takes 3 to 4), stirring after each one. Once melted, you have to wait to add the white chocolate until it’s slightly above room temperature. Too hot and it will start melting the butter, too cold and it will harden, leaving you with little bits of white chocolate throughout your buttercream instead of it being silky smooth. As long as you melt the white chocolate right when you start whipping up the butter, it should be the perfect temperature when it comes time to add it in. Just check it first and re-melt it if you need to. 

Even though the sugared cranberries seem quick to throw together for topping cupcakes at the last minute, they’re actually the first thing you want to make. You’ll need to boil a simple syrup together, wait for it to come to room temperature, then coat the fresh cranberries in it. Then, you’ll need to wait for those cranberries to dry a little bit (45 minutes) before coating them with granulated sugar. Since there’s a little bit of waiting in the process, I always like to make them the day before I do the rest of the baking so they’re ready to go.  

For decorating, I used Wilton Tip 6B to pipe a swirl of white chocolate frosting on top of the cupcakes, then added three sugared cranberries onto each one. Feel free to get creative with your decorating – the sugared cranberries could look really cute accented with some edible leaves to look like holly! No matter how you decorate, these are sure to be a hit for the holidays and I hope you love them as much as I do.

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Sugared Cranberry Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream

Delicious vanilla cupcakes with a cranberry swirl baked inside, topped with white chocolate buttercream and sugared cranberries. The perfect festive cupcakes for the holidays!

Prep Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Servings 14 cupcakes

Ingredients

Sugared Cranberries

• 3/4 Cup (150g) granulated sugar, divided
• 1/4 Cup water
• 1/2 Cup (48g) fresh cranberries

Cranberry Swirl

• 1 Cup (95g) fresh or frozen cranberries
• 2 tsp orange zest
• 2 tsp fresh orange juice
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp water
• pinch of salt

Vanilla Cupcakes

• 1 1/4 Cups (132g) sifted cake flour* DIY recipe in notes
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 Cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 Cup (150g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg + 1 large egg white, room temperature
• 1/4 Cup (60g) sour cream, room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) whole milk, room temperature

White Chocolate Buttercream

• 6 Oz (170g, 1 scant cup) white chocolate chips
• 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 Cups (180g) powdered sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

Make the Sugared Cranberries (Ahead)

• In a small saucepan, create a simple syrup by mixing together the water and 1/4 Cup of the granulated sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then allow it to simmer for 2 minutes on low. Remove the syrup from the heat and cool to room temperature.
• Place a piece of parchment paper onto a cookie sheet, then place a cooling rack on top. Stir the cranberries into the saucepan to coat them in the syrup, then use a slotted spoon to remove them from the saucepan and place them onto the cooling rack to dry for 45 minutes.
• Roll the cranberries through the remaining sugar to coat them. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Make the Cranberry Swirl

• Add the cranberries, orange zest, orange juice, sugar, cornstarch, water, and salt into a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to boil and the cranberries begin to burst, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and place into an airtight container in the refrigerator to let cool for about 30 minutes, or until room temperature. It will thicken into a jam-like consistency as it cools.

Make the Vanilla Cupcakes

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a cupcake or muffin tin with cupcake liners. Add the sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside. 
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), beat the butter on high for 2 minutes until it's light and creamy. Add in the sugar and continue to mix on medium-high for another 2 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and add the egg and egg white, mixing until just combined and scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the vanilla and sour cream, turn the mixer to high, and beat for 1 full minute. It will look curdled at this point, but don’t worry – it will become smooth cake batter at the end.
• Add in the dry ingredients all at once and turn the mixer to low speed. Mix until just combined, then slowly pour in the milk. Continue to mix on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs with a whisk to make sure there are no lumps. The batter will be slightly thick.
• Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cupcake liners. Add a spoonful of cranberry swirl onto the top of each cupcake and use a toothpick to gently swirl it around. Bake for 15-18 minutes. They're done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Make sure they're entirely room temperature before applying any frosting. 

Make the White Chocolate Buttercream

• Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each one until there are no lumps. Set aside to cool slightly.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, add the powdered sugar, and mix until well combined. Scrape down the bowl and paddle, give the melted white chocolate a few stirs (make sure it’s not hot enough to melt the butter OR is too cool and starting to harden. It should be just slightly above room temperature) and add it in. Turn the mixer to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes, until the mixture is smooth. Add the vanilla and salt and mix on low for another minute, until fully combined.

Assembly

• Once the cupcakes are cooled to room temperature, fit a piping bag with Wilton Tip 6B and fill it with the white chocolate buttercream. Top each cupcake with a swirl, then garnish with sugared cranberries.

Notes

*DIY Cake Flour Recipe: To make your own cake flour, spoon and level one cup of all-purpose flour and remove 2 Tbsp. Add 2 Tbsp of cornstarch. Repeat per the amount of cake flour you need, then sift the flour and cornstarch mixture 4 times (don’t skip that step!). After sifting, spoon and level to re-measure the amount of cake flour you need. 

Make ahead tips:

1. The sugared cranberries can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and stored in an airtight container. After that they may start to weep. 
2. The cranberry swirl can be made up to one week ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. 
3. The cupcakes can be baked ahead and stored covered with plastic wrap at room temperature up to 2 days ahead of decorating. You can alternatively store the cupcakes in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.
4. The white chocolate frosting can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for one day. Alternatively, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip with your stand mixer to bring it back to piping/frosting consistency.

 

I hope these sugared cranberry cupcakes are a total hit for the holidays! Let me know what you think in the comments below and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram if you post a pic! I love to see what you create.

The post Sugared Cranberry Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

My husband and I are big fans of the Great British Baking Show (if you haven’t seen it, power up Netflix right now!) and the other night we were watching a contestant bake a cranberry orange flavored dessert. While I’ve never really been all that intrigued to use those flavors before, my husband leaned over and said, “A cranberry orange cake would be delicious. You should make it.” It’s because of him that I found myself in the kitchen zesting oranges and rolling cranberries in sugar, wide-eyed at the Holiday scents filling the air. I ended up with a delicious orange flavored cake dotted with fresh, juicy cranberries, topped with zesty orange buttercream and tons of Christmas cheer! Thanks for the suggestion, husband. You were right. 

Cranberry and orange are a classic Holiday pairing, making this cake ideal for any festive gathering. It’s got a moist, light crumb and is so pleasantly aromatic (your kitchen will smell amazing). The sweetness of it all is balanced perfectly with the tartness of the cranberries, giving it just the right amount of zing. Much like any citrus cake, the orange flavoring comes mostly from the zest. You’ll want to zest one super large orange (or two smaller ones) before you get started with this recipe, and keep in mind that you’ll be dividing the zest between the cake batter and buttercream. 

I used fresh, whole cranberries in this cake recipe, but word on the street is that you can use frozen whole cranberries as a substitute. If you do, just make sure you don’t thaw them before adding them to the cake batter. And a pro tip for making sure they don’t sink to the bottom of your cake pan in the baking process: toss them in some flour before folding them in! The coating of flour keeps them suspended, and this trick also works with things like chocolate chips, sprinkles, and pretty much anything you would want to fold into cake batter. Life changing!

This cake tastes incredible with orange buttercream (recipe below), which is what I used to fill and frost it. As an alternative, you could also pair this cranberry orange cake with vanilla buttercream or cream cheese buttercream and either choice would be delicious. I love how the orange buttercream enhances the flavor of this cake and if you look real close, you can see tiny flecks of orange zest! Flecked buttercream always makes me swoon. 

In all honesty, my first attempt at decorating this cake was almost disastrous. I had this idea in my mind to tint the buttercream a light orange and give it a retro look, but what actually happened was the buttercream ended up looking like the color of a bandaid. I kept holding up the orange slices and sugared cranberries next to it and telling myself that the color scheme would look better on the cake, but in the end it just wasn’t as pretty as the natural color of the buttercream, so I started all over again and saved the other batch for another cake project. 

To decorate, I frosted a smooth layer of orange buttercream and piped portions of the cake with Wilton Tip 4B (for the stars) and Wilton Tip 1M (for the rosettes). Then I added sugared cranberries (I used this recipe for those) and some candied orange slices from Trader Joe’s. Holiday cake perfection inside and out!

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Cranberry Orange Cake Recipe

Layers of light and zesty orange cake with fresh, whole cranberries folded in. Topped with orange flavored buttercream to give it extra zing. The perfect Holiday cake for any festive gathering!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

Cranberry Orange Cake

• 2 1/2 Cups (260g) cake flour, sifted before measuring
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 Cups (335g) granulated white sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp orange zest from about 1/2 large orange
• 1/4 Cup (60g) sour cream, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 Cup (177ml) whole milk, room temperature
• 1/4 Cup (59ml) fresh squeezed orange juice from about 1/2 large orange
• 1 1/2 Cups fresh whole cranberries coated in 1 Tbsp flour

Orange Buttercream

• 2 Cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp orange zest from about 1/2 large orange
• 7 Cups (840g) powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
• 3 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
• pinch of salt, or to taste

Instructions

Make The Cranberry Orange Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch or two 9-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and placing a wax or parchment paper circle into the bottom of each one. Measure the cake flour by spooning into your measuring cup and leveling it. Place it into a medium sized bowl and add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together and set aside. Mix together the orange juice and whole milk and set aside.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer (a handheld mixer works fine too!), cream the butter for on high for two minutes until it's light and fluffy. Add in white granulated sugar and continue to mix on high for another two minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add the orange zest, sour cream, and vanilla and mix for one minute on medium-high, scraping down the bowl and paddle once more.
• With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the whole milk and orange juice mixture in a steady stream and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a few stirs to make sure there are no lumps. Make sure the cranberries are coated in 1 Tbsp of flour, then gently fold them into the batter.
• Pour batter evenly between the cake pans (fill them no more than ⅔ full) and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pan for ten minutes before removing and continuing to cool on a wire rack or flat surface.

Make The Orange Buttercream

• With a hand mixer or paddle attachment on your stand mixer, cream the butter with the orange zest on medium-high until the butter is creamy and light (almost white) in color. About 7 minutes. 
• With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down after each addition and making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next one. 
• Add the orange juice, milk, and salt and mix on medium-low for another two minutes until fully incorporated. 

Assembly

• Once the Cranberry Orange Cakes have cooled completely, fill and frost the layers with Orange Buttercream. To create the design pictured, fit one piping bag with Wilton Tip 4B and another piping bag with Wilton Tip 1M before filling each with the remaining Orange Buttercream. Pipe rosettes and stars onto the top of the cake in a crescent moon shape, then pipe some more onto the bottom of the cake on the opposite side. Add some sugared cranberries and candied orange slices wherever you wish!

Notes

Make Ahead Notes:

1. The cake layers can be made ahead and stored, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to two days. Alternatively, you can store the wrapped cake layers in the freezer for up to 2 months before thawing and frosting.
2. The Orange Buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip in your stand mixer to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency. 

What are some of your favorite Holiday cake recipes? This cranberry orange cake has become one of mine! Let me know what you’re baking right now and if you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment to let me know how you like it and tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me!

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