Eggnog Snowflake Cake Bites

Instructions

• 1. Position rack in centre of oven and preheat to 350F. Line a 9 × 13-in. baking pan with parchment.

  2. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg into a medium bowl.

  3. Beat egg whites, using an electric mixer on medium-high, in another medium bowl until foamy, about 2 min. Continue beating, gradually adding 1⁄3 cup granulated sugar until medium-stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 min more. Set aside.

  4. Beat butter with remaining 2⁄3 cup granulated sugar, using same mixer (no need to wash beaters), in a large bowl until fluffy and pale yellow. Beat in eggnog and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture at low speed just until combined.

  5. Gently fold egg white mixture into eggnog mixture, using a rubber spatula, until no streaks remain. Scrape batter into prepared pan.

  6. Bake until top is golden and a cake tester inserted into centre of cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 min. Let cool in pan for 10 min. Remove cake from pan and invert, top-side down, onto a wire rack. Let cool completely, about 1 hr. Refrigerate cake overnight.

  7. To arrange eggnog cake into a snowflake pattern, cut cold cake lengthwise into 1 1/4-in.-long strips. Then cut each strip diagonally into seven 1 1⁄2-in. diamonds. (Cake should yield about 42 diamonds.) Place cake diamonds on a wire rack. Sift icing sugar over top. Transfer to a platter, arranging in a snowflake pattern, if desired. (One snowflake will use 18 cake bites.) Let come to room temperature before serving.