Best Light and Airy Haitian Butter Cake (Gateau au Beurre) with Eggnog Glaze

Last Updated on December 21, 2021 by Chef Mireille

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This Haitian Butter Cake with Eggnog Glaze is so light and fluffy, you won’t believe it. It tastes like a slice of heaven in your mouth. The Eggnog Glaze is made with Haitian Cremas, a heavily spiced homemade eggnog, similar to coquito.

The holidays are about spending time with family, friends, and loved ones. And what better way to do that than by sharing some delicious Haitian Gateau au Beurre. For Haitians, we make this traditional Haitian cake recipe for holidays, birthday cakes, special occasions and even just a weekly tea cake.

This cake is perfect for any occasion! Don’t forget to top it off with the festive eggnog glaze. Enjoy!

Before we get to today’s delicious recipe, Don’t forget to check out all my Haitian Recipes here.

Haitian Cake is like no other and the best part of any family party growing up was waiting for the cake to be brought out. Sure I love pate, djon djon, Creole chicken and the other required Haitian foods for any family occasion.

However, it was the melt in your mouth cake that did not need any frosting or icing to still taste decadent. This beautiful cake was most often served plain with no toppings, but it did not need any. It’s all about the texture. My favorite snack as a child was this cake with just a glass of milk.

I may have grown up in the United States, but I had no interest in chocolate chip cookies or the usual snacks for kids in America. Being half Haitian, for me, it was all about the Haitian Cake.

This delicious Haitian Cake does not have a pound cake like texture, as is common with butter cakes from most countries. Instead, this delicious cake has a more sponge cake like texture. It is one of the best cake recipes you will every make!

Baking Tips for Haitian Cake

• Make sure the butter, eggs and milk are all at room temperature.
• It is important to beat the cake batter for a full 3-5 minutes on high speed at each stage to ensure the light and airy texture.
• Don’t be worried if at some point, the batter looks like it might be separating with little dots in the batter. Just pump up the speed and in a minute, you will get back your creamy batter.

Variations

• Adding 1 tablespoon of lime zest is common.
• Replace the evaporated milk with orange juice to turn this into an orange cake, as detailed in the Haitian Orange Cake Recipe here.
• Coconut milk can be substituted for the evaporated milk.
• Bake the cake in 2 8″ cake pans to make a layer cake.
• You can also add some shredded coconut over the eggnog glaze.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are you ready to try the Haitian version of Gateau au Beurre Cake?

Ingredients

• butter
• sugar
• eggs
• rum
• vanilla extract and/or almond extract
• all purpose flour
• baking powder
• salt
• freshly grated nutmeg
• evaporated milk
• powdered sugar (confectioner’s sugar)
• Cremas

How to Make Haitian Cake with Cremas Glaze

• Preheat the oven 350 F.
• Prepare a bundt pan or other baking pan by spraying well with cooking spray.
• In a medium bowl, combine the sifted flour with baking powder, salt and nutmeg.

• Using an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugar on medium speed until combined.
• Beat an additional 3 minutes on high speed.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add rum and vanilla. Again, beat for a full 3-5 minutes.

• Alternately, add the flour mixture and add milk in 2 parts, beating a full 3 minutes after each addition.

• Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted comes out clean.

• Make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar with the Cremas (eggnog) until you have a smooth consistency.
• Drizzle over the cake and serve.

How to Store Leftover Cake

• The cake can be left at room temperature in a covered cake stand or wrapped tightly in aluminum foil for up to 3 days in cooler temperatures.
• In warm temperatures or after 3 days, store the cake in the refrigerator for up to 7 days or longer in the freezer. Wrap cake in aluminum foil or store in an air tight container.

This delicious Haitian cake is required for the holiday season in Haitian homes.

With the rum and nutmeg producing a unique flavor, this will become your new favorite Cake recipe. Enjoy with a glass of Cremas or Hibiscus Rum Punch!

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