Recipe for an Unforgettable Holiday Dessert Exchange Party
Get your gathering off to a good start with this rich Earl Grey cake and eucalyptus-and-rose tablescape
The couple are excited to continue their dessert exchange tradition in their new Dallas home by hosting their ninth party. Morgan, left, will prepare an Earl Grey cake from a recipe passed down from his grandmother. Walraven, who holds Fletcher, one of the couple’s five dachshunds, will construct the tablescape.
Follow along to see how they style a festive table and make a cake that will serve as the table’s — and party’s — centerpiece. You can borrow ideas to use for your next holiday party.
Follow along to see how they style a festive table and make a cake that will serve as the table’s — and party’s — centerpiece. You can borrow ideas to use for your next holiday party.
When the couple first viewed their newly built home, the layout of the kitchen was a big selling point. “You don’t want to have to move around, back and forth, a lot because time can add up,” Morgan says. “You always want your appliances in a triangle and as close as you can get it within a 10-foot area.” They did make a few changes, such as swapping the existing electric cooktop for a Bertazzoni commercial convection gas range and upgrading the hood.
How to Set Up a Kitchen Work Triangle
How to Set Up a Kitchen Work Triangle
Here, Walraven preps the dining room and table. “We wanted the dining room to look like Christmas but not the traditional red, green and blues. We wanted the table design to complement the room,” he says. “The tablescape was a little challenging because we have so much other color in the room on the Christmas trees and art.”
Eucalyptus and Rose Tablescape
Tools and Materials
Tools and Materials
- Fresh eucalyptus branches, or other greenery such as fresh cedar or pine
- Fresh white roses
- Fresh lavender, pink or dusty-gray roses, or another shade of roses to match foliage
- Gold-glitter artificial berry branches
- Cinnamon sticks (optional)
- Ornaments
- Clear glass vases
Walraven used a fresh eucalyptus garland for the table runner and layered in fresh roses and gold-glitter artificial berry branches. The eucalyptus has a slight fragrance.
As an alternative green, Morgan recommends fresh cedar or pine. “These three are beautiful and have a subtle holiday scent. Fresh cinnamon sticks may be a good accent to add throughout the centerpiece as well,” he says.
As an alternative green, Morgan recommends fresh cedar or pine. “These three are beautiful and have a subtle holiday scent. Fresh cinnamon sticks may be a good accent to add throughout the centerpiece as well,” he says.
They went with a combination of white and lavender roses, which worked well with the eucalyptus foliage.
“We chose roses over any type of lily because those can be extremely overwhelming in terms of scent,” Morgan says. In contrast, the roses have a very mild fragrance.
“We chose roses over any type of lily because those can be extremely overwhelming in terms of scent,” Morgan says. In contrast, the roses have a very mild fragrance.
Blue, green and gold ornaments like those on the tree were placed in glass vases on the dining table to bring the room together.
To complete the table, simple white plates and metallic serving platters balance the dramatic greenery and blooms.
To complete the table, simple white plates and metallic serving platters balance the dramatic greenery and blooms.
Earl Grey Cake
Makes: Two 8-inch-diameter cake layers
This Earl Grey cake, from Posh Cakes by Shane Morgan, is the centerpiece of the table. Follow the recipe below to learn how to make a two-layer version. (To make a three-layer cake like the one pictured, make the recipe twice and use three of the four cake layers.)
To fill and frost the cake, use pureed orange marmalade and your favorite buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
Makes: Two 8-inch-diameter cake layers
This Earl Grey cake, from Posh Cakes by Shane Morgan, is the centerpiece of the table. Follow the recipe below to learn how to make a two-layer version. (To make a three-layer cake like the one pictured, make the recipe twice and use three of the four cake layers.)
To fill and frost the cake, use pureed orange marmalade and your favorite buttercream or cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
- 2 Earl Grey tea bags
- ⅔ cup boiling water
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
- ⅔ cup orange marmalade, plus more for filling
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing pans
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 eggs
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- Buttercream or cream cheese frosting
- Fresh cranberries
- Egg white wash (1 egg white whisked with a splash of water or milk), or corn syrup or maple syrup, for dipping cranberries
- Coarse sugar
- Orange slices
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Put tea bags in a heatproof cup or mug; add boiling water and steep for five minutes. Remove and discard tea bags. Allow tea to cool completely.
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Put tea bags in a heatproof cup or mug; add boiling water and steep for five minutes. Remove and discard tea bags. Allow tea to cool completely.
3. Put chocolate in a bowl, melt it in a double boiler or microwave and let it cool to room temperature. Puree marmalade (two-thirds cup for batter and your desired amount for filling) in a food processor or blend well until smooth.
4. In a large bowl or an electric mixer, cream butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add eggs individually, beating well after each addition. Stir in melted chocolate, two-thirds cup pureed marmalade, the walnuts and vanilla.
5. In a separate bowl, stir together flour and baking powder. Add half of this dry mixture and half of the tea water to the batter and beat to combine. Beat in the remaining dry mixture and tea. (Do not overbeat.)
6. Grease two round cake pans (8 inches wide) with butter and pour in batter. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool on a baking rack for 10 minutes. Gently slide a knife around the edges of the pans to loosen; turn cake layers onto the rack to cool.
7. Once the cake layers are completely cool, put them in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This will make them easier to frost.
8. Prepare your favorite buttercream or cream cheese frosting recipe and refrigerate to chill.
5. In a separate bowl, stir together flour and baking powder. Add half of this dry mixture and half of the tea water to the batter and beat to combine. Beat in the remaining dry mixture and tea. (Do not overbeat.)
6. Grease two round cake pans (8 inches wide) with butter and pour in batter. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Cool on a baking rack for 10 minutes. Gently slide a knife around the edges of the pans to loosen; turn cake layers onto the rack to cool.
7. Once the cake layers are completely cool, put them in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. This will make them easier to frost.
8. Prepare your favorite buttercream or cream cheese frosting recipe and refrigerate to chill.
9. Once the cake layers are chilled, it’s time to assemble the cake. Place the first layer on a cake stand or plate. Pipe a rim of frosting around the bottom perimeter. Then spread a layer of frosting on top of this cake layer, working quickly so that the frosting doesn’t melt and soften.
10. Spoon remaining pureed marmalade on the frosted layer and gently spread it across the top to create a filling. Pipe frosting around the top rim of this layer to hold the filling inside. Pipe a few more dollops of frosting on top of the marmalade layer as desired.
11. Stack the next layer on top. (Repeat the filling process as needed if using more than two layers.) Then spread a thin layer of frosting (aka crumb coat) on the top and sides of the cake. “A crumb coat gives a natural, organic look, and there’s no wrong way to do it,” Morgan says. “You want to see some of the cake show through.”
12. Dip cranberries in an egg white wash (or corn syrup or maple syrup) and roll in coarse sugar. Complete the cake by garnishing as desired with the cranberries and orange slices.
Festive Welcome
The party invitation sets the tone for the occasion. Morgan is known for his cakes and for being the proud owner of five dachshunds. He chose a festive dog motif for the printed invitation design. “Anyone that knows us knows we love weenie dogs,” he says.
The party invitation sets the tone for the occasion. Morgan is known for his cakes and for being the proud owner of five dachshunds. He chose a festive dog motif for the printed invitation design. “Anyone that knows us knows we love weenie dogs,” he says.
The couple’s dachshunds join in the holiday spirit with their own festive attire. Pictured from top to bottom are Sherman, Imelda, Braxton on the left, Martha Sparkles on the right and Fletcher.
Fletcher is always a favorite with party guests. “They’re our little addiction. We try to incorporate our dogs into anything we have,” Morgan says.
“I try to provide a few different desserts for the table and have the pretty Christmas cake as the centerpiece,” Morgan says.
Tip. Place guests’ desserts throughout your home to encourage mixing and mingling. “We take the time to decorate the home, so we like the guests to be throughout,” Walraven says.
Tip. Place guests’ desserts throughout your home to encourage mixing and mingling. “We take the time to decorate the home, so we like the guests to be throughout,” Walraven says.
“Guests are already asking what’s the date for next year. It’s something that our friends always look forward to,” Morgan says. “Everyone loves sweets.”
The dense, rich cake has a smooth texture, and the touch of citrus has a lovely flavor that evokes Christmas.
Before serving the cake, garnish the plate with sugared cranberries.
“You don’t want to be left with a lot of food at the end of the party,” Walraven says. “Plan to have bags or decorative boxes for the guests to take home desserts.” Pictured here is a box filled with holiday baked goods for a guest.
Show us: Do you host your own holiday dessert exchange party? Share a photo in the Comments!
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Show us: Do you host your own holiday dessert exchange party? Share a photo in the Comments!
More
Sweet Ideas and a Truffle Recipe From a Chocolatier’s Test Kitchen
3 Recipes for Foraged Holiday Table Decor
Find dessert stands on Houzz
“There’s the cookie exchange where everyone brings a cookie recipe,” Morgan says. “So I thought, ‘Let’s extend that to a dessert exchange where you can bring your favorite pie, bar, cake or cookie.’” Guests are asked to bring multiple copies of their recipes to share. “When everyone leaves, they’ll take copies of the recipes with them, and it’s almost like a miniature cookbook,” he says.