Egg recipe contest runner-up recipe

The Virginia Egg Council used the American Egg Board’s 2025 campaign, “Meant to be Broken,” in this year’s search for the best egg recipes that would be appropriate for holiday entertaining, gifting or enjoying. Sixteen local fairs across Virginia hosted preliminary competitions throughout the summer/autumn fair season this year, searching for the best “Meant to be Broken, Egg-specially During the Holidays” recipes.

The Virginia Egg Council, sponsor of the competition, was looking for delicious recipes that folks might serve during the holidays, made even better with the addition of versatile and nutritious eggs.

The level of this competition has deemed this contest, the Super Bowl of Recipe Contests in Virginia. Both certified judges were given instructions that “flavor comes first” when making their decisions. Mary Rapoport, consumer affairs director with the Virginia Egg Council and contest organizer, mentioned, “We want the recipes to be worth the time, effort and calories – the winning recipes must taste delicious, first and foremost.”

Here are the judges’ decisions:

• First place – Festive Italian Cream Cake by Lucy Moore (Chesterfield County Fair)
• Second place – Yuletide Crumble Eggnog Poundcake by Mary Buchan (Caroline County Fair)
• Third place – Mom’s Christmas Morning Buttermilk Pie by Crystal Johnson (Bedford County Fair)

Here is the second place recipe for you to try out this holiday season:

Yuletide Crumble Eggnog Pound Cake

This cake is one of the most decadent pound cakes – moist, dense, delicious. Perfect with an afternoon cup of tea or on Christmas morning with pots of coffee and hot chocolate. Makes 16 – 18 slices.

Cinnamon Crumble Topping

½ cup salted butter (melted)

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar (packed)

½ tsp. salt

1 ½ cups flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350º F. Line baking sheet with parchment. In a small bowl, melt butter; cool. In another bowl, combine remaining topping ingredients, then stir into butter, leaving large pieces of mixture intact. Place on baking sheet and bake 10 minutes. Cool; reserve for topping. Lower oven temp to 325º.

Streusel Ribbon Layer

2 T melted butter

½ cup light brown sugar (packed)

½ cup flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

Melt butter; stir in rest of ingredients; set aside.

Cake

4 cups cake flour

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. nutmeg

2 cups unsalted butter

4 cups sugar

8 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

6 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. rum extract

1 cup eggnog

Spray 18-cup tube/bundt pan with baking spray. Combine first four ingredients; set aside.

In large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and pale in color. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the sour cream and extracts.

Alternately, add the flour mixture and the eggnog, beginning and ending with flour – blend in but do not overmix. Pour half batter into prepared tube pan. Spread the streusel ribbon layer on top of batter; top with remaining cake batter.

Bake for 80 – 90 minutes or until a skewer comes out with only slightly moist crumbs.

Let cake cool 10 minutes on a rack; remove from pan; cool thoroughly on rack. Apply ¾ of the glaze, then sprinkle on the crumble topping, then the rest of the glaze.

Glaze

1 T. salted butter, melted

2 cups powdered sugar

½ tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup milk, more or less

In bowl, blend melted butter with sugar and extract. Slowly pour in milk until glaze reaches the desired consistency. Pour on top of cooled cake; sprinkle on the crumble topping. Add more glaze or powdered sugar on top of crumble, if desired. Serve cake at room temperature.