This soft, spiced eggnog cake is full of eggnog, warm spices, and your favorite rum or bourbon. With a drizzle of eggnog glaze, this cake is the perfect addition to your holiday table.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
Easy cake recipe - this eggnog bundt cake recipe comes together in just a few minutes, requires to difficult layering or assembly, and is a total show stopper. Top the cake with sugared cranberries for an extra festive decoration.
Full of eggnog flavor - thick, flavorful eggnog is added into both the cake and the icing. With cinnamon and nutmeg incorporated, this cake is full of perfect eggnog flavor.
Perfect holiday cake - this eggnog cake is full of eggnog flavor, both in the filling and the glaze. Because eggnog is only around for about a month, that makes this cake so special for the holiday season.
For more eggnog desserts, try some eggnog creme brûlée or eggnog oatmeal cream pies.
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Ingredients
- All-purpose flour.
- Leavening agents. Baking powder and baking soda are used.
- Spices. Cinnamon and nutmeg are used to bring out the extra eggnog flavor.
- Sugars. Granulated sugar for the cake and powdered sugar for the glaze.
- Fats. Eggs, butter, sour cream, and canola oil are used.
- Eggnog. Use a store bought, very flavorful eggnog. Do not use homemade eggnog.
- Alcohol. Bourbon or spiced rum should be use. The alcohol can also be omitted completely.
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use either bourbon or spiced rum in the cake, or omit completely.
- Greek yogurt or buttermilk can be used in place of sour cream.
- Brush a rum or bourbon simple syrup onto the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Use ⅛ cup each of water, sugar, and alcohol. Heat the water and sugar until dissolved, then add the alcohol.
- Use a few mini bundt pans instead! Only fill them to halfway, and begin checking for doneness at the 20 minute mark.
How to Make This Recipe
One: Whisk together the wet ingredients in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, then add in the sour cream and mix to combine.
Two: Whisk together the dry ingredients, then add half to the batter and mix.
Three: Add half of the eggnog and mix, then repeat with the remaining flour and eggnog.
Four: Drizzle in the alcohol, then mix until just combined.
Five: Grease and sugar a bundt pan, covering both the sides and middle, and dump out any excess.
Six: Pour in the cake batter and shake gently to smooth it out. Bake until set, then rest for 15 minutes and turn out onto a platter to finish cooling completely.
Seven: Sift the powdered sugar, then add in the eggnog and whisk until completely smooth.
Eight: Drizzle the eggnog glaze onto the cake, and sprinkle on cinnamon or nutmeg, if desired. Slice and serve.
Hot tip! If the icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If too thick, add more eggnog. It should be a thick, pourable consistency when adding to the cake. Don't add the icing until the cake is completely cool, otherwise, it will melt off.
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Expert Tips
- All dairy ingredients should be at a true room temperature for best results. This includes the eggnog in the cake.
- Be sure to grease and sugar the bundt pan well prior to use.
- Don't over mix the batter, otherwise, it could lead to a very dense cake.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the eggnog glaze. If the cake is too warm, the glaze will melt off.
Recipe FAQs
The sole difference is the type of pan the cake is baked in. A bundt pan, also known as a tube pan, has a center area to help the cake bake more quickly and evenly.
This typically used with more dense cakes such as pound cakes that may need longer bake time.
The cake should be turned out while it's still warm. Too hot and the cake will fall apart, too cold and the cake can solidify and stick to the sides of the pan.
Bundt cakes stay most moist from a mix of sugar and fat. This recipe uses both a high amount of sugar and fat to keep the cake moist.
Storage
Store the cake covered at room temperature for one day, then in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To freeze, wrap in plastic wrap and foil and place in a zip-top bag and freeze for one to two months. Unwrap and thaw at room temperature, then add the icing.
Did you make this recipe? Share it with us! Tag @thecozyplum on Instagram & Facebook and leave a star rating ⭐️ below!
📖Recipe
Eggnog Bundt Cake
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment, or handheld mixer
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour 360g
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 large egg whites room temperature
- 1½ cups granulated sugar 300g
- ¼ cup canola oil 60ml
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted (57g)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
- ½ cup full-fat sour cream room temperature (170g)
- 1¼ cup eggnog 240ml
- 1-2 oz rum or bourbon
- ¼ cup granulated sugar to sugar the pan (50g)
Eggnog Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted (240g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
- ⅓ cup eggnog 80ml
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/177℃.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt and set aside.3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Beat the eggs and egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer over medium high speed for 3 minutes.2 large eggs, 2 large egg whites
- Add the sugar, vegetable oil, butter and vanilla and beat on medium speed for one minute. Scrape down the sides.1½ cups granulated sugar, ¼ cup canola oil, ¼ cup unsalted butter, 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract
- Add the sour cream and mix on medium low until combined.½ cup full-fat sour cream
- Add half of the flour mixture and mix on medium low speed while drizzling in half of the eggnog. Scrape down the sides and repeat with the remaining flour and eggnog.1¼ cup eggnog
- Mix in the alcohol until just combined.1-2 oz rum or bourbon
- Grease and sugar the sides of a bundt pan. Be sure to tap the sugar around the pan and dump out any extra.¼ cup granulated sugar
- Pour the batter evenly around the prepared bundt pan then bake the cake for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick or skewer come out of the center clean with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter.
- Cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack, then flip onto a serving platter and allow to cool completely, about 1 hour.
Eggnog Glaze
- Sift the powdered sugar into bowl, then whisk together the powdered sugar, eggnog, and vanilla until a thick but pourable consistency forms. Add half of the eggnog at first, adding a bit more at a time until a thick drizzling consistency forms.2 cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract, ⅓ cup eggnog
- Pour or spoon over the cake, then top with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon or nutmeg, if desired.
Christina says
Great recipe, easy to make and turned out perfectly. I made it without the alcohol because I had none on hand. I added a tiny bit of extra oil but otherwise didn't alter the recipe. It is not a heavy eggnog or spice flavor without the alcohol, but it is like a comforting light spice flavor.
Callan Wenner says
Thanks for the review, Christina! Agree with you that neither are overpowering. I made this twice last winter with two different brands of eggnog and I did notice a difference between the flavor of the cakes - one was slightly less 'nogy.
Meredith says
This cake was fantastic! Great eggnog-y flavor, delicious we loved the glaze. Highly recommend.
Callan Wenner says
Thank you so much for making it and reporting back, Meredith!
Vivienne says
A very nice cake, worked great in our mini (quarter) bundt pans
Callan Wenner says
I saw them on Instagram and they turned out SO cute! Thank you for trying the recipe 🙂