Drinking eggnog during the holidays is one thing, but eating it in my bomb eggnog cake is beyond! I’ve been making this one since the year I accidentally bought two cartons of eggnog and refused to let any go to waste, so into a cake it went. I start by mixing up a tender pound cake batter that has eggnog throughout. Then, to add even more eggnog flavor, I pour a delish butter rum sauce over it to let it seep in along with the spices. That flavor is popping boos.
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Eggnog Cake Ingredient Notes
- Unsalted Butter: I like to use European-style butter with a higher fat content and less water. If you grab salted, just leave out the salt.
- Cake Flour: I swear by cake flour for my pound cakes, y’all. It keeps the texture light since it develops less gluten. For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour that’s made for cakes. Texture may change slightly.
- Eggnog: Make sure you get a high-quality one. Grab the best at the store or you can make your own homemade eggnog if you want.
- Powdered Sugar: You can make homemade powdered sugar with granulated sugar and a blender.
- Rum: While the alcohol cooks off while the cake bakes, I understand completely if you’d rather use an alcohol-free option. Replace the rum with rum extract, which can usually be found in the baking aisle. I suggest starting with about a tablespoon of extract and then adjusting from there to reach the desired flavor.
How to Make Eggnog Cake
These step-by-step photos show how to make eggnog cake, but be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions. Skip to the → Eggnog Cake Recipe
1. Cream the butter and sugar
Beat them until light and fluffy. Then, mix in the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated.
2. Add the remaining ingredients for the eggnog batter
Mix in the flour, then gently add the eggnog, vanilla extract, and nutmeg on low speed just until combined.
3. Bake your eggnog pound cake
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
4. Cool and invert the baked cake
Turn it out onto a rack to finish cooling.
5. Make the buttered rum glaze
Combine the butter, water, sugar, and rum in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and stir until the sugar dissolves.
6. Soak the cake with the warm rum sauce
Poke the cake all over and pour the sauce on top, letting it seep in before dusting with powdered sugar.
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Full Eggnog Cake Recipe
Buttered Rum Eggnog Cake Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 3 cups sifted cake flour
- ½ cup eggnog
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the Butter Rum Sauce:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ cup water
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup rum like spiced dark rum
- Powdered Sugar for garnish
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat your oven to 315 degrees and prepare your 12 cup bundt pan with shortening and flour or non-stick baking spray.
- In your mixer bowl, cream together butter, granulated sugar and salt on high speed until light and fluffy for 5 minutes.
- Next add in eggs, one at a time, and mix until well incorporated.
- Slow mixer to lowest speed and carefully add in flour then eggnog, vanilla extract and nutmeg and mix until just combined.
- Pour cake batter into bundt pan and bake for 65-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out moist but mostly clean. Towards the end of baking, begin the butter rum sauce below.
For the Butter Rum Sauce:
- Add butter, water, sugar and rum into a pot and bring to a boil. You are looking for the sauce to be the consistency of a light syrup that’s not too thick. Once everything is combined, turn off the heat.
- Remove cake from the oven and poke holes into the cake while still in the pan. Pour 3/4s of the sauce over the cake allowing it to seep into the cake. Take your time doing this and do it in intervals allowing the liquid to soak in before adding more.
- Once completely soaked in, flip the cake out of the pan and brush the remaining sauce over the top of it then sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Notes
How to Store
- Room Temp: Keep the fully cooled cake wrapped in plastic, then foil, or tucked in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Fridge: You can store it in the fridge for up to a week. Just make sure it’s wrapped tight so it doesn’t dry out.
- Freezer: Freeze the whole cake or slices by wrapping them in plastic wrap, then foil. It will keep for up to a month. Thaw on the counter overnight, then brush on the butter rum sauce if you haven’t added it yet.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Make sure the butter and eggs are at room temp. You don’t want cold ingredients messing up with the texture of your rum eggnog cake, boo!
- Cream that butter, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy. It should look almost whipped so the cake rises tall and bakes up soft.
- Sift your flour. That’s the key to a smooth cake batter.
- Pour the warm butter rum sauce over the cake slowly and in intervals. Let it soak in before adding more so all that flavor sinks into every bite.
Recipe help
Let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then pop a plate on top, flip it over, and give it a gentle shake. If it’s stubborn, let it sit a bit longer. Gravity will handle the rest!
Sure is! It’s just the dense batter doing its thing. I think it’s the sign of a bomb cake! Use a bundt pan to avoid it, but honestly, nobody’s gonna see the cracks once you flip the cake out.
A bundt pan is perfect y’all! The center hole helps it bake evenly, and you can pick a fun design to make it extra fancy for the holidays.
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This cake in incredible! Thanks for the recipe! I made it in the same crown bundt pan, which is 10 cups, and all the batter fit perfectly. The cake came right up to the top but did not spill over (I always place my bundt pans on a baking sheet just in case to avoid a huge clean up). I was amazed that all the rum butter sauce got soaked up and truthfully, I wish there had been more to soak deeper in to the cake. Just delicious and a wonderful holiday treat! Thanks you!
So so glad you enjoyed. Next time, you can make more of the rum sauce if you prefer more and really get it soaking wet. So happy you liked it!
Love love love this cake, made two yesterday morning for our Christmas dinner. One was for my daughter who was serving her in-laws for the first time. I didn’t think the eggnog would come thru so well but it did. Keep those lovely recipes coming!!! Happy New Year!!
Jocelyn, thank you for this recipe as the cake, sauce, and garnish are divine together! I am having a bit of an issue and would like your advice. I have baked this cake in 2 bundt pans (the Nordic Ware Skyline and Crown which is the one you have shown), and in both cases, the cake sticks in the pan. With both pans, the crown does not stick, it’s just around the sides. I prepared the pans with Baker’s Joy. Also, the pan you have shown in a 10-cup capacity pan and you mention using a 12-cup capacity pan. Are you not using all of the batter? Perhaps I will try that to prevent sticking. The Skyline is a 12-cup capacity pan, so I thought it would work. Please provide your thoughts on this. Thanks!
The 12 cup pan should totally work but it may be that you need to use a better greasing method to ensure that it doesn’t stick. Because of all of the intricate crevices, you will need to really ensure that every little area is totally greased. If the cake spray didn’t work, maybe think about trying the shortening and flour method? It is old school but generally works really well. Also how long are you resting your cakes?
Jocelyn, I have tried the 1 pt flour, 1 pt oil, and 1 pt shortening mix to prep my pan. I was resting the cake for 10 minutes, and I increased it to 15 minutes. The results were better, but a little bit still remains. I will try 20 minutes and hopefully that will do the trick. I am so very close! In the meanwhile, I have sliced the cake and served it and rave reviews have been received. Again, thank you!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I have made this cake every Christmas for the last 3 years and all my family and friends love it. I also make it for my boyfriend’s birthday because it’s his favourite cake.
Merry Christmas to you and best wishes from Switzerland
IS it ok to put nuts in the bottom of the pan before putting in the cake batter.
Go for it and let me know how it turns out.
This sounds delicious! What kind of rum did you use?
I actually just used whatever rum was around.
I noticed there is no baking powder is that correct
It is indeed.
Love your cakes! I want to make sure that the oven temperature is correct in this recipe as it is listed as 315 degrees and that is a little odd. I normally see 325 or 350 degrees.
Yes this cake bakes a little lower. I hope you enjoy!
I usually make the banana rum cake during the holidays but had to try this and its so delicious. its day before thanksgiving and we cut it too early so have to bake another one. glad i found your page. thank you
Hooray so so glad!!!!
This cake is super fantastic delicious and simple!! I can’t thank you enough for sharing a recipe I lost from my grandmother years ago and was so nostalgic at dinner my mother cried tears of joy!
Thank you so much for sending this sweet message. It made me so happy.