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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Very creamy and moist! The flavor fills your mouth, you’ll love it!
I am not able to add rum to the sauce. Any substitutes? What about a small amount of rum extract?
I purchased the pan an can’t wait to make this cake for work
Hey Kathy! Go back up to the top of the recipe the Rum portion says it’s fine to use the extract. In the past I have used the extract mixed with a little apple juice to make 1/4 cup and it was fine. Hope this helps you. Happy baking:)
Saw this recipe on IG and although I had never baked a cake before, I had to try it. I ended up making it 3 times during the holidays. Recipe was easy to follow and the cake was so good! Now I have the baking bug! Trying your cream cheese pound cake today. Thank you for sharing the love ❤️
Thanks, boo!
Spectacular! Huge hit with the fam! I’ll be making this for years to come. Thank you!
Yay! So happy to hear that everyone enjoy it!
This was theeee best pound cake I have ever tasted. Simple directions; so easy, I can’t wait to make more! Thank you for your craft and dedication!
Thanks, boo!
The cake came out so light and a rich eggnog flavor. I would have made this sooner! So delicious
Oh wow I’m so glad you love this.
No baking powder?
Nope, it’s a pound cake recipe so it doesn’t have traditional leavening in it.
I did not know what to expect, but if you’re on the fence about this cake, just MAKE IT! I made it for a group of co-workers, many of whom said it was the best thing they’ve ever had! It was actually my first bundt cake, but it turned out absolutely perfectly! The rum soak adds a nice moisture level to a very large cake, using the shortening/flour method, it released from the pan very cleanly, and honestly the crown jewel is the spiked whipped cream to serve it with! PS the recipe did not specify but I highly suggest using spiced dark rum! It will amp up the flavours/spices of the egg nog and also just add a depth of flavour 🙂
Wow thank you so so much! This is such a great compliment.
Hi, I wrote a comment and don’t see it, so let me try again… the recipe instructions state to put rum glaze on the cake bottom while still in pan, but the steps above the recipe states to remove from pan then put glaze on top of cake… which is right? Thank you
The instructions show to use 3/4 of the sauce while the cake is still in the pan, and brush the top with the remaining sauce.
Can you please clarify on when to add rum glaze? The photo instructions state to add after flipping out of pan and the recipe steps state to add glaze while in pan. I can’t wait to make this for Christmas dinner desert! I appreciate all your recipes so much! I’ve never had one fail me yet.