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–+ servings
holiday eggnog cake on a white platter with three slices laying against the cake
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Eggnog Cake

Eggnog Cake is your favorite creamy holiday drink in rich, buttery bundt cake form! This from-scratch Eggnog Cake is wonderfully moist and tender infused with eggnog, cinnamon and nutmeg then bathed in velvety Eggnog Frosting.  It is quick and easy to make and the Best thing you can do with a carton of eggnog.  This tender Eggnog Cake is perfect for all your holiday parties and everyone will be singing your praises – when they’re not stuffing their faces with luscious Eggnog Cake!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 10 -12 servings

Ingredients

Eggnog Cake

  • 1 cup full fat eggnog at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 6 large eggs at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Eggnog Frosting

  • 4 oz. Cream Cheese softened to room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons butter softened to room temperature
  • 2 cups Powdered sugar sifted
  • 2 tablespoons eggnog plus more as needed
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

Eggnog Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray all surfaces of a 12 cup nonstick bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray WITH FLOUR OR grease and flour the inside of your pan. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice into room temperature eggnog. Set aside.
  • Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  • Add butter and sugar to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-HIGH speed for at least 3-4 minutes (no shorter!), until light and fluffy, scraping down sides occasionally. Reduce speed to medium and eggs, one at a time, beating just until the yellow disappears after each egg. Beat in vanilla just until combined.
  • Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture in thirds, alternately with eggnog in between each third. Beat until just combined, giving the batter a final stir by hand to get any flour at the bottom.
  • Transfer batter to prepared bundt pan and tap pan on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles.
  • Bake at 350 degrees F until a wood pick inserted near the center of cake comes out with a few crumbs, 45 – 55 minutes (darker pans will require closer to 40-45 minutes).
  • Let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes then remove from pan to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. If not frosting immediately, then tightly wrap cooled cake in plastic wrap.

Eggnog Frosting

  • Beat cream cheese, butter and 2 tablespoons eggnog together until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, adding additional eggnog if necessary, to reach desired consistency. Beat in cinnamon and nutmeg. (Thick frosting is like the pictured piped frosting and thinner will be more like a glaze – totally personally preference.)
  • Pipe or drizzle desired amount of frosting over cake and serve any remaining frosting with individual servings. I love to warm my cake with glaze in the microwave for 10 seconds or so – so good!
  • Store Frosted Cake in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.

Notes

  • Grease Bundt Cake Pan:  You will need a 12 cup bundt cake pan for this Eggnog Bundt Cake recipe.  Take care to grease and flour your pan so your baked cake doesn’t stick. My favorite way to grease my pan is with a nonstick cooking spray  WITH FLOUR IN IT  - as simple as a 10 second spray!
  • Room Temperature Ingredients.  You need room temperature eggnog and room temperature eggs for this Eggnog Cake recipe.  Room temperature ingredients mix much easier (so it's harder to overmix) and result in a softer bundt cake with maximum volume.
  • How To Bring Ingredients to Room Temperature.  If you don't plan enough ahead, that's okay!  Add warm (not hot) tap water to a bowl then add eggs (still in their shells) for at least 20 minutes.  You can microwave your eggnog until room room temperature (NOT hot).
  • Cream Until Fluffy: Beat softened butter and sugar at least 3 minutes at medium-high speed.  This speed will seem extra fast and 3 minutes might seem extra long, but don't cut it short!  This step is so important because it is the only time you want to whip air into the cake batter to create bubbles.  The bubbles will expand as the cake bakes, resulting in a lighter cake.  If you don’t cream them enough, your cake will be more dense, not as tender, or rise as high.
  • Don’t Overbeat:  Once you're done creaming the butter and sugar, you want to beat the batter as little as possible.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until the yellow disappears after each egg.  You never want to overbeat eggs as this will cause the batter to be runny and may cause the batter to overflow when baking.  Overbeaten eggs can also create a fragile crust that crumbles and separates from the cake as it cools.
  • Don’t peak!   Don’t open the oven doors until it is time to check your Eggnog Cake for doneness.  Opening the doors can cause your cake to cook unevenly and to fall.
  • Don't overbake!  One of the main reasons people complain of dry cakes is because they over bake their cake   You want to remove your cake when there are just a few crumbs clinging to a toothpick.
  • Remove Cake From Pan:  It is important to let your Eggnog Bundt Cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes.  This allows the cake to retract from the pan and become firm enough to remove without breaking.  If you leave your cake in the pan for too long, however, then it can become damp and stick to the pan.
  • Don’t microwave cream cheese or butter:   For the Eggnog Frosting, use cream cheese and butter softened at room temperature.  If you soften them in the microwave, they will be too runny.