This rum-spiked Eggnog Bundt cake gets an extra flavor boost from the addition of eggnog, cinnamon, and nutmeg. It's a perfect cake for the holidays when the stores are filled with eggnog. It's a great cake to serve at holiday dinners or bring to a party; and another way to get your eggnog fix.
A true, but not surprising confession is that I love eggnog. It's a rich drink that's made delicious with nutmeg and if serving it at a party you can top it with whipped cream for true decadence. One of my favorite ways to enjoy eggnog is to mix with orange juice. To me, it tastes like an orange creamsicle which was one of my favorite ice cream bars when I was growing up. Anyway onto the baking a delicious eggnog bundt cake.
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Why This Recipe Works
This recipe is based on my aunt's Lemon Bundt Cake recipe. That recipe comes out perfect every time, so some of the techniques I use for that cake I also used for this cake.
For this cake, I used eggnog instead of just cinnamon, nutmeg, and rum. The eggnog replaces the sour cream or buttermilk usually used in bundt cakes, but since the eggnog also has sugar I needed to reduce the amount of sugar, but the question was by how much.
The label on the eggnog carton said that 1/2 cup of eggnog contained 21 grams of sugar. This recipe uses 1 cup of eggnog, so that meant I would be adding 42 grams of sugar to the cake just from the eggnog. Since 1/4 cup of sugar weighs 50 grams, I reduced the amount of sugar I normally use in my bundt cake recipes by 1/4 cup. The cake came out perfectly, not too sweet, but sweet enough.
Ingredients for the Eggnog Bundt Cake
These are the ingredients you'll need for this bundt cake:
- Cake Flour. Provides the structure for the cake. The cake flour helps produce a tender crumb. Since cake flour tends to clump so make sure to sift the cake flour after measuring it.
- Granulated Sugar. The sugar adds sweetness of course, but sugar also adds moisture. SInce eggnog has a lot of sugar, the amount of sugar in this recipe is reduced.
- Full-Fat Eggnog. The eggnog adds flour, fat and sweetness. The amount of fat in the eggnog when combined with the butter helps create a dense, but moist cake.
- Whole Eggs. Eggs add fat and structure to the cake.
- Unsalted Butter. Butter adds fat to the cake. Make sure to use a good quality butter and that the butter is at room temperature (65-68°F) to ensure it combines well with the other ingredients.
- Baking Powder. Is a leavener and helps the cake to rise.
- Ground Nutmeg. Nutmeg is the spice that gives eggnog it's distinctive flour. If available use fresh greated nutmeg.
- Ground Cinnamon. Cinnamon pairs really well with the nutmeg to add flavor to the cake.
- Lemon Juice. The lemon juice brightens the other flavors and the acid pairs well with the richness of the eggnog.
- Dark Rum. Adds nice flavor to the cake. You can also use brandy or use 1-1/2 teaspoon of rum extract.
How to Make This Cake
For this recipe, I used the Nordicware Bavaria Bundt Pan, a 10-cup pan. You can use your favorite 10-cup bundt pan for this cake recipe.
Start with room temperature ingredients: butter, eggnog, and eggs.
Next, determine the amount of sugar in your brand of eggnog. I used a brand that had 42 grams of sugar per cup, therefore I reduced the amount of sugar in the recipe by 1/4 cup, since 1/4 cup weighs 50 grams. If the eggnog you're using has more sugar reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe by 1 tablespoon for every 10 additional grams of sugar in the eggnog.
Measure out all the ingredients and place them in separate bowls. Sift the flour into a medium-sized bowl, add the baking powder, kosher salt, nutmeg and ground cinnamon and whisk to combine the ingredients.
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and with the paddle attachment cream the sugar and butter until it is lighter in color and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat after each addition. Scrapes the sides and bottom of the bowl after adding the 3rd egg. Next add the rum and beat on medium speed until combined, about 30 seconds.
Add the flour-mixture in three batches, alternating with the eggnog-lemon mixture. Mix on low after each addition. When the last of the flour has been mixed in scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl mixing in any flour clinging to the sides of the bowl.
Spray the inside of the bundt pan with Baker's Joy and spoon the batter into the pan. Use an offset knife to even the level of the batter. Lightly tap the bundt pan on a towel covered surface 3 or 4 times to settle the batter into grooves of the pan.
How to Bake the Cake
Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes until the internal cake temperature registers 200-202°F. Rotate the 180 degrees halfway through the baking time.
When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a cooling rack lined with parchment paper. Let the cake cool completely before serving.
How to Serve the Eggnog Bundt Cake
Once the cake has cooled, dust it with powdered sugar and serve by itself or with whipped creme fraîche. The tang of the creme fraîche goes beautifully with the sweetness. of the cake.
Pro Tips for Getting the Perfect Bundt Cake
Get the Right Equipment. For this eggnog bundt cake, you need to use a 10-cup bundt pan. I recommend using Nordic Ware bundt pans. I love these pans. They're well made, conduct heat well, so you don't end up with brown spots and they're designed to move it easily to and from the oven.
Prepare the Pan. One of the things that happens more often then I like is a broken bundt - a cake that comes out of the pan in more than one piece. I learned the perfect way to butter and flour a bundt pan from America's Test Kitchen. You create a paste from melted butter and flour and use a pastry brush to coat the inside of the pan. This method ensures that there are no missed spots.
Measure Carefully. I list the ingredients in amounts and by weight. Weighing the flour and sugar will give you the most consistent results. Too much flour will result in a dry cake and too little flour will result in a sunken cake.
Use Room Temperature Ingredients. The eggs, butter, and sour cream are at room temperature. Room temperature means the ingredients are 65-68 degrees F. Adding these ingredients ensure that they emulsify properly.
Don't Undermix or Overmix. It is important to beat the butter and sugar long enough until it becomes creamy and is properly aerated. This step is important because air is whipped into the cake batter and these air bubbles will expand during baking causing the cake to rise. When adding the flour mix only long enough to incorporate the flour. Mixing too long or on too high a speed will cause gluten to develop which will result in a tough cake.
Cooling the Cake. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting it onto a plate or cooling rack. I made this cake three times. The first time I let it cool for 10 minutes and it broke when I inverted the pan. 10 minutes wasn't long enough for this cake to firm up.
The second time I let it cool for 30 minutes and it wouldn't easily come out of the pan. When it did, large chunks were still stuck to the pan. Cooling the cake too long in the pan caused the cake to become damp and stick to the pan. The third time I let it cool for exactly 15 minutes and it came out perfect.
Eggnog Bundt Cake - FAQ
The cake is good at room temperature in a covered container for 2 days and after that should be refrigerated in a covered container for up to 7 days.
You can make the cake without rum or instead use 2 teaspoons of rum extract.
I hope you enjoy this cake. It was a big hit with friends, family, and co-workers. It's now on the list for the annual holiday baking. If you try this recipe leave a comment. If you post on Instagram please connect with me @bakesbybrownsugar and use the hashtag #bakesbybrownsugar.
Happy Baking and Happy Holidays!
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Eggnog Bundt Cake
Equipment
- Nordicware 10 cup Bundt Pan
Ingredients
Pan Release
- 1 tablespoon (14 grams) unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon (10 grams) all-purpose flour
Eggnog Cake
- 3 cups (342 grams) cake flour sifted
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 1/4 cups (450 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- 5 (250 grams) large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons dark rum
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup full-fat eggnog room temperature
Eggnog Rum Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups (173 grams) powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon rum extract
- 3 tablespoons eggnog
Instructions
PAN RELEASE
- Melt the butter in the microwave. Add the flour and stir the mixture together until it is well combined and forms a paste. Brush the inside of the bundt pan with the pan release with a pastry brush, making sure to get all the crevices.
- If using an intricately designed pan you can also use Baker's Joy, but don't spray the pan until after the cake batter has been mixed and you're ready to add it to the pan.
FOR THE CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Crack the eggs into a separate bowl. Put the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in another bowl and combine with a whisk.
- Place the sugar and the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Scrape down the bowl. Add eggs one at a time on low speed and then increase to medium until each egg is well incorporated. Stop the mixer after adding the first 3 eggs and scrape the bowl from the bottom to ensure the ingredients are well mixed. Add the remaining 2 eggs and scrape down the bowl after adding and beating in the last egg.
- Add the rum and vanilla and mix on medium until well combined.
- Whisk together the eggnog and lemon juice in a measuring cup. Add one-third of the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until well combined, but do not over mix. Add one-half of the eggnog and mix on medium speed until well combined. Add half of the remaining dry ingredients, then the rest of the eggnog. Add the remaining the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Scrape the bottom of the bowl and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. The cake will also begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.
- Remove the pan from the oven and cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes. Do not let the cake cool too long in the pan or it will stick. Place a cooling rack over the cake pan and invert the cake onto the rack. Cool the cake for 90 minutes.
How to Serve the Cake
- You can either serve the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar or add a glaze. The pattern of the bundt pan I used is really decorative so I used powdered sugar. If you prefer a glaze see the recipe below for eggnog rum glaze.
Eggnog Rum Glaze (Optional)
- Combine the powdered sugar, the rum extract, and 2 tablespoons of eggnog. Stir until the glaze is smooth. If you want a thinner glaze, add the remaining tablespoon of eggnog and stir until incorporated.
Missy Tepe says
I've made the egg nog cake it was awesome
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Missy
Thank you for trying the recipe and letting me know how much you enjoyed it.
Otta says
Where is the rum and vanilla in the cake instructions? I only see them in the glaze.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Otta
So sorry about that omission. Add the vanilla and rum after the eggs are beaten in. I have updated the recipe. And thank you for visiting my food blog.
Diann says
I made this for Xmas in a new silcone bundt pan I had never used. I felt like it was too heavy and it took much longer to bake than suggested. The flavor was good. Im glad I tried it. I might make again in a proven bundt pan to see if there is a difference.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Diann
Thank you for visiting my food blog and trying a recipe. I really appreciate it and I'm glad you enjoyed the eggnog cake. I've never made a bundt cake using a silicone mold so it's good to know about the longer baking time. Thanks.
Jann says
I tried the recipe but it came out dry. However the flavor was nice. I will try it again with rum in the cake batter and maybe a little oil or something to keep it moist.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Jann
It sounds like you may have used too much flour in the recipe or overbaked the cake. Both of these will lead to a dry cake.
susan yarnall says
Hi Cheryl
How do you use the pan release - the ingredients are listed but not the instructions - just Bakers Joy.
Thanks, and have wonderful holiday!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Susan
I'm sorry for that oversight. Thanks for letting me know. I have updated the recipe instructions. Melt the butter in a small bowl. Stir in the flour until the ingredients are well combined, then use a pastry brush to coat the inside of the bundt pan.
Ann Croft says
Spectacular cake! Oh, my gosh - best thing I have EVER baked, and I have baked a lot! I was looking for some way to use left-over eggnog from Christmas so I chose this recipe. The grocery store eggnog I bought had way less sugar than 42 grams so I only decreased sugar for high altitude (I'm in Salt Lake City) and it turned out so beautiful. It did fall a bit around the center - I may have aerated the batter a little too much) but I turned it out of the pan 15 minutes after removing it from the oven and it came out whole and left no crumbs in the pan. Thanks for the butter/flour paste tip - worked great. Crispy on the outside, tender but dense on the inside. BEST!! One issue with the recipe - it calls for 1 tsp. nutmeg in the ingredients list but directions say to add 1/2 tsp with the flour. I couldn't figure out where to add the rest of the nutmeg so I just mixed it in with the powdered sugar I dusted over. Also, I used brandy instead of rum 'cause that's what I had on hand.
No, I don't know the author - this is an honest review
Cheryl Norris says
Ann
I'm so glad that you liked the recipe and thank you so much for writing such a heartfelt review. I appreciate it.
Your comment prompted me to correct the directions on the nutmeg. I redid the recipe and increased the nutmeg, but overlooked that change in the directions.
Karen Velthaus says
Good morning, I came upon your recipe in search of how to use up my eggnog. This sounds like a great one to try. I received a new Bundt pan as a gift but it is a baby Bundt pan. Any ideas on how many ounces to use per cake?
Also, thank you soooo much for using weight measurements instead of cups/tsp measurements.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Karen
Thanks for your interest in this recipe. The amount of batter will depend on how many cups your mini bundt holds.
Since this recipe requires a 10-cup bundt pan, divide the number of cups that your mini bundt holds by 10. Multiple the ingredient amounts by this number to come up with the amounts. Be careful not to fill the bundt pan more than 3/4 full. If you have too much batter use the extra for cupcakes.
I hope this helps.
suzanne says
Wow! This was wonderful! I'd seen a recipe for eggnog bundt cake, but didn't particularly like it, so I searched around and found this one. Followed the recipe exactly - even weighed ingredients. We skipped the icing and used bourbon instead of rum though. The texture was perfect. And it smelled amazing while baking! We have decided to try in smaller pans to share as gifts. Thank you!
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Suzanne
Thank you for visiting the blog and making this cake. I'm so glad to read that you found this bundt cake wonderful and enjoyed it. After days of dealing with a broken water heater, your comment brought a smile to my face.😄
Vanessa P Chapin Mills says
Any suggestions for making this gluten free?
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Vanessa
I haven't tested a gluten-free version, however one my favorite gluten free baking sites is The Loopy Whisk. She has a gluten free almond-orange bundt cake that uses gluten-free flour. You could try using her recipe as a basis for making my eggnog cake gluten free. If you use Bob's Red Mill gluten free flour it comes with xanthum gum already mixed it.
Kate says
Hi Cheryl,
Thank you for an incredible recipe! I was looking for something special for a Christmas party that we're having next weekend, over here in our little village in Devon, England. Never having baked a bundt cake or made eggnog before, I decided to have a practice run. My family were in raptures over the flavour and texture, and declared it their favourite cake, ever. I turned out perfectly and I can't wait to impress the party guests.
Kate
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Kate
Thank for trying this cake recipe and this wonderful compliment. I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed it a lot ("favorite cake, ever"), and that you plan to make it again. Yay!!
Terry miller says
Cake was pretty, but nothing special. In fact it was pretty dry. Even with a glaze.
Cheryl Norris says
Hi Terry
I'm sorry to hear that you did not like this cake. If it was "pretty dry" you may have overbaked it.