Eggnog Bundt Cake

This Eggnog Bundt Cake is an easy holiday cake with sweet eggnog, a hint of rum and a dash of nutmeg. It has a moist texture and tender crumb, all topped with a simple eggnog powdered sugar glaze!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – bundt cakes are one of my favourite types of cakes to make! They’re easy to prepare and you don’t have to fuss with layers or frosting. A simple glaze or dusting of powdered sugar is usually all you need.

This dark chocolate cranberry bundt cake has become a Christmas tradition, and this marbled chocolate pumpkin bundt cake looks impressive but it’s really quite easy to make.

The same goes for this eggnog cake! You only need 10 ingredients, and while you’ll need your electric mixer, the cake batter comes together quickly. Serve it with a simple 3-ingredient glaze and you have Christmas dessert ready to go!

What I love most about this cake (besides its simplicity!) is that it’s made with almond nog (almond milk eggnog) so it’s dairy-free. You can definitely make this cake with traditional eggnog, but if you’re looking for a dairy-free eggnog dessert, this cake is a must try!

Details on a few ingredients

Eggnog – As mentioned, we’re using almond nog in this recipe. There are a number of different brands available, so it should be easy to find around the holidays at your local grocery store. If you can’t find almond milk eggnog, and you don’t need this cake to be dairy-free, you can use traditional eggnog.

Rum – You’ll need just 2 tablespoons of rum for the cake batter. Don’t worry, the cake doesn’t taste boozy. It’s just a hint of rum flavour. I used amber rum, but white rum or dark rum will work too. For a non-alcoholic version, you can use rum extract.

Cane sugar – There’s 1 1/4 cup of sugar in this cake. I used cane sugar but you can also use granulated sugar.

Butter – The sugar is creamed together with a 1/2 cup of butter. I used vegan butter but you can use dairy butter if you don’t need the cake to be dairy-free.

Nutmeg – A little nutmeg is added to the cake batter and eggnog glaze. While there is already nutmeg in eggnog, just a little more is added to complement the eggnog flavour!

How to make this dairy-free eggnog cake

Preheat your oven to 350F and grease a 10-cup bundt pan.

Sift together your flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg and set aside.

Using an electric mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and then the rum.

With the mixer on low speed, start adding the flour mixture, alternating with the eggnog, until both are incorporated into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and give the bottom of the pan a few hard taps on the counter to make sure the batter settles into the crevices of the bundt pan and air bubbles are released.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, stir together the powdered sugar, eggnog and nutmeg until smooth.

Pour over the cooled cake. Slice and serve.

How do you prevent bundt cakes from sticking?

• Make sure you grease your bundt pan thoroughly, especially in all the creases of the pan. (This is particularly important for pans with detailed designs).
• I find non-stick cooking spray is easy and works well, but you can also grease your pan with butter and a light dusting of flour. 
• Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes in the pan before turning it out onto a wire rack. This helps the cake firm up and release from the pan easily. (Be careful you don’t leave it too long in the pan as the bottom of the cake may get soggy).

Storage and freezing

With or without the glaze, this cake is best stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It will last for 3-4 days. Place it in the fridge if you’d like it to last a few days longer.

To freeze this eggnog cake, you have two options:

If freezing the cake whole, leave off the glaze and wrap the fully cooled cake in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. It should last in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, defrost at room temperature and top with glaze.

If you have leftover pieces of the glazed cake, just arrange them in a single layer in an airtight container and freeze for 2- 3 months.

Key recipe tips

• I used a 10-cup bundt pan for this cake. If you use a larger bundt pan, the batter will not fill the pan and you’ll need to reduce the bake time.
• Make sure you grease your bundt pan thoroughly, especially in the crevices (if your pan has a detailed design) so the cake doesn’t stick.
• To ensure the butter and sugar cream together well, you’ll need to bring the butter to room temperature. The eggs should also be at room temperature.
• If you don’t need this cake to be dairy-free, you can use dairy butter and traditional eggnog if you prefer.
• For the dairy-free eggnog, the recipe was tested with almond nog. Other types may work too, such as coconut nog, but I haven’t tested them in this recipe.
• For a non-alcoholic version, use rum extract instead of rum.
• The glaze is optional. You can leave it off and add a light dusting of powdered sugar on top or you can use a thicker frosting like a cream cheese frosting.
• The glaze is a little thick. If you want it thinner, just reduce the amount of powdered sugar or add more eggnog.
• Let the cake cool fully before adding the glaze. If the cake is warm, the glaze may melt into the cake.

Other holiday cake recipes

• Easy Gingerbread Cake
• Chai Spice Cake with Orange Cardamom Frosting
• Orange Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Apple Spice Cake with Buttercream Frosting

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!

HUNGRY FOR MORE?  Follow Crumb Top Baking on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook!

Print