Easy Eggnog Cake
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This Eggnog Cake brings festive flavors of the holidays to your dessert table. Easy to make in a loaf pan, the cake is buttery, rich, and filled with warm spices of the season. A streusel crumble in the middle of the Christmas cake accentuates the eggnog flavors we love!
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What I Love About Eggnog Cake
There isn’t much I don’t love about eggnog. It’s the festive carton I reach for the moment my local market begins carrying it—even if that’s in September. It’s the flavor of the holidays, and I’m always up for more holidays!
While I always love baking fancy cakes for Christmas, this simple cake recipe is easy to make, really delicious, perfect for gifting or taking to gatherings, and always takes like Christmas!
Eggnog Cake Ingredients
Here’s a quick list of what you need to make this easy eggnog cake recipe. The measurements are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
For the crumble:
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Butter
- Seasoning: Ground cinnamon and nutmeg
- Optional: Rum extract for that quintessential eggnog flavor
For the eggnog cake:
- All-purpose flour: I always use unbleached flour in my baking.
- Butter: Both salted and unsalted butter works well. If you use salted butter, you may want to reduce the salt in the recipe.
- Sugars: We use granulated and brown sugar for the best flavor combination.
- Eggnog: Use your favorite
- Large eggs
- Baking powder for leavening
- Spices and seasonings: Salt, ground nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla extract
How to Make an Easy Eggnog Cake
Begin by preheating the oven to 350°F. If using a standard 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan, I like to line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal. If using a fluted loaf pan (like we are here), coat it with nonstick baking spray and evenly coat all the crevices.
Step 1: Make the Crumble
Mix the crumble ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until they are combined and coarsely crumbled. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Make the batter
- Whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside.
- Add the butter, granulated, and brown sugars to the stand mixer bowl and cream until light and fluffy. Pour in the vanilla extract and mix to combine.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Alternatively, add the dry ingredients and eggnog to the batter at low speed.
Step 3: Transfer batter & bake
Spoon half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan, sprinkle with crumble, and then carefully spoon the remaining batter over the top and smooth. You can also reserve some of the crumble to sprinkle over the top of the loaf cake if desired.
Bake for 45–55 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a serving platter and dusting with powdered sugar.
How to Garnish?
You can decorate this cake however you like. I love keeping it simple but festive for the most wonderful time of the year! Adding sugared cranberries and sprigs of fresh rosemary, as I did in my Yule Log recipe, is a simple but elegant garnish.
Finishing it with a dusting of powdered sugar brings a snowy kind of sparkle. Here’s my favorite powdered sugar shaker!
How to Make Sugared Cranberries
Sugared cranberries add such a beautiful touch to seasonal desserts. Plus, they’re easy to make and delicious, too! Here’s the easy method I use.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (divided)
- 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
- 4-5 sprigs fresh rosemary
Method:
- Combine 1/4 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for 3 minutes.
- Stir in the cranberries to coat, then remove from the heat and stir for 1 minute.
- With a slotted spoon, remove the cranberries and transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Dip the rosemary sprigs in the syrup and lay them on the tray. Let both dry on the sheet for 1 hour.
- Once the cranberries are somewhat dried and sticky, roll them in the remaining sugar to coat. Using tongs, dredge the rosemary sprigs in sugar, too.
Note on Loaf Pans
A 9 x 5 inch loaf pan works best with this recipe, but for Christmas, I love to use the fluted pan. The batter is a bit much for the shaped pan, and it will rise about an inch above the rim. If you use a similar pan, set it on a baking sheet to catch any overflow.
Serving Eggnog Cake
The cake is rich and flavorful enough to be served without anything added. But like eggnog, a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream with a dusting of ground cinnamon or nutmeg would be decadently delicious!
More Holiday Desserts to Try
- Christmas Trifle Recipe
- Christmas Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Lighter Christmas Cake with Apple and Fruit
- Easy Gingerbread Loaf Cake
- Swedish Tea Ring for Christmas
Eggnog Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Crumble
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon rum extract optional
Eggnog Cake
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg ground
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon ground
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves ground
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups eggnog
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper with an overhang for easy removal or with nonstick baking spray.
Crumble
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the streusel ingredients until they are combined and have a coarsely crumbled texture. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Eggnog Cake
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves together and set aside.
- In the stand mixer bowl, add the butter, granulated and brown sugars. Mix until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Pour in the vanilla extract and continue to beating for 1 more minute.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Alternatively, add the dry ingredients and eggnog to the batter at low speed. Mix until just incorporated, and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Spoon half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan, sprinkle with crumble and then carefully spoon the remaining batter over the top and smooth. You can also reserve some of the crumble to sprinkle over the top of the loaf cake if desired.
- Bake for 45–55 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a serving platter and dusting with powdered sugar.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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