Eggnog Pound Cake – The custard base of eggnog makes it a perfect addition to a pound cake batter. Eggnog is at the top of my list of favorite seasonal flavors. It was inevitable that I make a pound cake using this glorious silky and creamy Christmas delicacy. The creaminess of the eggnog is the perfect match-up for a delicious homemade vanilla pound cake.
My Gramma Vera was famous for her homemade eggnog. She laced her recipe with the perfect balance of citrus versus cream, using fresh orange juice and zest in every batch. Perhaps my love of eggnog is sentimental in it’s origin. I can live with that. It’s a taste of nostalgia and of past Christmas celebrations. At this time of year, I love to celebrate past memories through the food that I serve to my family and friends. This delightful pound cake is no exception. You can be serve it simply with a dusting of powdered sugar, or drizzled with the eggnog glaze to get the full eggnog flavor. Store chilled if drizzling with the glaze for the best results.
Ingredients you’ll need:
3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cup [3 sticks] butter, softened
2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp pure rum extract
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
6 large eggs
1 cup prepared eggnog
Glaze:
2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup eggnog
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp pure rum extract
ground nutmeg for dusting
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Move the oven rack to the lower 1/3 of the oven. Grease and flour a tube or bundt pan or spray with baking spray. Set aside. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, then gradually add the sugar. Add the rum and vanilla extracts. Beat for 2-3 minutes until combined. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
Add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the eggnog. Beginning and ending with flour. After all has been added, increase the speed of the mixer and beat for around 1 minute. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
Spread evenly into the prepared pan. Bounce the pan on the counter a few times to release trapped air bubbles. Place in the lower third of the oven and bake for 1 hour 10-15-minutes or until a cake tester shows moist crumbs. Lay a piece of aluminum foil on top to prevent over browning, if needed.
Eggnog Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cup [3 sticks] butter softened
- 2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp pure rum extract
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup prepared eggnog
- Glaze:
- 2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup eggnog
- 1 Tbsp butter melted
- 1/2 tsp pure rum extract
- ground nutmeg for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Move the oven rack to the lower 1/3 of the oven. Grease and flour a tube or bundt pan or spray with baking spray. Set aside.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, then gradually add the sugar. Add the rum and vanilla extracts. Beat for 2-3 minutes until combined.
- Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
- Add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the eggnog. Beginning and ending with flour. After all has been added, increase the speed of the mixer and beat for around 1 minute. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Spread evenly into the prepared pan. Bounce the pan on the counter a few times to release trapped air bubbles.
- Place in the lower third of the oven and bake for 1 hour 10-15-minutes or until a cake tester shows moist crumbs. Lay a piece of aluminum foil on top to prevent over browning, if needed.
- Cool in the pan then remove onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Drizzle with rum eggnog glaze or dust with powdered sugar and nutmeg.
- Store chilled.
Lissy Hornung says
December 25, 2014 at 9:35 pmHi Melissa, first of all Happy Holidays. Your Eggnog Pound Cake looks and sounds so delicious and I can’t wait to try to make it myself. Problem is I haven’t got a Eggnog recipe, do you have one you are willing to share? Thanks, Liss
Melissa says
December 25, 2014 at 10:23 pmHi Lissy, for this recipe I usually purchase a good quality eggnog and don’t make it from scratch. I must add homemade eggnog to my “to do” list for next year.
Dave says
December 17, 2016 at 7:03 pm12 room temp eggs pasteurized (142° Water for 3 min, then into cold water)
Separate eggs and yolks
Whip 2/3 c sugar into yolks
Into the yolk mixture add 1/8 tsp each of ground nutmeg and cinnamon then a tiny dash of clove, 1c heavy cream, 2c of either unsweetened almond or whole milk. Beat whites to stiff peaks and whisk into yolk mixture.
Add 1c 101 proof bourbon if using
Into an 10-12 oz glass add a shot of dark or spiced rum if using add in eggnog and ice. Sit back and watch it snow.
Rhonda says
December 17, 2016 at 10:08 pmDave,
Can your eggnog be used in Melissa’s
eggnog pound cake?
Dave says
December 18, 2016 at 9:48 amError correction on the eggnog.
4 cups unsweetened almond or whole milk and 2 cups heavy cream.
Sorry ’bout that.
TMO Entertainment says
February 7, 2018 at 11:10 amHi Melissa,
I was wondering if your eggnog cake will taste sweet with only 2 cups of sugar? Only because recipe says 3 cups of flour. How sweet is the eggnog pound cake with the 2cups of sugar? I’m about yo make it, just needed to know? Thank you.
Melissa says
February 7, 2018 at 11:13 amYou can add 3 cups if you like, no problem.
TMO Entertainment says
February 7, 2018 at 1:33 pmWill it be sweet with 2 c.?
Melissa says
February 7, 2018 at 2:12 pmYes, this cake works just as it’s written.
Anonymous says
February 7, 2018 at 5:31 pmYes it does work just as it is Melissa. I apologize for questioning. I should had learned my lesson after baking your Pecan Praline Buttermilk Pound Cake over the holidays. You target your ingredients & measurements to a “Tee”, (T).
This Eggnog Pound Cake was so moist & light that while slicing it, it was hard to believe it was a pound cake. Excellent work. I will tell the world to try it. I posted a pic with your link. Keep up the good work Melissa, so far I’m one of your #1 Fans. Btw my family loves it!
Melissa says
February 7, 2018 at 6:10 pmGreat, thanks!
ANGIE FESTER says
December 30, 2018 at 2:08 pmI made this cake today for a family luncheon. The recipe was really easy to follow and the cake was very moist and flavorful. My family really enjoyed the taste too.
Melissa says
December 30, 2018 at 4:17 pmPerfect, thank you!
Christine Lambiase says
January 4, 2019 at 10:08 amLooking forward to making this cake–can I use real rum instead of extract?
Melissa says
January 4, 2019 at 11:38 amIf you like. The same amount won’t have the same impact on flavor, though.