Easy Eggnog Pound Cake With Glaze
This eggnog pound cake is the perfect holiday dessert. It’s rich, buttery, and warmly spiced with nutmeg, vanilla, and a hint of rum. Baked in a Bundt pan and finished with a simple eggnog glaze, it has a tender crumb and festive flavor in every slice. Serve it with coffee, tea, or a dollop of whipped cream for a beautiful treat everyone will love.
If you love baking with eggnog, save these before the season is over. Try my Eggnog Bundt Cake, these crispy Air Fryer Eggnog Cookies, or these easy Eggnog Cupcakes.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Real eggnog goes into both the batter and the glaze, so the flavor builds from the inside out. Most recipes stop at the batter.
- The crumb is dense, fine, and tender — it slices cleanly without crumbling, which makes this cake great for gifting or a holiday dessert table.
- Fine texture – A full 4 to 5 minutes of creaming the butter and sugar is what gives this cake its texture. I’ve rushed that step before, and it shows in the finished cake.
- Simple pantry ingredients and one Bundt pan — no complicated steps, no special equipment beyond a stand or hand mixer.
- The cake stays fresh for several days, so you can bake it ahead for a gathering or package it up as a holiday gift.
Ingredients
This is a list of the ingredients that you need to make your grocery shopping easier. You can find the full list of the ingredients and amounts needed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Unsalted butter — gives the cake its rich, tender base and lets you control the salt level.
- Granulated sugar — creams with the butter to build the structure that gives pound cake its signature crumb.
- Eggs — add richness, moisture, and body; add them one at a time to keep the batter smooth.
- Vanilla extract — rounds out the sweetness and deepens the cake’s overall flavor.
- Rum extract — adds subtle warmth that mimics traditional spiked eggnog without any alcohol.
- All-purpose flour — gives the cake its density and structure.
- Baking powder — adds just enough lift without making the cake light or airy.
- Salt — balances the sweetness and sharpens every other flavor in the batter.
- Ground nutmeg — the signature spice in eggnog, bringing that unmistakable holiday aroma to every slice.
- Eggnog — replaces the milk and infuses every layer of the cake with real holiday flavor.
- Powdered sugar, eggnog, vanilla, and a pinch of nutmeg (for the glaze) — create a smooth, pourable finish that doubles down on the holiday flavor.
How to Make Eggnog Pound Cake
This is a quick overview of the step-by-step instructions for making this recipe. You can find the complete list of instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Beat the softened butter and sugar together for 4 to 5 minutes until very light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Mix in the vanilla extract and rum extract.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg together in a separate bowl.
- Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the eggnog — start and end with the flour.
- Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan, smooth the top, and bake for 65 to 75 minutes.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, invert onto a rack, cool completely.
- Whisk the glaze ingredients, then drizzle over the cooled cake.
Substitutions and Additions
- No rum extract? Add an extra half teaspoon of vanilla extract instead, or a small splash of bourbon for warmth without the artificial extract flavor.
- No Bundt pan? Use two standard 9×5 loaf pans and start checking for doneness around 50 minutes.
- Want more spice? Add a quarter teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter along with the nutmeg.
- Full-fat vs. light eggnog — full-fat gives you the richest flavor and best texture. Light eggnog works, but the crumb may be slightly less rich.
Sandra’s Pro Tips
- Grease the pan thoroughly. Get butter or shortening into every crevice of the Bundt pan, then coat with flour. One missed spot is how cakes stick and tear when you flip them.
- Pull ingredients out early. Room-temperature butter, eggs, and eggnog incorporate far more smoothly. Take everything out about an hour before you start.
- Don’t fill the pan more than three-quarters full. This batter puffs as it bakes. Overfilling causes overflow and an underbaked center.
- Test with a toothpick at 65 minutes. A few moist crumbs are fine; wet batter means it needs more time. Bake time can vary by up to 10 minutes depending on your oven.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting. Too early and the cake breaks; too long and it steams and sticks. Fifteen minutes is the sweet spot.
- Wait until the cake is fully cool before glazing. A warm cake absorbs the glaze instead of letting it set on top.
FAQs
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions for this recipe.
Yes. Full-fat store-bought eggnog works perfectly and is what most people use. A premium or homemade eggnog will give you slightly richer flavor, but it is not necessary.
Yes. Bake the cake the day before, wrap it tightly, and add the glaze the day you plan to serve it. It keeps well at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Yes. Freeze the unglazed cake, wrapped tightly in plastic and then foil, for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then glaze before serving.
Other Delicious Bundt Cake Recipes You May Enjoy
Easy Eggnog Pound Cake with Eggnog Glaze
Equipment
- 10" bundt pan
- Hand or stand mixer
- baking cooling rack
Ingredients
Eggnog Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon rum extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup eggnog room temperature
For the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp eggnog
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan, making sure to coat the center tube and all the crevices well.
- Beat the softened butter and sugar together in a large bowl for 4–5 minutes, until very light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Beat in the vanilla extract and rum extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the eggnog.
- Begin and end with the flour mixture, mixing just until combined after each addition.
- Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 65–75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
- Carefully turn the cake out onto a wire rack and allow it to cool completely.
Eggnog Glaze
- To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, eggnog, vanilla extract, and nutmeg until smooth.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake.
- Let the glaze set for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
How To Store
- Storage: Store at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap for up to 4 days. If your kitchen runs warm, refrigerate it, then bring it to room temperature before serving.
- Freezing: Wrap the unglazed cake tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then glaze before serving.
- Reheating: Pound cake is best at room temperature. To warm a slice, microwave it for 10 to 15 seconds. Avoid overheating or the crumb will dry out.
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Please note that the nutritional information provided are guidelines and may vary based on the brand of products used. For your specific nutritional goals use My Fitness Pal or Verywell Fit recipe calculators. All content within this site is not intended as medical diagnosis or treatment and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical expertise.
