I’m going to just come out and say it, I don’t like eggnog. But I love this eggnog pound cake. The eggnog flavor comes through in the cake and in the icing but it’s not the same as drinking straight eggnog. It’s just a little sweet and delicious. Don’t let the holiday season pass you by without trying this recipe for eggnog pound cake. It’s a rich cake with a hint of spice that will make your house smell amazing as it bakes. Plus, like this red velvet cake, it’s gorgeous, so it’d make a good show stopping dessert for any Christmas party. And you’ll need just seven ingredients to make it, including the eggnog icing on top! It’s a recipe that will have everyone asking for seconds! Serve it up after you finish playing these candy cane games or serve it alongside these Christmas appetizers to stick with an elegant holiday theme.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Not too sweet – unlike other cakes (hello hot chocolate cupcakes), this pound cake isn’t overly sweet but instead it has just a hint of sweetness in the cake. The icing on top adds sweetness but not too much.Freezes great – this cake freezes really well, which is always a bonus! I have tips for freezing in the expert tips section at the bottom of this post. Great texture – it’s a pound cake so it’s a little more on the dense side but it’s a light, velvety dense side. And it’s even better served with a little ice cream!Super easy – did I mention this only uses 7-ingredients? And those ingredients are just mixed together and poured into a bundt cake pan. It’s pretty foolproof as long as you follow my tips!
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Butter – make sure that you are using SALTED butter, not unsalted like you use in most baking recipes. There is no added salt in this recipe so you’ll want to make sure your butter is salted. Also, make sure it’s nice and soft! Nutmeg – nutmeg isn’t pictured above but I’ve included a note in the instructions below about how you can top your cake with nutmeg if you want after it’s iced.
How to Make Eggnog Pound Cake
The thing I love most about this eggnog pound cake is how easy it is. It looks impressive but as long as you grease the pan properly and bake it correctly, it’s really simple to make.
1 – Grease a Bundt Cake Pan
So let’s start by talking about greasing that bundt cake pan. This is one of the most important parts of this entire recipe because if you don’t grease it, you’re going to lose the pretty top of the pound cake. And no one wants an eggnog pound cake without a top. You can either use shortening or butter to grease the sides and center of a 12-cup bundt cake pan. You can try it in a smaller 10-cup one, but it doesn’t bake quite the same because it’s just a bit too full. Once the pan is greased, add a 1/4 cup of flour to the pan. Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and shake, rattle, and roll. Okay seriously, just shake. Shake until the sides and center are all coated with a light dusting of flour. I like to take the plastic wrap off and shake it gently one more time over the trash to get rid of any excess flour. That’s the hardest part of this recipe. Everything else is just cake.
2 – Make the Pound Cake
Cream the softened butter and sugar together in a large bowl or in a stand mixer. Cream using a paddle attachment for about three minutes until the creamed mixture is pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the eggs, one at at time, mixing the egg in after you add each. Then with the mixer running on low, add the remaining flour one cup at a time, alternating this with adding the eggnog. So you’d do one cup of flour, 1/3 cup of eggnog, one cup of flour, 1/3 cup of eggnog. You’ll start with flour and end with eggnog, mixer running the entire time. Add in the vanilla and mix until nice and smooth. Transfer the batter into the floured bundt pan from earlier and smooth it out on top with a rubber spatula. This will help you get a nice smooth top. Place the cake into a cold oven, turn onto 325 degrees, and bake for 75 to 90 minutes or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean from the center of the cake. Do NOT preheat the oven, cooking in a cold oven allows for a more even bake. Once the cake is done, remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Once cooled, carefully flip the cake out onto a wire rack, cake stand, or plate to allow it to cool completely. Greasing and flouring the bundt cake pan should make for a pretty easy cake removal but if it’s still sticking, gently use a small silicone spatula to help loosen the sides before flipping. If you’re worried about it sticking, you can just do this anyway.
3 – Make the eggnog icing
Once the cake is cooled (don’t do it before or the icing will harden), combine the powdered sugar and eggnog together and whisk until smooth. If the icing seems super thick, like not spreadable, you can add another teaspoon of eggnog at a time until you get to a spreadable texture. You do want it to be on the thicker, not runny, side though so make sure you don’t add too much. Spread the icing over top of the eggnog pound cake making sure to coat the top and the section inside on the top as well so that each piece has a fully coated outside. If you’d like, you can sprinkle the cake with a little nutmeg. Otherwise, you’re done! Slice the cake and serve immediately or store in an airtight container and serve when you’re ready. This cake is amazing by itself but it’s also really good served with a little ice cream or even soaked in milk (or more eggnog) kind of like a bread pudding.
Expert Tips
Store covered at room temperature for up to three days. Make sure it’s stored in some sort of airtight container whether it’s a food storage container or a cake stand with a cloche on top. Make sure to leave the oven cold. If you accidentally preheat the oven, turn it off and wait until it’s gotten cold again before baking the cake. Freeze the cake after it has cooled down. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap before icing, then wrap it again in aluminum foil, and freeze in the refrigerator for up to three months. Let it thaw at room temperature then add icing before serving. You can also freeze individual slices if you’d rather be able to thaw and enjoy individual pieces. Just do the same thing as I mentioned above but do it after you’ve cut the cake (still uniced). Then when you’re ready to eat, allow it to thaw and just do a small amount of icing on each piece instead.
More Christmas Desserts
If you like this eggnog pound cake, you’ll love these other yummy Christmas desserts!
Cranberry orange bread – this may be the best holiday bread you’ve ever tried, tons of 5 star reviews! Who pudding – this Grinch inspired dessert is not only fun and whimsical, it’s delicious!Christmas tree cake dip – imagine Little Debbie Christmas tree cakes but in dip form. It’s the ultimate holiday dessert dip! Reindeer chow – this sweet snack mix combines sweet, salty, and red noses (M&Ms) in a festive treat!Christmas tree brownies – brownies topped with darling Christmas trees and sprinkles, they’re easy and fun!
