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Moist, rich eggnog pound cake topped with a warm spiced eggnog glaze. It’s cozy, festive, and perfect for holiday baking season.
For more pound cake recipes, make my 7up pound cake and whipping cream pound cake.
This Eggnog Pound Cake tastes like the holidays rolled up in a warm, buttery hug. It’s rich, plush, and loaded with that nostalgic eggnog flavor we all pretend not to love until December hits.
The crumb? Silky. The glaze? Sweet, spiced, and dripping down the sides like pure holiday magic.
If you’re trying to wow a crowd or you’re just a big fan of eggnog, this is the perfect holiday dessert.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Easy Eggnog Pound Cake Recipe
- It’s unbelievably moist and plush. The combo of butter, cream cheese, and whipped eggnog makes this one of those pound cakes that stays soft for days.
- Classic holiday flavor in every bite. Nutmeg and cardamom make the whole cake taste like the holiday season.
- The texture? Dreamy. Tight crumb, silky mouthfeel, and just the right amount of richness! It slices beautifully and never crumbles apart.
- Feeds a crowd, holds well, and travels beautifully. This is the cake to bring to holiday dinners, office parties, and cookie swaps. In fact, it tastes even better the next day!
Key Ingredients
(full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card)
- Cake flour has a lower protein content than all purpose flour, so it forms less gluten. That means your pound cake bakes up with an extra plush and tender crumb. It also absorbs moisture more evenly, which is perfect for a rich batter like this.
- Nutmeg is the signature eggnog spice, giving warmth and that cozy holiday flavor. Cardamom adds a floral, slightly citrusy depth that makes the flavor taste more complex and bakery-level.
- Salted Butter adds richness and flavor. When creamed together with sugar, it traps air bubbles that expand in the oven, giving the cake height and fluff. Butter also creates that traditional pound cake recipe flavor – buttery, sweet, and slightly caramelized on the edges.
- Cream Cheese gives the crumb structure and moisture. Cream cheese adds a slight tang that balances the sweetness, plus its fat content helps keep the cake soft for days.
- Sugar sweetens and creates tenderness by interfering with gluten development. Brown sugar adds moisture and slight molasses flavor, giving the cake deeper caramel notes and a softer crumb.
- Creamy Eggnog brings that holiday rich flavor moisture, and a custard-like decadence from the eggs and cream inside the eggnog. It softens the crumb and infuses that unmistakable seasonal flavor without overpowering the cake. And don’t skimp on the eggnog – we want full-fat eggnog for this pound cake. Bonus points if you use my homemade eggnog recipe!
- Heavy Cream gets whipped together with the eggnog to add volume into an otherwise very heavy batter. It lightens the texture, helps the cake rise taller and more evenly, and adds silky moisture. It’s the secret weapon for a velvety, melt-in-your-mouth crumb.
- Rum extract is what brings and enhances that true eggnog flavor.
Substitutions and Variations
- Cake Flour Substitute: You can use AP flour if needed: use 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons AP flour for every 1 cup cake flour. This a great substitute in a pinch!
- For Gifting: Divide the batter into mini loaf pans for gifting. Reduce bake time, start checking for doneness around 30-40 minutes.
- Use Mascarpone (instead of cream cheese) makes the cake even silkier and slightly sweeter, but still keeps a beautiful structure. Check out my mascarpone pound cake if you wanna go this route!
How To Make Eggnog Pound Cake
Prep: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 15 cup bundt pan or tube pan with nonstick baking spray or use a pastry brush to coat the pan with cake goop. Set aside.
Step 1: Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl – cake flour, nutmeg, cardamom, baking powder, and kosher salt. Set aside.
Step 2: Add room temperature butter, cream cheese, sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix together on medium speed for 6-8 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula half way through. Reduce mixer to low speed. Begin adding eggs, one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated prior to adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, whisk together eggnog and heavy cream. Use a hand mixer to whisk together until stiff peaks form, about 3-5 minutes.
Step 4: Add half of the dry ingredients to the cake batter and mix together until just combined. Then add in the eggnog mixture and mix until combined and smooth. Add the remainder of the dry ingredients and mix until everything is fully incorporated and smooth.
Step 5: Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour an 15-25 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 6: Make the spiced eggnog glaze – combine melted butter, confectioner’s sugar, eggnog, vanilla extract, rum extract, and ground nutmeg in a mixing bowl. Whisk together until combined. Pour on top of the cooled cake and add an additional sprinkle of nutmeg on top.
Pro Baking Tips
- If you can find fresh nutmeg, I highly recommend using it! It really enhances the flavor of the cake.
- Using a Kitchen scale is a game changer! It gives you consistent results every single time. Use the gram measurements in the recipe card.
- Use room-temperature ingredients! Butter, (especially) cream cheese, and eggs, combine more smoothly when they’re all at room temperature. This prevents curdling and gives you that tight, velvety crumb.
- Cream longer than you think you need to. That 6-8 minutes of creaming is doing the heavy lifting. We’re building air into the batter for lift, tenderness, and a higher rise. Don’t rush it; pause halfway to scrape the bowl so no butter sticks to the sides.
- Whip the eggnog mixture to stiff peaks. This is your secret moisture plus aeration combo. I do this with my cream cheese pound cake and it’s SO good. Stiff peaks add small air bubbles to lighten the batter and add incredible texture. If it’s still soft and loose, keep whisking, the structure matters.
- Add the dry ingredients in two batches. Dumping it all in at once can deflate the bowl. Two additions keep the batter smooth and prevent overmixing, which keeps the cake from becoming dense or rubbery.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Store-bought works perfectly and actually gives you the most consistent results. Homemade eggnog can vary in thickness and sweetness, which may slightly change the texture.
Whipping them to stiff peaks adds lift, moisture, and lightness to the batter. It’s similar to folding whipped cream into a mousse. It keeps the crumb soft and plush instead of dense.
Totally normal! Cream cheese, butter, and a high egg count can cause slight curdling. Once you add the flour, the batter will smooth out completely.
Absolutely. Pound cakes stay moist for days. Wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3–4 days. Glaze right before serving for the prettiest finish.
You can sub all-purpose flour, but the crumb will be slightly denser. If you must substitute, use 1 cup minus 2 tbsp AP flour for every 1 cup cake flour.
More Festive Cakes
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If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and comment below! You can also tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can celebrate your beautiful creations!
Eggnog Pound Cake
Equipment
- 12 to 15 cup bundt pan OR Tube Pan
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 cups (437 g) Cake Flour
- 1 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp Cardamom
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 cup (226 g) Salted Butter, (room temperature)
- 8 oz (226 g) Cream Cheese, (room temperature)
- 2 tbsp (28 g) Vegetable Oil
- 2 1/2 cups (500 g) Sugar
- 1/3 cup (74 g) Brown Sugar
- 5 large (5) Eggs, (room temperature)
- 1 tbsp (1) Vanilla Extract
- 2 tsp (2) Rum Extract
- 1/2 cup (120 g) Eggnog, (cold)
- 1/2 cup (120 g) Heavy Cream, (cold)
Eggnog Glaze
- 2 tbsp Salted Butter, (melted)
- 5-6 tbsp (5) Eggnog
- 2 cups (240 g) Powdered Sugar
- 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- Pinch Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 15 cup bundt pan or tube pan with nonstick baking spray or use a pastry brush to coat the pan with cake goop. Set aside.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl – cake flour, nutmeg, cardamom, baking powder, and kosher salt. Set aside.
- Add room temperature butter, cream cheese, sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix together on medium speed for 6-8 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula half way through. Reduce mixer to low speed.
- Begin adding eggs, one at a time, ensuring each egg is fully incorporated prior to adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together eggnog and heavy cream. Use a hand mixer to whisk together until stiff peaks form, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the cake batter and mix together until just combined. Then add in the eggnog mixture and mix until combined and smooth. Add the remainder of the dry ingredients and mix until everything is fully incorporated and smooth.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour an 15-25 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make the spiced eggnog glaze – combine melted butter, confectioner's sugar, eggnog, vanilla extract, rum extract, and ground nutmeg in a mixing bowl. Whisk together until combined. Pour on top of the cooled cake and add an additional sprinkle of nutmeg on top.
Notes
- Using a Kitchen scale is a game changer! It makes for the most consistent bakes every time. Use the gram measurements next to each ingredient above.
- Use room-temperature ingredients! Butter, (especially) cream cheese, and eggs, combine more smoothly when they’re all at room temperature. This prevents curdling and gives you that tight, velvety crumb.
- Cream longer than you think you need to. That 6-8 minutes of creaming is doing the heavy lifting. We’re building air into the batter for lift, tenderness, and a higher rise. Don’t rush it; pause halfway to scrape the bowl so no butter sticks to the sides.
- Whip the eggnog mixture to stiff peaks. This is your secret moisture plus aeration combo. I do this with my cream cheese pound cake and it’s SO good. Stiff peaks add small air bubbles to lighten the batter and add incredible texture. If it’s still soft and loose, keep whisking, the structure matters.
- Add the dry ingredients in two batches. Dumping it all in at once can deflate the bowl. Two additions keep the batter smooth and prevent overmixing, which keeps the cake from becoming dense or rubbery.
- If you can find fresh nutmeg, I highly recommend using it! The flavor will be so much better!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
