Fluffy Eggnog Cake with Eggnog Buttercream

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So I may disapprove of my daughter’s affection for all things pumpkin spice, but I’m all for the newfound obsession with eggnog! So much so that we set off to perfect the Ultimate Eggnog Cake recipe with homemade eggnog buttercream… and by jove, I think we’ve got it!

The perfect winter cake recipe, this eggnog cake with homemade eggnog buttercream is a delicious and decadent option for your Christmas cake this year

Eggnog Cake Recipe

This delicious eggnog cake involved a lot of trouble-shooting.

Eggnog is incredibly heavy, so it can’t just be substituted out for the milk or buttermilk in a recipe. It has to be delicately finessed into a recipe – a fine balance between too little eggnog to taste and too much eggnog resulting in a dense and heavy brick of a cake.

After several batches, which the kids enjoyed decorating and nibbling on anyways, we eventually landed on two recipes that we really liked – a completely from-scratch version and a modified cake mix variation.

The cake mix version is more reliable if you’re not a regular baker or if you’re baking with kids, since there’s more room for error and less ingredients to forget!

Light, fluffy eggnog cake with plenty of rich and decadent eggnog buttercream

Below, I’m going to share my delicious from-scratch eggnog cake, which is incredibly light and fluffy with a rich and luxurious eggnog buttercream that is just to die for.

I sent it to work with one of my daycare parents and I was getting Facebook notifications within the hour about how it was the best cake some of her co-workers had ever tasted… and people demanding to know where their eggnog cake was.

Sour cream is great for adding moistness to cakes, and though many white cakes rely on egg whites and not whole eggs, I find just using egg whites can result in a tougher cake texture.

I also debated with adding rum or rum extract to this cake and decided not to because I wasn’t sure who’d end up eating it, and as much as it would bake out, any taste of rum is sure to put my kids off.

For the cake mix eggnog cake, simply add eggnog in the place of the milk, add in 1 teaspoon of nutmeg and 1 teaspoon rum extract along with the called for eggs and oil. Follow our baking directions and definitely top it with that from-scratch eggnog buttercream recipe.

To learn how I made that cute glitter bunting banner, click here.

How to make the best ever eggnog layer cake with homemade eggnog buttercream

Eggnog Cake Ingredients

  • 3 cups sugar
  • 2 cup butter, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 6 eggs, room temperature
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 cup eggnog
  • 1 cup water

Eggnog Buttercream Frosting:

  • 2 cups butter
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 10 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup eggnog
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 Tablespoon rum extract, optional

Tip: You can remove the shortening and replace with an equal amount of butter, but I think shortening enhances the taste of Christmas baked goods.

Tip #2: This cake recipe makes a 4 layer cake – if you want less cake, divide the recipe as follows.

2 Layer Cake Version:

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 3/4 cup eggnog
  • 1/2 cup water

 

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

  • Hand mixer
  • 2 large mixing bowls
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Offset spautla
  • Piping bag
  • 8″ x 8″ cake pans

Step-by-step directions on how to make the best eggnog cake with homemade eggnog buttercream you will ever taste - your guests will be left begging for the recipe

How to Make Eggnog Cake

Preheat oven to 350F and line or grease 4 8″cake pans.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Add vanilla extract and sour cream, then eggs, beating in between each addition.

In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Set aside.

Thin out the eggnog with the water.

Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until combined. Add eggnog, mix well, then the remaining dry ingredients and beat until smooth.

Divide batter evenly between the four cake pans (I used a measuring cup) and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

While the cakes are cooling, prepare the eggnog buttercream.

Beat together the butter and shortening.

Add 8 cups of powdered sugar and mix well.

Add the eggnog and nutmeg, mix well, and then adjust with additional powdered sugar.

To assemble, cut the rounded domes off of the cakes to make even layers and sandwich together with 1/2 cups of buttercream.

Frost the whole cake with a crumb coat (a thin layer of buttercream that catches all crumbs) and allow to dry for an hour, before adding a final “outer layer” of frosting.

For a similar decorated effect, spoon the remaining buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a 2D Wilton star tip and make swirls of frosting along the edges of the cake.

The frosting holds up better if refrigerated, so keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

 

Oh my goodness, would you look at this amazing eggnog cake with homemade eggnog buttercream? A light and fluffy eggnog cake recipe to die for!

Pin this delicious eggnog cake recipe:

The best eggnog cake you will ever eat - with homemade eggnog buttercream that is worth it's weight in gold! Your guests will be begging for the recipe after you serve this decadent eggnog cake at your next winter party

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Fluffy Eggnog Cake with Eggnog Buttercream

Fluffy Eggnog Cake with Eggnog Buttercream

Ingredients

  • 3 cups sugar
  • 2 cup butter, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 6 eggs, room temperature
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 cup eggnog
  • 1 cup water

Eggnog Buttercream Frosting:

  • 2 cups butter
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 10 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/2 cup eggnog
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 Tablespoon rum extract, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F and line or grease 4 8"cake pans.
  2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
  3. Add vanilla extract and sour cream, then eggs, beating in between each addition.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients. Set aside.
  5. Thin out the eggnog with the water.
  6. Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until combined. Add eggnog, mix well, then the remaining dry ingredients and beat until smooth.
  7. Divide batter evenly between the four cake pans (I used a measuring cup) and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  8. While the cakes are cooling, prepare the eggnog buttercream.
  9. Beat together the butter and shortening.
  10. Add 8 cups of powdered sugar and mix well.
  11. Add the eggnog and nutmeg, mix well, and then adjust with additional powdered sugar.
  12. To assemble, cut the rounded domes off of the cakes to make even layers and sandwich together with 1/2 cups of buttercream.
  13. Frost the whole cake with a crumb coat (a thin layer of buttercream that catches all crumbs) and allow to dry for an hour, before adding a final "outer layer" of frosting.
  14. For a similar decorated effect, spoon the remaining buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a 2D Wilton star tip and make swirls of frosting along the edges of the cake.

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Are you a fan of eggnog? Do you have a special occasion coming up that this 4-layer eggnog cake would be perfect for?

For more delicious eggnog recipes, check out our eggnog pancakes and slow cooker eggnog lattes recipes:

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