Today we are sharing a delicious scratch recipe for Eggnog cake with Eggnog Buttercream Frosting!

This classic holiday cake is moist, has a lovely soft texture, but is still firm enough to hold up to fondant and versatile enough for cupcakes!

Another reason to love this flavorful Eggnog Cake recipe is that it makes a generous amount of batter for three cake layers. Once baked & assembled, the cake has a great height to it, and is filled with wonderful spiced goodness.

I have to say that it took me YEARS to finally try Eggnog Cake. Just the sound of it (and the idea of eggnog in general) didn't appeal to me. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong.

This is now one of my FAVORITE cakes to make for the holidays. It's just so cozy. (Can cake be cozy?). I think it can, and it is. The Eggnog Buttercream is simple and delicious too!

I don't even think the cake in the photo lasted 24 hours...we devoured it.  If you're looking for the perfect festive dessert for the holidays, this is it!

How to Make Eggnog Cake

You can find the full, printable Eggnog Cake recipe further down in this post, but here is a quick rundown of our steps!

1. Preheat: Preheat oven to 350 and grease and flour three 8 inch cake pans- we also like to line our pans with parchment.{This recipe uses the Reverse Creaming Method of mixing.}
2. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a medium sized bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla, vegetable oil and eggnog. Blend with a fork to combine.
3. Combine Dry Ingredients: In the bowl of your mixer add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon and
   nutmeg.
4. Add Butter to Dry Ingredients: Mix on low speed as you gradually add the pieces of butter. Mix until the dry ingredients
   are crumbly and moistened by the butter.
5. Half of Egg Mixture: Add ½ of the egg mixture and beat on medium speed for 1 ½ minutes, scrape the
   bottom and sides of the bowl.
6. Two More Additions of Egg Mixture: Add the remaining egg mixture in 2 additions, mixing at medium speed for 20 seconds
   after each addition.
7. Fill the Pans: Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and pour into the prepared baking pans.
8. Time to Bake! Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Makes 7 ½ cups batter. Works well for cupcakes

Eggnog Buttercream

This Eggnog Buttercream recipe is so easy and flavorful too! It is a delicious combination of butter, powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, a pinch of salt, and a splash of eggnog. 

It behaves much like our Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting, but has added richness and flavor from the eggnog and spices! This eggnog frosting recipe works perfectly as a filling and frosting, and it is very easy to pipe with also!

More Spice Cakes to Try!

We love spice cakes, especially in the fall and winter months! In addition to today's Eggnog Cake, you will have to add these other recipes to your must-bake list! 

Orange Spice Cake- Doctored Mix

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake

Cherry Spice Cake

Spice Cake from Scratch

Gingerbread Cake

More Eggnog Cake Options!

If you prefer working with cake mixes or if you like to keep great doctored cake mix recipes on hand for a super quick and easy dessert, you've got to try our Eggnog Cake (doctored cake mix) Recipe! 

It has all of the wonderful spiced flavor of our scratch eggnog cake recipe, and can be whipped up in no time.

We also have an amazing Eggnog Pound Cake recipe- so simple and delicious!

Enjoy the Recipe!

Thanks so much for stopping by today, we hope that you enjoy this homemade Eggnog Cake! If you give it a try, we would love for you to leave a comment below!

Continue to Content

Eggnog Cake with Eggnog Buttercream- A Scratch Recipe

Print

This moist and delicious Eggnog Cake from scratch is so flavorful and perfect for the holidays!

Ingredients

For the Eggnog Cake Layers•

• *Preheat oven to 350. Grease & flour three 8 inch pans.
• 3 cups (342g) cake flour **(if you do not have cake flour, see below)
• 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon (15g) baking powder
• ½ teaspoon (2g) salt
• 2 teaspoons (6g) cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon (3g) nutmeg
• 2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter, softened. Do not soften in microwave. Cut the sticks of butter into ½ to 1 inch slices, it will be added a few pieces at a time to the dry mixture.
• 3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons (8g) vanilla extract
• ¼ cup (54g) vegetable oil
• 1 ¼ cups (313g) eggnog

For the Eggnog Buttercream Frosting

• 2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter, softened
• 6-7 cups (690-805g) powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon (1g) cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon (1g) nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon (2g) salt (optional) to reduce sweetness of the recipe, popcorn salt is a finer grain and will dissolve more quickly
• ⅓ cup (86g) eggnog - add more a teaspoon at a time if needed.
• 2 teaspoons (8g) vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Eggnog Cake Layers

1. {This recipe uses the Reverse Creaming Method of mixing.}
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla, vegetable oil and eggnog. Blend with a fork to combine.
3. In the bowl of your mixer add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon and
   nutmeg.
4. Mix on low speed as you gradually add the pieces of butter. Mix until the dry ingredients
   are crumbly and moistened by the butter.
5. There should be no dry looking flour in the bowl. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl.
6. Add ½ of the egg mixture and beat on medium speed for 1 ½ minutes, scrape the
   bottom and sides of the bowl.
7. Add the remaining egg mixture in 2 additions, mixing at medium speed for 20 seconds
   after each addition. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and pour into
   baking pans.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with
   just a few crumbs attached. Makes 7 ½ cups batter. Works well for cupcakes

For the Eggnog Buttercream Frosting

1. Cream the softened butter until smooth. Blend in vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.
   
2. Add ½ of the powdered sugar and most of the eggnog. Beat at medium speed
   until the powered sugar is incorporated.
3. Add the remaining powered sugar and eggnog and mix at medium speed another 3 to 4 minutes scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally.
4. I slow down the mixer to very slow (#2 on the Kitchenaid) for 1 to 2 minutes. This will help eliminate air pockets in the
   buttercream.
5. The recipe and be doubled or halved.
6. Can be frozen in an airtight container for at least 3 months, thaw on the countertop
   and remix.
   
   

Notes

Cake Flour Substitution

If you do not have cake flour, you can make your own using all purpose flour
(plain in UK).

For each cup of flour, remove 2 Tablespoons (14g) flour and
replace with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch.

For this recipe you will be removing 6 Tablespoons (42g) flour and replacing it with 6 Tablespoons corn starch. Whisk
for 30 seconds to combine. All purpose bleached flour will give you a more
tender cake, but you can also use all purpose unbleached flour.Will hold up to
fondant

If you're searching for more ideas for Christmas and winter cake recipes and cake decorating ideas, don't miss our full Roundup of Christmas and Winter Cakes!