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    Home » Recipes » Desserts & Sweets

    Eggnog Bundt Cake with Rum Glaze

    Published: Mar 9, 2022 · Modified: Nov 30, 2023 · by Renée B. · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe
    Bundt cake on cake platter, with one slice cut and on a dessert plate.

    Always a crowd-pleaser, this scrumptious rum-glazed Eggnog Bundt Cake makes a perfect Christmas dessert.

    Baked and glazed bundt cake.

    Let me introduce you to one of the most delicious bundt cakes you will ever sink your teeth into - a truly scrumptious eggnog cake with rum glaze, perfect for Christmas and holiday entertaining. Made with real eggnog, this buttery, warmly spiced cake is rich and tender, with a texture much like traditional pound cake.

    Like most bundt cakes, this cake doesn’t need a lot of decoration to look fabulous at a party. Eggnog Bundt Cake makes a simple, elegant presentation, and is delicious served alone or with the festive beverage of your choice.

    Jump to:
    • What Goes into this Christmas Bundt Cake
    • How to Make this Eggnog Bundt Cake Recipe
    • Equipment
    • Storage
    • Top Tip
    • FAQ
    • More Holiday Sweets & Treats
    • Eggnog Bundt Cake with Rum Glaze

    What Goes into this Christmas Bundt Cake

    Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature before you begin.

    Photo of individual ingredients that go into this Eggnog Bundt Cake recipe, measured and prepped.

    For the cake batter, you will need:

    • Butter: Use 2 sticks of salt butter.
    • Sugar: Use plain granulated sugar.
    • Eggs: We use USDA large eggs (EU size medium).
    • All-purpose flour
    • Baking powder
    • Nutmeg
    • Eggnog: We use store bought eggnog. You can also use homemade eggnog.

    For the glaze, you need sugar, butter, water, nutmeg, and either:

    • ¼ cup dark rum + ¼ cup bourbon (or brandy), OR
    • 1 tablespoon rum flavoring + 7 tablespoons apple juice.

    We always use a spiced rum (Cap'n M) for the glaze. It adds just that much more flavor to the mix.

    If you are concerned about the alcohol being in your finished cake, don't be. It will all boil off immediately when you add it to the boiling hot glaze mixture. In fact, when you do this, stand back a little or the alcohol cloud from the burn-off may sting your eyes. (Voice of experience.)

    How to Make this Eggnog Bundt Cake Recipe

    Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

    Take your time on this step. It can mean the difference between a cake that releases perfectly or a cake that comes out of the pan in pieces.

    Use a basting brush to paint the bundt pan with butter or Crisco.

    If you use butter, put it in the microwave at 50% power for a few seconds. You want the butter that you use to coat the pan to be the consistency of paste: not melted, but softer than room temperature.

    Once the pan is thoroughly coated, dust the entire pan with flour, rotating it and tapping the flour around until the entire surface is covered.

    Bundt pan greased and floured, ready for batter.

    Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the egg yolks to the creamed mixture one at a time, making sure that each one is completely incorporated before adding the next one.

    Sift together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the egg nog.

    If you typically make your cakes from a mix, be aware that this batter is thicker than a standard box cake. Before the egg whites are folding in, it should be the consistency and texture of very soft cookie dough.

    Thick batter in stand mixer.

    In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they form soft peaks.

    Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into into the batter. Fold only until the egg whites are incorporated. Do not over-mix.

    egg whites and batter being folded in a large silver mixing bowl.

    Spread the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Give the pan a couple of solid taps on the counter to make sure all those little ridges are filled in.

    Bake 50-55 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. The cake will readily spring back, and the top of cake will likely be slightly cracked.

    Remove the cake from oven and cool in the bundt pan no less than 10 minutes and no more than 15 minutes before it turning out.

    Baked bundt, not yet released from pan.

    To turn out the cake, place the cooling rack on the top of the bundt pan and flip it over in one fluid motion. The cake should immediately fall onto the rack.

    If the cake seems to be stuck in the pan, turn it back over and wait another minute or two, then try again.

    If the cake fails to release after two tries, run a butter knife or thin offset spatula gently and carefully around the edges of the cake, then give the pan a couple of knocks on the counter before trying again.

    Make the glaze while the cake is cooling in the pan before you turn it out.

    Combine the sugar, butter, water, and nutmeg in a small saucepan.
    Bring the mixture to a boil over MEDIUM heat. Reduce to MEDIUM-LOW and simmer 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

    Remove the glaze from heat. Stir in rum and brandy, or rum flavoring and apple juice. (WARNING: Stand back a little when you you add the alcohol, or the alcohol cloud that is released may sting your eyes.)

    The glaze will be very thin.

    Place a cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet or sheet of aluminum foil. Invert cake onto a cooling rack. 

    Prick the top and sides of the cake all over with a few toothpicks or a thin skewer. 

    Baked bundt cake on cooling rack, with pastry brush and glaze to the side.

    To glaze, start with very warm glaze and a warm cake. Use a pastry brush and take your time, or all the glaze will run off.

    The glaze will be very thin when you start, but will thicken slightly as you go. If it gets too thick, just heat it up a bit before proceeding.

    Glaze the cake in layers, pausing for a minute between each layer. Continue adding glaze layers until all of the glaze is on the cake.

    Let the glazed cake cool at room temperature for 2-3 hours before serving. The glaze will turn from glossy to matte when it has set.

    Equipment

    To make a successful bundt cake, you need to start a good bundt pan. We make this cake in a 12-cup Nordic Ware bundt pan, but the recipe will easily fit in a 10-cup bundt pan if that's what you have.

    Storage

    Bundt cakes are best eaten the day they are made or the next day; however, you can successfully store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
    If you want to keep the cake longer, it will stay good in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

    This bundt cake also freezes very well. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and seal it in a freezer bag or vacuum sealer bag. It will stay good in the freezer for up to four months.

    Top Tip

    One of the primary reasons cakes fail is because the baker didn't measure carefully or correctly. Cakes, especially cakes made from scratch, are generally not something you can pinch and throw together. You need to weigh and measure the ingredients.

    There's a hole in this cake!" I think I've watched the Bundt Cake scene from "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" at least a dozen times and it still cracks me up.

    FAQ

    How are bundt cakes different from regular cakes?

    Due to the unique design of the bundt pan, bundt cakes are generally more dense and moist than traditional cakes, with a texture more like pound cake.

    Slice of bundt cake on old fashioned ivy plate, sitting on crocheted tablecloth.

    For a real Christmas treat, top off slices of bundt cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and serve them up with a mug of hot buttered rum or a cranberry mule!

    More Holiday Sweets & Treats

    It's no secret - we love our holiday sweets!

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    See more Christmas →

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    Baked and glazed bundt cake.
    5 from 1 vote

    Eggnog Bundt Cake with Rum Glaze

    This scrumptious, easy-to-make, rum-glazed Holiday Eggnog Cake is a crowd-pleaser for any occasion!
    Print Pin Add to Shopping List Go to Shopping List
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Prep Time:30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time:1 hour hour
    Glazing & Cooling Time:2 hours hours
    Total Time:3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 16 slices
    Calories: 410kcal
    Author: Renee
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • 1 bundt pan
    • 1 Electric Stand Mixer
    • 1 Rubber Spatula
    • 1 Cooling rack
    • 1 rimmed baking sheet
    • 1 basting brush

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Metric
    Cake
    • 1 cup salted butter 2 sticks, room temperature
    • 1½ cups sugar
    • 4 large eggs separated, room temperature
    • 3 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • 2 teaspoons fresh nutmeg
    • 1¼ cups egg nog
    Glaze
    • 1 cup sugar
    • ½ cup salted butter 1 stick
    • ¼ cup water
    • ¼ teaspoon fresh nutmeg
    • ¼ cup dark rum non-alch.option: 1 T. rum flavoring
    • ¼ cup bourbon (or brandy) non-alch. option: 7 T. apple cider

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 375°F | 190°C.
    • Use a basting brush to grease a bundt pan with butter or Crisco.
      Dust the entire pan with flour, rotating it and tapping the flour around until the entire surface is covered.
      Take your time on this step. It can mean the difference between a cake that releases perfectly or a cake that comes out of the pan in pieces.
    • Cream together butter and sugar.
      Add egg yolks one at a time; making sure that each one is completely incorporated before adding the next one.
    • Sift together dry ingredients.
      Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with eggnog.
    • In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they form soft peaks.
      Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into into the batter.
    • Spread the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
      Give the pan a couple of solid taps on the counter to make sure all those little ridges are filled in.
    • Bake 50-55 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. The cake will readily spring back, and the top of cake will likely be slightly cracked.
    • Remove the cake from oven and cool in the bundt pan no less than 10 minutes and no more than 15 minutes before it turning out.
    • Make the glaze while the cake is cooling in the pan before you turn it out.
    • Combine the sugar, butter, water, and nutmeg in a small saucepan.
      Bring to a boil over MEDIUM heat.
      Reduce to MEDIUM-LOW and simmer 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
      Remove the glaze from heat.
      Stir in rum and brandy (or rum flavoring and apple juice). (WARNING: Stand back a little when you you add the alcohol, or the alcohol cloud that is released may sting your eyes.)
      The glaze will be very thin.
    • To turn out the cake, place the cooling rack on the top of the bundt pan and flip it over in one fluid motion. The cake should immediately fall onto the rack.
      Prick top and sides of the cake all over with a few toothpicks or a thin skewer.
    • To glaze, start with very warm glaze and a very warm cake.
      The glaze will be very thin when you start, but will thicken slightly as you go.
      Use a pastry brush and take your time, or all the glaze will run off.
      Glaze the cake in layers, stopping for a minute between each layer, until the glaze is all on the cake.
    • Let cake cool at room temperature for 2-3 hours before serving.

    Notes

    If you typically make your cakes from a mix, be aware that this batter is much thicker than a standard box cake. Before the egg whites are folding in, it should be the consistency and texture of very soft cookie dough.

    If you are concerned about the alcohol being in your finished cake, don't be. It will all boil off immediately when you add it to the boiling hot glaze mixture. In fact, when you do this, stand back a little or the alcohol cloud from the burn-off may sting your eyes. (Voice of experience.)

    Eggnog Bundt Cake freezes well. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 109mg | Potassium: 76mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 632IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 1mg
    This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
    Have you tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

    Love it? Pin it! If you love this Eggnog Bundt Cake recipe, be sure to save it! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go!

    Bundt cake on cake platter, with one slice cut and on a dessert plate.

    Thank you for visiting the Good Hearted Woman. Remember to bookmark this site, and come back soon!

    Originally published December 9, 2013, and previously Updated April 14, 2020. This post has been updated with new content, images, and recipe directions to improve reader experience.

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    About Renée B.

    Renée is self-taught home chef with a penchant for creating healthy(ish) comfort food recipes, and adapting vintage recipes for the 21st century cook. In her spare time, she writes unfinished novels and songs about cowboys.

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      5 from 1 vote

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    1. TrishKnits says

      December 18, 2013 at 1:47 pm

      This looks like a recipe I've had for decades from either Chatelaine or Canadian Living magazine. It's super-delicious!

      Reply
    2. Yvonne @ Dress This Nest says

      December 12, 2013 at 7:46 am

      5 stars
      I might have to buy a bundt pan just so I can make this. I LOVE egg nog

      Reply
    3. Tara Newman says

      December 10, 2013 at 2:51 am

      Stopping over from your SITS day. Great recipes and a great resources! I will be following and pinning away!

      Reply
    4. Bonnie @ Love, Marriage and Sex says

      December 10, 2013 at 2:04 am

      Yum! That looks amazing! Visiting from SITS. I will have to try some of those recipes!! Love the blog 🙂

      Reply

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