I suspect that I won't need to do much convincing with this recipe. I also suspect that your guests won't need much convincing to try a slice. It's cake. Made with eggnog. Glazed with sweet boozy icing. An extra pinch of nutmeg and a special baking trick with a whisk are all you need to put this holiday treat right over the top.

The "whipped" part of this recipe comes from whipping the eggnog into a foam before adding it to the batter. This is a trick I picked up from Shirley O Corriher in her book BakeWise: by whipping the cream in recipes for cakes and quick breads, you add moisture, richness, and lightness to the batter.
This results in a loaf with an unbelievably tender crumb. I tried it once and now do it whenever I see heavy cream in a recipe. Eggnog won't whip to soft peaks like cream because of the eggs and other ingredients in the beverage, but it will become very frothy and double in volume.
And the whipped eggnog totally works. The cake is so tender and luxurious that it tips over into velvety. I was worried that the eggnog might not come through with only a half cup in the recipe, but that creamy nutmeg flavor is infused into every crumb. It's crazy good and totally decadent.


Whipped Eggnog Loaf Cake
Makes 1 loaf (about 12 servings)1/2 cup (5 oz) whole-fat eggnog (see note below on using low-fat eggnog)
1 1/2 cups (7 oz) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup (4 oz/1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup (7 oz) white granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glazed Icing
1/2 cup (4 oz) powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons rum, brandy, or bourbon
Heat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8x5 loaf ban with parchment so that the extra hangs over the sides. Coat the parchment and exposed sides of the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a standing mixer with a whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, whisk the eggnog at high speed until it doubles in volume, 6-8 minutes. Because of the eggs and other ingredients, it won't actually form peaks like whipped cream, but it should become very frothy and airy. Keep the whipped eggnog in the refrigerator until ready to use.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.
In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until it become creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the sugar until the mixture is looks fluffy and light-colored, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs and egg yolk one at a time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides as needed.
Sprinkle the flour mixture over the butter mixture. Mix on low speed just until the ingredients come together into a dough. It's ok if there is still a little flour visible on the dough and the sides of the bowl.
Using a spatula, gently mix 1/3 of the whipped eggnog into the batter. Pour the rest of the eggnog into the bowl and gently fold it into the batter. At first, it will look like the eggnog won't go into the batter. Just keep gently folding and stirring, and eventually it will form a smooth, glossy, pourable batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Place in the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. The loaf is done when the top is domed and golden-brown, and when a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift it by the parchment paper and transfer to a cooling rack. Remove the parchment. When the loaf has cooled but is still warm to the touch, whisk together the glaze ingredients and spoon over the loaf. Let the loaf stand until the icing is set and dry. Slice and serve.
The loaf will keep at room temperature, covered, for about three days.
Notes:
• Using Low-Fat Eggnog - Low-fat eggnog won't become as frothy as full-fat eggnog. It's best to add it along with the flour addition: mix in 1/3 of the flour and then 1/3 of the low-fat eggnog. Repeat until all the ingredients are incorporated.
Related: Eggnog For Breakfast: 5 Festive Recipes
(Image: Emma Christensen)
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Comments (29)
Holy...I can't wait to try this! I'm an eggnog addict. And boozy icing? I'm in!
I see Vanilla in the batter instructions, but not in the ingredient list. Is it to taste?
I make Eggnog Quick bread a lot during the holidays, so it will be nice to have a lighter recipe. It sounds a lot like when you make a German Chocolate cake. I can't wait to make it.
@Stevenvox - Thanks for pointing that out! I've updated the recipe.
I have this loaf baking in the oven right now! My only quibble is that I found that the whipped eggnog did not remain fluffy in the fridge; I had to re-mix it before adding it to the batter. Can't wait to taste this!
I really want to make this for a holiday party...but I have this fabulous bundt pan I think would make for a better presentation. Do we think this would work in a bundt pan or should I plan to double/one-and-a-half the recipe? Usually one loaf recipes transfer quite well to a bundt. Thoughts?
Would soy nog would work in place of the real eggnog? Thanks!
@JMills - I haven't made many bundt cakes, so I'm not an expert. My instinct is that you'd need to at least 1 1/2 times the recipe to fill the pan. Maybe check the volume of your bundt pan verses my 8x5x3 loaf pans and go from there? Anyone else have advice?
@laurenelayne - I think it would definitely work, though it might be slightly denser since I'm not sure the soy nog would froth as well as the milk eggnog. Follow the instructions for low-fat eggnog in the notes at the end of the recipe. Let us know how it goes!
just made this cake...pretty darn good. I took the egg white (from the "one" egg yolk) and added it to the egg nog (with 1 Tablespoon of rum) when I whipped it all together...really made the egg nog light and fluffy and added more of a buzzy flavor to the actual cake. happy holidays!
Boozy icing? It is like you know me.....
perfect-- we're having a "Nog Off" at work (eggnog competition) and I will make this cake!
Any suggestions for a delicious and complimentary non-boozy glaze for this?
I'm going to make this. It looks soooo good.
Not sure if this will help or not. I've converted regular layer cakes to bundt cakes. Rather than splitting the recipe between 2 cake pans, the whole recipe goes in the bundt pan. Instead of baking at 350 for 25 minutes, it bakes at 325 for 50 minutes. If I were going to try to convert this recipe (and I think I might because it sounds terrific), I would double the recipe, fill my bundt pan 2/3rds full, and if I have extra batter, make some cupcakes.
@VAC - You can use milk (or eggnog!) instead of the booze
Just a vanilla spice glaze. Instead of bourbon use milk or water, add a teaspoon or so of vanilla extract and a dash of nutmeg. Voila!
I'm making this for my office Christmas party this Friday!
1. Will this freeze ok?
2. I have a super cute train cupcake pan. How long should I bake in the cupcake pan?
great recipe ,but i din't see any recipe box to hold my recipes.Don't want to copy it all the time,and its to much info,with other sections.
@Kaydeecee - 1. This will freeze well UNfrosted; just thaw on the counter and frost when thawed, and 2. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.
Tried this with whole-fat, organic nog - it refused to whip.
made it this morning. crazy delicious. like @CVBLD, i kinda felt like my whipped eggnog needed a little *oomph* before adding it to the batter. Gave it a little whirl with my aerolatte, and it really perked up!
I tried making this and it fell. :( This was my first time making anything in a loaf pan and I thought I followed the recipe exactly. Loaf ended up dense with a concave top with air bubbles. So sad. Any suggestions? Might give it a second try.
I tried johncw3's suggestion of adding the leftover egg white to the egg nog, in an attempt to make it whip up better. I found that it didn't help thicken the nog, and it ended up making the cake a tad dry. The flavor of the cake was great, though! I plan in making the cake again this weekend, but I'll stick to the actual recipe next time*. ;-)
* I did change the icing to 1Tbsp. eggnog, 1/2 Tbsp. brandy + the sugar, as I didn't want the icing to be too strong... had just enough of a kick without overpowering the cake, IMO.
Just made this. I also used organic, whole-fat eggnog that did not whip. Baked it in an 8x3x3 pan for a bit longer and it came out very moist and perhaps just a bit denser. Still lovely.
Made this recipe in a mini loaf pan (six 4" x 2" loaves) and was very happy with the results. The little cakes were adorable. I wrapped them in cellophane bags with ribbon and they made terrific gifts for my coworkers. My boss said her loaf was "starbucks-worthy" - I'm taking that as a compliment. :)
@emilykc: So glad I read the comments before starting this recipe, I was planning to make smaller loaves & wasn't sure if it would work! Thank you! Going to make this right now:-)
Mine turned out so good...it tasted like a glazed cake donut the egg nog and nutmeg just put it over the top. I loved it and will make it again before the holiday is over...I am going to add a little more egg nog so that it won't be too dry.
This recipe made a beautiful and tasty cake. It would be perfect with coffee for a low-key get-together during the holidays. But I made this recipe for a three pot-luck events, and they just got lost in the shuffle--hardly anyone even tried my cakes. Too many other, richer-looking and chocolatey offerings.
I would add a little more nutmeg than called for, and I had trouble getting the eggnog to whip--what is the approximate calorie count for the eggnog that's called for? I might not have had the right kind.
I made this last night and it's absolutely delicious. (I didn't even bother with the frosting since we were planning on enjoying it with coffee). The eggnog I used also didn't whip. I tried for 15 minutes. It got a little frothy but not much. The cake still came out wonderfully. I wasn't going to make another one tonight to freeze for later but my boyfriend finished the last of the eggnog. I guess it's a good thing Eggnog isn't around all year!