Eggnog Pound Cake (Best Christmas Pound Cake)

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This festive eggnog pound cake recipe from scratch takes the traditional pound cake to new holiday heights with the infusion of  eggnog, cinnamon and nutmeg.  The moist texture, warm spices and luscious glaze will make your Christmas and Holidays elf’n delicious.

Eggnog pound cake is just what it’s titled.  Yes, it’s pound cake made with eggnog.  I have seen eggnog pound cake recipes on the Internet and knew it would be Christmas magic in a pound cake.  Since there’s not exactly eggnog pound cake near me at the bakery or store, I decided, tis the season to make an eggnog pound cake from scratch. 

Folks I’m so glad I made this Christmas eggnog pound cake recipe.  It truly combines two holiday traditions, eggnog and cake, and creates such holly jolly, lip-smacking yum.  I’m for sure adding this to my holiday recipe lineup this year and for years to come.

Holiday Spiced Eggnog Pound Cake Magic

You will “bake um” merry this holiday season with this Eggnog Christmas Pound Cake.  The stars of this eggnog cake are, of course, eggnog, but there’s also eggnog’s co-stars, cinnamon and nutmeg.  These enchanting flavors mingle together in a merry symphony that steels the show (or holiday party).  

So, unleash that inner elf and whip us this outrageously delicious holiday spiced eggnog pound cake.  It is sure to have your taste buds and your guest’s taste buds jingle bell rock’n this holiday season.

Eggnog Glaze – Drizzle That Delicious Jingle

This eggnog pound cake is topped with a luscious layer of eggnog glaze.  Folks, this eggnog glaze drizzled on this pound cake elevates this already amazing eggnog pound cake to even higher levels of yuletide yum.

Just like Rudolph’s red nose lights up the night sky, this sweet eggnog glaze brightens up an already delicious eggnog pound cake. Its creamy sweetness combines magically with the warm spices of the eggnog cake, making this eggnog pound cake an absolute must for your Christmas day or holiday party dessert table.

Elf’n Easy Eggnog Pound Cake Recipe

I know I’ve said what a yuletide masterpiece this eggnog pound cake is and how divinely delicious it is, but you’ve also got to know what an easy peasy recipe for eggnog pound cake this is.

You know how easy it is to do all your Christmas shopping on Amazon in 15 minutes, well, this is the holiday baking version of that.

This old fashioned eggnog pound cake really is a simple, classic, traditional pound cake with eggnog substituted in for milk and the addition of cinnamon and nutmeg.  

Simply combine your shortening, butter, sugar and eggs well and then add your flour and spices alternately with your eggnog.  It’s then off to the oven to bake.  When done, cool completely and glaze with our 2 ingredient eggnog glaze.  

You can’t get any easier than that.  So, avoid the holiday hassle by baking up this easy and effortless holiday miracle.

Tools Used Eggnog Pound Cake Recipe

• Stand Mixer optional
• hand mixer optional
• Mixing Bowl
• Sifter
• Spatula
• Dry Ingredient Measuring Cups
• Liquid Measuring Cup
• Measuring spoons
• Tube Pan
• Bundt Pan
• Cooling Rack
• Kitchen Timer

Ingredients In Eggnog Pound Cake Recipe

• ½ cup shortening
• ½ cup butter room temperature
• 3 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• ½ teapoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup eggnog – I used Borden eggnog
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1¾ – 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 – 4 tablespoons eggnog

How To Make Eggnog Pound Cake

• Grease and flour, or spray with baking spray, a 10 inch tube pan or a 12 cup bundt pan or (2) 5×9 loaf pans.
• Do not preheat oven.
• Cream shortening, butter and sugar well.
• Add eggs one at a time beating just until yellow is gone before you add the next.
• In separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
• Add flour mixture and eggnog alternately to sugar/egg mixture. Do not overmix.
• Add vanilla and mix.
• Pour batter into prepared tube pan, bundt pan or loaf pans.
• Put in cold oven and bake at 350℉ for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• While cake is baking prepare the glaze by mixing powdered sugar and eggnog well.
• Remove from oven and let cake cool for 10 minutes before releasing.
• Let cake cool completely and pour, drizzle or spoon glaze over top.

Tips For The Best Eggnog Pound Cake

• I recommend using plain eggnog for this eggnog cake recipe.  Using a flavored eggnog will cause the cake to take on that flavor. 
• If you want to bake up an eggnog loaf pound cake, you can simply put the batter in (2) 5×9 loaf pans.
• Use room temperature butter, eggs and eggnog in the eggnog pound cake recipe.  Room temperature ingredients blend much easier and produce a cake with even interior texture.
• Thoroughly cream your sugar and butter. This will cause the air to be whipped into the batter, so the cake will rise during baking.
• Add eggs one at a time.  Beat each egg just until the yellow disappears, before adding the next egg. 
• Overbeating the eggs can cause the batter to overflow out of the pans while baking and create a crust that separates from the cake as it cools.
• After adding flour to the cake, make sure you don’t over mix the batter.  Bon Appetit says, that overmixing can cause the batter to deflate, and all your hard work creaming will be reversed. The result will be a dense, tough pound cake.
• Make sure you test your eggnog pound cake for doneness. Insert a sharp knife or long wooden skewer in the cake.  The cake is done if no crumbs or dry crumbs are on the skewer or knife.
• The glaze is very sweet, but when poured on the cake it looses some of its sweetness as it blends with the warm spices of the pound cake.  So, don’t judge the glaze until you get it on the eggnog cake.
• If you choose not to glaze the eggnog pound cake, you can simply serve it with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Why Start A Pound Cake In A Cold Oven

Embrace the cold of Christmas.  That is, starting your Christmas eggnog pound cake in a cold oven.  Let’s rebel against the traditional preheated pound cake oven, be bold and go cold.

But why start a pound cake in a cold oven?  Southern Living gives us 2 good reasons to start our eggnog pound cake and other pound cakes we bake in a cold oven.

• Starting your pound cake in a cold oven creates a luscious, thick golden brown crust.  Baking your pound cake low and slow helps it develop a gorgeous, thick, and caramelized crust, truly setting it apart from your traditional pound cake crust.
• Starting your pound cake in a cold oven also impacts the texture of the cake. A longer bake time and lower temperature allows the leavening more time to work before the cake sets, resulting in a taller, fluffier cake.

This eggnog pound cake cooked up tall and fluffy; however, the crust was nice, but not as golden brown and crunchy as I’d hoped.  To achieve that really crunchy, golden brown crust with this eggnog pound cake recipe, try baking it at 325F instead of the 350F called for in the recipe instructions.  If you do this, you will want to increase the cook time to between 1 and 1/4 hours and 1 and 1/2 hours.

How To Store Eggnog Pound Cake

A huge selling point for pound cakes is they store and freeze well (this is one attribute that makes me very pro pound cake).  I am absolutely convinced pound cakes taste better 24 hours after being baked and even better after spending time in the freezer. 

This ability to store and freeze well, means you don’t have to throw any leftovers away (you can keep them past December and into the new year) and that you can bake it days, weeks or even months ahead of it being served.

So, what do we need to do to freeze our eggnog pound cake or any pound cake?

If your pound cake has no icing or glaze you can store it at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.  Make sure you wrap it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.  You can also store it in a airtight container.

If your pound cake has a glaze or icing you will need to store it in the fridge.  You can store it in the fridge for 2 to 3 days wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil or placed in a airtight container.

To store your pound cake in the freezer, wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil and place it in the freezer. You can also wrap it in a single layer of plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place it in a Ziploc Bag or an airtight container.  Pound cake can be frozen from 4 to 6 months.

Why Eggnog Pound Cake Is Christmas Extraordinary

This is the ultimate Christmas pound cake.  It combines two holiday favorites, eggnog and cake, and creates a delicious, festive holiday spiced dessert.  It is sure to transform your Christmas dinner into a flavorful, Feliz Navidad extravaganza that will have everyone’s taste buds jingle bell rock’n, fo sho.

If you have any comments or questions about this easy eggnog pound cake recipe feel free to reach out via the comment section or the contact page. I would love to hear if you made it, or any of my other recipes, and what you think. 

I have linked to our related recipes below and I’m sure you will love them.

More Christmas Pound Cake Recipes

• Boozy Bourbon Pound Cake
• Southern Living Eggnog Pound Cake
• Cream Cheese Cherry Almond Pound Cake
• Mini Pound Cake Loaves
• Easy Cream Cheese Pound Cake
• Intoxicatingly Delicious Chocolate Pound Cake
• Santa’s Favorite – Gingerbread Pound Cake