Your favourite holiday beverages in one delicious cake! The perfect mix of naughty and nice in this festive Rum & Eggnog Bundt.
It’s crazy that it’s been 8 months since I joined Bundt Bakers. I honestly look forward to it every month. I love having a set theme to work with and trying to come up with something unique and delicious. Plus, it’s an amazing group of bakers!
This month it was my turn to host, and I chose the theme Naughty or Nice. It was up to each baker to decide which direction they wanted to take and come up with a festive bundt around that theme. My Rum & Eggnog Bundt this month is a bit of a mix of both naughty and nice, because why not?
This might just be the best smelling cake I have ever made. Is that a weird thing to say? Maybe, but it seriously smells SO damn good. They should bottle this stuff – it’s intoxicating. I adapted this Bundt from last year’s Rum & Eggnog Loaf and used my S’mores Bundt as a base for it (minus the graham crackers).
Rather than doing a glaze for this cake, I wanted something a bit richer, so I opted for a cream cheese frosting. I’m not the biggest cream cheese fan, and find it overpowering at times, but it really works with this cake! The sweetness of the cake is toned down by the tanginess of the cream cheese frosting.
The frosting actually curdled on me a bit, likely because I used cold eggnog straight from the fridge instead of letting it come to room temperature. I forgot to let it sit out before making the frosting and assumed that 2 Tbsp wouldn’t make a difference. Well, it does! Learn from my (many) mistakes, people. Make sure ALL of your ingredients are at room temperature. This should be the case for almost anything you bake, unless it’s a pie crust and requires cold butter. Take the ingredients out about 2 hours before you plan to use them — butter, eggs, milk, etc.
The flavour of this Rum & Eggnog Bundt is truly unique and delicious — not like any cake I’ve had before! The eggnog and nutmeg add a yummy holiday flavour, and the rum kicks it up a notch.
Rum & Eggnog Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Rum & Eggnog Bundt Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp nutmeg ground
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon ground
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup eggnog room temperature
- 2 Tbsp rum or rum extract
- 1 tsp vanilla
Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter 57g, room temperature
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp rum or rum extract
- 2 Tbsp eggnog room temperature
Instructions
Bundt:
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 10 or 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray (I use Pam for Baking).
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon until well combined. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth.
- Add sugars and beat on med-high until pale and fluffy (2-3mins).
- Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add rum and vanilla.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and eggnog, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of eggnog). Fully incorporating after each addition. Do not overmix.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula and whack the pan against the counter to evenly distribute.
- Bake for 45 mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Place cake on wire rack to cool for 10mins. Whack the pan on the counter to loosen the cake and turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.
Frosting:
- Beat cream cheese and butter until pale and fluffy. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time. Add rum and eggnog. Beat until fully combined.
- Pour over cooled cake and sprinkle with nutmeg if desired.
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Liky says
Can i use this recipe for mini bundt cakes? I have a size 10 but I would really like to make it in my mini bundt cake pans. What do you suggest?
Olivia says
Hi Liky! Yes, that should work just fine. They’ll need less baking time though, maybe 15mins or so. Let me know how they turn out!
Maria says
Dear Olivia,
I made the eggnog bundt this weekend for a friends gathering. Everybody loved it. The frosting gives the cake the little extra twist. I added some frozen berries and left out some sugar which worked out just fine!
Thanx for the great recipe
Olivia says
Hi Maria! I’m so glad everyone liked it! 🙂
Alyssa says
Made this for my large family christmas dinner, and it was a big hit! Looked beautiful on my festive red glass cake stand. I didn’t use all of the icing for this (super yummy by the way, even though mine curdled as well), as it covered the beautiful design of the bundt cake, and most of my family members don’t like too much of it. So I drizzled about a quarter of the amount on top. However, this resulted in the only complaint I received with it…the cake itself is not sweet enough. I personally thought it was good, but it’s definitely not the super decadent dessert people were looking for. Although, it is ideal for eating with coffee/eggnog/baileys.
Olivia says
Hi Alyssa! I’m so glad it was a hit! I agree that the cake itself isn’t overly sweet, but the frosting helps with that! I had some extra and slathered it on each slice, no shame, haha.
Renee says
I’ll take three slices of that cake. One for now, one for later, and one for the next day.
Great photos too. And thanks a bunch for hosting.
Olivia says
You got it! 😀 Thanks Renee!
Tammy says
Dear Liv, You have brought together a grand month for Bundt Bakers! Thank you for hosting. As always, your bundt is absolutely gorgeous and I can only imagine how delicious it tastes! 😀 Wishing I had a slice right now ^_^
Toodles,
Tammy<3
Olivia says
Thanks so much Tammy! <3
Christiane ~ Taking On Magazines says
That whole ‘best smelling cake’ had me breathing deeply as though I’d be able to get a whiff through my monitor. While it didn’t work, I can tell from how gorgeous it is that the cake was delicious. It looks amazing.
Olivia says
Ahh, I wish you COULD actually smell it. You may just have to make your own 🙂 Thanks Christiane!
jacquee | i sugar coat it! says
I loooove eggnog cake, but that glaze tho – WOW and YUMMMMM!
Olivia says
It’s SO good. Wish I could have sent you some! xo
Felice says
A beautiful cake and equally beautiful photos. It never hurts to kick things up a notch and you definitely have me craving some eggnog and rum in cake form. Thanks for hosting this month.
Olivia says
Thanks Felice!
Lauren @ Sew You Think You Can Cook says
An absolutely stunning cake, Olivia. Your photography is incredible. I think eggnog is a perfect fit for the theme you chose.
Olivia says
Thanks so much Lauren!!
Colleen Delawder says
Is it wrong that I just want to drink a big ol’ glass of this icing? Thank you so much for hosting this month. Love this recipe!
Olivia says
Not wrong in my book! Thanks Colleen!
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake says
Thanks for hosting, again! And this cake looks amazing, especially the eggnog frosting–mmmmm 🙂
Olivia says
Thanks June! It was such a yummy cake :).
Priya srinivasan says
Gorgeous Bundt!! Love your bundt design, seeing all the gorgeous bundts, i m really going to buy some pretty pans first!!! Merry Christmas to you and your family!! 🙂
Olivia says
Thanks Priya! I hope you get some Bundt pans for Christmas, or soon after the holidays. You will LOVE them. Merry Christmas to you as well!
Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm says
Thanks so much for hosting Olivia. This was a great theme and your cake is just lovely.
Olivia says
Thanks Wendy!
Alanna @ One Tough Cookie says
Mouthwatering, and gorgeous photos yet again, Liv! Haha, I’m like you with the timing problems for getting things to room temperature. More than half the time I forget, so if you walked in the kitchen, you’d see eggs in a bowl of warm water or butter chopped super small with the cutting board resting on the radiator, and me cursing up a storm. –And by the way, what a lovely cake pan you’ve got there! Terrific pattern. xoxo
Olivia says
Thanks Alanna!! <3 The eggs in a bowl of warm water pretty much always happens here. I'll remember to take the butter out, but not the eggs!
Jane says
Who hasn’t had a frosting curdle on them before? It happens to the best of us haha This looks simply delicious and all your photos are simply mesmerising! So beautiful and inspiring!
Olivia says
Thanks so much Jane! 🙂
Oana says
It’s absolutely gorgeous, Liv. And the flavors… oh my! I’d love this for Christmas 😀
Olivia says
Thanks so much Oana! 🙂
Michelle | A Dish of Daily Life says
What a beautiful cake! Would you believe I don’t even own a bundt pan? Every time I look at one of your gorgeous cakes, I think I should get one! This looks so delicious!
Olivia says
What?! Michelle you need to get one! Bundt cakes are so easy, and SO pretty! And thank you 😀
Kim - Liv Life says
Oh Olivia!! This cake is simply spectacular!! I love a cake that makes the house smell wonderful, and your description fits the bill.
Olivia says
Thank you Kim! This is definitely a perfect holiday cake. The house will smell amazing for sure!!
WendysHat says
UMM YUM! I so want to make this! Our local bundt cake bakery used to make this flavor but they don’t anymore. Thanks so much for sharing this awesome recipe!
Olivia says
Thank you Wendy! Let me know if you try it 🙂
Mondo | I bake he shoots says
I love how you made your cake doubly boozy with rum and eggnog. sorry about your frosting debacle. how did you fix it? make a new batch?
nice styling! I love the string of lights…so stealing that.
Thanks for hosting!
Olivia says
I didn’t fix it! I just went with it hoping no one would notice ;).
Mel @ The Refreshanista says
Ohhhh yummy!!! I love that you topped it with cream cheese frosting- my favourite 🙂 this is the perfect holiday cake! I also adore the styling of these photos, something very calming and Christmassy about them 🙂
Olivia says
Thanks so much Mel! xo
Mary says
Oh! So Yummy! I was thinking about the eggnog too, to make my bundt, but unfortunately my over was broken and I could´t participate this month. Congratulations !!
Olivia says
Aww, so sorry you couldn’t participate — though I’m sure your Bundt tasted amazing! Thanks!
Sammie says
This is such a stunning looking cake. The thick, cream cheese, frosting really sets it off. It sounds so delicious, especially with the baking smell. Sammie.
Olivia says
Thanks so much Sammie!
Stacy says
You are generous to point out the need for room temperature ingredients for baking, Olivia, because it is not obvious from that gorgeous cake that it makes one iota of difference! Loveliness from every angle! Thanks so much for hosting this month.
Olivia says
Thanks so much Stacy!
Lara Tartacadabra says
Thanks Liv for hosting this month, it was a very fun theme!! I baked the Pistachio and Cranberry bundt but it didn’t came out (well, in about a hundred pieces) so no recipe for me this month. But I love looking at the others in the group, and yours looks absolutely delicious and very naughty, haha! As usual, great pictures! Have a wonderful Christmas!! Love from Spain Xx
Olivia says
Aww so sorry to hear about your Bundt breaking :(. I am sure the scraps still tasted wonderful! Thank you and Merry Christmas!
Medeja says
Ah..that’s a real beauty! I would love to try it 🙂
Olivia says
Thank you Medeja!
Tux | Brooklyn Homemaker says
Golly this looks simply amazing. I might just have to make this for Christmas! Thanks for choosing such a fun theme this month!
It’s funny, I love the flavor of cream cheese icing but tend not to use it because it’s so thin and isn’t great for decorating layer cakes. I like my icing to look perfect and cream cheese has other ideas!
Love those lights by the way- your photos turned out so beautifully. I’ve tried to photograph christmas lights before and they’re usually too bright and mess with the color and light in the rest of the photo. These little lights are perfect. I need to get a string of them next year!
Olivia says
I agree that I don’t like to use cream cheese frosting on cakes — way too unstable! I don’t often make it, but it goes so well as a thinner frosting/glaze on this cake :). So glad you could participate this month and THANKS!! 🙂
DIEGO says
Hi Olivia!! I´ve just read the recipe, It looks delicious, I will do it…
thatks because you was a very good and nice host =). see you!! and merry christmas!!
Olivia says
Hi Diego! Thank you so much, Merry Christmas!