Spiked or not, I think eggnog is wonderful. It's something about that creamy spiciness that has me hooked. Obviously, homemade eggnog is better, but sometimes that's just not an option. Even if I usually only have time to buy grocery store eggnog, it seems so luxurious when I'm sipping on a glass of eggnog on the rocks.
When it's eggnog season, I drizzle it on everything. I even add it to mugs of tea, coffee, hot chocolate (my current beverage of choice), and even an eggnog milkshake.
The recipe for this eggnog pound cake (made with dried currants and leftover eggnog) is adapted from Flo Braker's beautiful Baking for All Occasions
. I upped the nutmeg in the cake batter because the original recipe only had ¼ teaspoon and I felt it needed more. Feel free to add up to 1 teaspoon of nutmeg for more flavour!
1-2-3-4 bundt cake ratio
The eggnog bundt cake recipe comes from Flo Baker's book Baking for All Occasions, available on Amazon. The cake recipe is a 1-2-3-4 cake, meaning the baking ratio is 1-2-3-4 by volume: 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 3 cups of flour, and 4 eggs. This is the same ratio I use to make this apple bundt cake.
What sets this recipe apart is that instead of using plain milk or sour cream as the liquid in the cake batter, we use eggnog (it can be store bought or homemade). And given that eggnog is rich in egg yolks, the cake batter only calls for 3 eggs instead of 4.
Remember with all bundt cakes, it can be a little tricky to know when they are fully baked. Make sure to use these tricks to check if your cake is done baking before taking it out of the oven!
Rum glaze
The glaze is a very crystalline glaze, made with granulated sugar instead of icing sugar. I think it would be great on gingerbread and lemon cakes too. The original glaze contains a lot of sugar, and a mix of water and rum. I opted to replace the water with more rum to give the glaze more flavour. Even with double the rum, the rum flavour was still far from overwhelming. I think it was just right and you mostly taste it on the edges of the cake where it soaked in. Several tasters commented that the rum flavour was just great, without making the cake seem too boozy.
If you wanted a more pronounced rum flavour, a rum extract could work here, but remember with extracts, a little goes a long way.
The crazy thing about this glaze is that it is saturated with sugar granules. So much so that you cannot dissolve all that granulated sugar in the little amount of liquid called for (4 tablespoons). You end up with a magical slurry of sugar crystals in rum.
The mixture can be generously brushed onto the hot, freshly-baked bundt. The sugar glaze melts onto the surface of the hot glaze and forms a crunchy coating. Use all of the glaze. When the bundt has cooled, and the glaze has crystallized, you end up with a thick, sparkly layer of rum glaze, with random trickles that streaked down the sides of the bundt.
If you are looking to bake a bundt cake when it's not eggnog season, be sure to try this cinnamon chocolate chip bundt cake, which is another 1-2-3-4 recipe!
Eggnog bundt cake with rum glaze
Equipment
Ingredients
Eggnog bundt cake recipe
- 65 grams (½ cup) dried currants
- 30 mL (2 tablespoon) spiced or dark rum
- 375 grams (3 cups) all-purpose flour
- 10 mL (2 teaspoon) baking powder
- 2.5 mL (½ teaspoon) ground nutmeg preferably freshly grated
- 1.25 mL (¼ teaspoon) Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
- 230 grams (1 cup) unsalted butter softened
- 400 grams (2 cups) granulated sugar
- 3 (3 ) large eggs lightly beaten
- 250 mL (1 cup) eggnog at room temperature
- 5 mL (1 teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
Rum glaze
- 150 grams (¾ cup) granulated sugar
- 60 mL (¼ cup) spiced or dark rum or you can do half water and half rum if you prefer
Instructions
Eggnog bundt cake
- Place a rack in the centre of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) or, if the pan has a dark finish, 325°F (160°C).
- Butter a large 10 cup Bundt pan with softened butter (make sure to work it into every nook and cranny), and then flour it, tapping out any excess flour. I like the Nordic Ware Anniversary Bundt pan (get it on Amazon).
- Combine the rum with the currants in a small saucepan. Set it on medium–low heat to soften the currants so that they plump with the warm rum. Take the pan off the heat and let the currants soak for 15 minutes while you prepare the cake batter.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter until creamy and smooth, 30 to 45 seconds.
- Add the sugar in a steady stream and continue to beat on medium speed until light in colour and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- With the mixer still on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated and stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla and mix just until combined.
- On the lowest speed, add the flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with the eggnog in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and mixing after each addition just until incorporated. Stop the mixer as needed to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the currants and any remaining rum.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly with the spatula.
- Bake the cake just until a cake tester inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, and the sides are beginning to come away from the pan, 60 to 65 minutes. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes while you prepare the glaze.
Rum glaze
- In a small bowl, combine the sugar and the rum. Stir with a rubber spatula just until blended.
- Invert a wire rack on top of the pan, flip the cake onto the rack. Slide a sheet of waxed paper or parchment under the rack.
- Using a pastry brush, coat the top and sides of the warm cake with the glaze, using every last drop. Let the cake cool completely before serving. To serve, carefully transfer the glazed cake to a serving platter. Thinly slice the cake with a sharp or serrated knife.
Notes
Nutrition
If you love eggnog and eggnog-flavoured desserts, try these:
- eggnog trifle with cranberries
- eggnog milkshake
Meg Johnston says
That looks awesome 🙂 I love eggnog.
TiffKey says
I made an eggnog bundt this season too! (Actually it was a vegan 'soy' nog bundt :D) ... I love that your version uses a saturated glaze. The crystals are very festive and perfect for the winter! Very pretty!
thespicegarden says
What a great idea for a Christmas bundt cake! Am bookmarking your recipe for a New Years party we'll be attending .... I KNOW folks will love it! Excellent!