This vanilla bean eggnog Bundt cake is a stellar way to use up leftover eggnog from the holiday season. A rum or bourbon glaze drizzled on top would be a great alternative to the traditional dusting of powdered sugar.

I won’t lie to you.

Eggnog exists in our house at Christmastime. We love it! And ever since I found Hood’s vanilla eggnog a few years ago, we always have a carton on hand from the Thanksgiving weekend, when we put up the tree, right through New Year’s and into January.

This particular vanilla eggnog tastes like a vanilla milkshake which probably makes it all that much more addictive. So we’re not all that ashamed that it’s such a mainstay in our during the holiday season.

But frankly, I’m not here to lament about eggnog today. I’m also not here with a healthy meal post to kick off the new year. No apologies from me. 🙂

I’m here to talk about this vanilla bean eggnog cake that so many of you were excited about when I mentioned it on Facebook last week. It’s a bundt cake recipe that, if you’re like me and go right for the crunchy bottom, you’ll absolutely love.

Ingredients for this Eggnog Bundt Cake

This is a fantastic recipe to use up that leftover eggnog. And aside from the eggnog, all of the other ingredients are basic baking staples. Here’s what you’ll need:

all-purpose flour
baking powder
table salt
spices – ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg
unsalted butter
granulated sugar or vanilla sugar
whole vanilla bean – vanilla bean paste can be used instead
eggs
eggnog – You’ll only need 1 cup for this cake! Don’t we all usually have just a wee bit left in the container right before we toss it?
flavored extract – see more info about this below

Flavored Extracts

If you’ve taken a moment to look at the variety of extracts in the baking aisle these days, you’ll know there are a ton to choose from for your recipes.

This recipe calls for eggnog extract, which will boost the eggnog flavor in the cake. It’s not always that easy to find in a regular grocery store but you can usually find it at King Arthur Baking used to carry it but it appears they don’t any longer.

In place of the eggnog extract, you can add some pure vanilla extract and rum extract, both of which can be easily found in most grocery stores or online.

How to Make this Bundt Cake

This cake comes together quickly and the result is a rich pound cake-like Bundt with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. Here’s how you’ll make it (keep scrolling down to the recipe card for the full set of instructions):

Butter and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Beat the butter, sugar, vanilla bean seeds in a stand mixer. You’ll need a heavy duty mixer for this recipe; a hand mixer won’t work properly. Then mix in the eggs one at a time.
Add the dry ingredients and eggnog with the extract to the wet ingredients.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake in a preheated 350° F oven.
Cool the cake completely before serving.

What I love About this Recipe

The eggnog flavor in the cake shines through beautifully, especially on the crunchy bottom of the cake (which is actually the top of the cake in the pan and my favorite part of a Bundt cake). And with some lightly dusted powdered sugar, all you’ll need is a fork and a cup of tea, coffee, or a latte to round out this delightful dessert.

Looking for More Eggnog Recipes?

You may want to try this elegant yet simple eggnog icebox cake made with homemade wafer cookies or for a holiday breakfast, this eggnog French toast. Both are delish!

And as a perfect hot drink to go with this cake, you must try a homemade eggnog latte! So simple to make, this drink is made with actual eggnog unlike what you’ll find at chain coffee shops.

Vanilla Bean Eggnog Bundt Cake

Name: Vanilla Bean Eggnog Bundt Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp Kosher salt; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp ground nutmeg; 2 sticks (16 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 2 cups granulated sugar; 1 vanilla bean pod, split and seeds removed; 3 large eggs, at room temperature; 1 cup eggnog (vanilla, if you can find it); ¼ tsp eggnog flavor OR 1 tsp pure vanilla extract and 1 tsp rum extract

Yield: 12-16 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Kosher salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
2 sticks (16 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
1 vanilla bean pod, split and seeds removed
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup eggnog (vanilla, if you can find it)
¼ tsp eggnog flavor OR 1 tsp pure vanilla extract and 1 tsp rum extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg; set aside.
In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar, and vanilla bean seeds at medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition.
In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, stir together the eggnog and eggnog flavor (or vanilla extract and rum extract). With the mixer on low speed, alternately stir in the dry ingredients and eggnog mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Be sure to mix in each only until they are just incorporated, about 10 seconds each – do not overmix. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Spoon the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and level off the top with a spatula. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a long toothpick or sharp knife reveals just a few crumbs stuck to it upon testing for doneness. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan on a wire rack then invert the cake onto the rack and cool completely before serving. Well-wrapped, the cake will last for 3-4 days at room temperature.

Notes

adapted from The Naptime Chef

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