Best Christmas Spice Cake with Eggnog Buttercream Recipe
This Best Christmas Spice Cake with Eggnog Buttercream combines warm holiday spices with the rich flavors of eggnog and rum extract, resulting in a moist, flavorful cake perfect for festive celebrations. The cake layers are tender and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, layered with a smooth, fluffy, and indulgent eggnog buttercream frosting that perfectly complements the seasonal flavors.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Baking
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cake:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (cut into 1-inch pieces, softened)
- 1 cup eggnog
- 3 cups cake flour (King Arthur preferred)
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp rum flavoring
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (freshly ground for best flavor)
- 2 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
- 3 eggs (room temperature)
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup milk
For the Buttercream:
- 4 tbsp milk
- 2 cups unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp rum flavoring (McCormick’s recommended)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 6 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Prepare the Oven and Cake Pans: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans well to ensure the cakes do not stick during baking.
- Mix the Dry and Wet Ingredients Separately: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon until evenly combined. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggnog, milk, oil, vanilla bean paste, rum extract, and eggs until fully mixed.
- Combine Butter with Dry Ingredients: Add the softened butter chunks gradually to the dry ingredients using a mixer on low speed, then increase to medium speed and mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs or sand.
- Incorporate Liquid Ingredients: Pour one-third of the liquid mixture into the butter-flour blend and mix on low to medium speed until just combined, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining liquid and mix carefully just until all ingredients are incorporated, being careful not to overmix. Scrape the bowl sides and mix again for 10-15 seconds.
- Bake the Cakes: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes or until the sides start to pull away from the pans and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the cakes cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes before removing them to cool completely on the racks.
- Prepare the Buttercream: Using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter on medium speed until fluffy. Add 3 cups powdered sugar and beat on low speed to incorporate, then on medium speed to mix well. Add 2 tablespoons milk and the remaining 3 cups powdered sugar, beating first on low then medium speed until well combined. Add 1 tablespoon milk, vanilla paste, rum extract, nutmeg, and salt; beat on medium until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding milk by tablespoon to thin or adding more powdered sugar to thicken. Beat on medium for 1-2 minutes until fluffy.
- Assemble the Cake: Once the cake layers are completely cool, frost between the layers, the top, and sides generously with the eggnog buttercream. Slice and enjoy the festive, spiced flavors in every bite.
Notes
- Use freshly ground nutmeg for the best flavor impact in both the cake and buttercream.
- Do not overmix the batter once liquids are added to avoid a dense cake.
- Make sure cake layers are completely cool before frosting to prevent melting the buttercream.
- For a deeper rum flavor, you can substitute rum flavoring with actual rum if desired.
- Sift powdered sugar to ensure a smooth, lump-free buttercream.
- Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Keywords: Christmas spice cake, eggnog cake, holiday cake, spice cake with buttercream, festive cake recipe, rum flavored cake, nutmeg cinnamon cake
