Eggnog Bundt Cake recipe with poppy seeds is so incredibly delicious and so festive for the holiday season. With eggnog and rum inside the cake and in the glaze, it’s wonderfully rich with flavor.
I created this Eggnog Bundt Cake recipe for three simple reasons . . .
I love eggnog. I love holiday desserts. And I love bundt cake!
And I was confident that combining those three loves would be delicious!
What exactly is eggnog?
- Eggnog is a festive holiday drink that’s typically made with milk or cream, egg yolks, sugar, rum or whiskey, and spices.
- Eggnog is said to have made its appearance in the American colonies in the 18th century, where both eggs and rum were plentiful.
- The drink was popular around Christmastime because of its warm temperature and the addition of warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Pre-made, non-alcoholic eggnog is also available in most markets during the holiday season.
Here’s a recipe for an excellent homemade eggnog.
What is a bundt cake?
- “Bundt” simply refers to the shape of the cake. A bundt cake is made in ring-shaped, fluted pan, and it makes the cake super pretty and interesting.
- Almost all bundt cakes can also be made in traditional cake pans — however, sometimes there are good reasons to go for the bundt.
I love the look of a bundt cake, and the endless possibilities of flavors that the pan can hold and mold.
And I absolutely love the gorgeous amount of “crust” on a bundt cake. The bundt pan creates so much more of that delicious part of a cake that bakes along the edges of a pan. It’s the super caramelized area, and this way, you taste this special part of the cake in almost every bite. Know what I mean?
Since eggnog is deliciously creamy and rich, I knew it would easily lend itself to this pound-cake-like batter I made for this recipe.
And with a touch of dark rum, this Eggnog Bundt Cake recipe is almost like the holiday drink in cake form.
It’s dreamy!
The eggnog is absolutely wonderful in this moist, heavenly holiday dessert, and the poppy seeds and a very delicate crunch.
I promise you, you’ll be a big hit if you bring this to a holiday party — or serve it at yours!
If you try this cake or any of my other recipes, I’d love the hear what you think about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my mouth-watering recipes!
Update December 2018: This recipe was initially published in 2012, and has been updated new images.
This cake is so incredibly delicious and so festive for the holiday season. With eggnog and rum inside the cake and in the glaze, it's wonderfully rich with flavor.
- 1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup neutral oil (like vegetable or bran)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cup of your favorite non-alcoholic eggnog
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons dark rum
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup poppy seeds
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons of your favorite non-alcoholic eggnog
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons dark rum
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease the inside of a bundt pan with the butter, making sure to get it inside all of the crevices. Set it aside.
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Add the oil, sugar, eggnog, sour cream, rum, and vanilla to a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk to mix everything together until it's a smooth consistency.
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Add the eggs and whisk just until they are thoroughly blended into the batter.
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Use a spatula to fold in the in the poppy seeds.
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In another larger mixing bowl add the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Make a well in the center and pour in the eggnog mixture. Whisk just until all of the dry ingredients are thoroughly blended in. (Do not over mix!)
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Pour the batter into the buttered-bundt pan and bake in the preheated 350 degree F oven until the edges are golden brown, the top has risen, and it's beginning to crack, about 45 minutes.
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Let the cake cool for about 15 minutes or so in the pan, then place a plate (or platter) that's at least a few inches bigger than the cake, up side down on top of the pan. Invert the cake onto the plate -- do this gently and don't remove the pan from the cake until you can feel that the cake has released and is firmly on the plate.
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The cake should be completely cooled to room temperature before you add the glaze (see below instructions).
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In a small mixing bowl, whisk the eggnog with the melted butter, rum, nutmeg and salt.
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Place a fine mesh sifter over the bowl and about a third at a time, add the powdered sugar to it. Use the bottom of a large metal spoon to gently move the sugar around until all of it has gone through the sifter and into the bowl. Use the whisk to mix until it's smooth. Repeat this process twice, until all of the sugar has been added and mixed in. The glaze should be smooth, thick, and pourable.
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Once the cake has cooled, use a spoon to drizzle the glaze on the cake in a circular motion around the top.
This cake serves 12 medium-large slices -- if you're serving it along with other dessert options, you would likely slice it more thinly and therefore have more servings.
The glaze will be thick - I like it this way so that it doesn't all seep into the cake and/or to the bottom. If you'd like it thinner, you can add a bit more melted butter.
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Can’t you save me a slice? My Momma would ruin Christmas for a slice of this beautiful Bundt!!!! Valentina does it again! 🙂 xoxoxo Amiga.
This sounds absolutely divine!!
I don’t many recipes for cakes because I rarely make them. I’m a muffin person. Or bread. But this one, I am already counting the days until I can get out to the store to buy the supplies. It’s Christmas time (almost) after all. What could be a better excuse for cooking up and offering this tempting treat?
Thanks so much, Julia! This recipe would actually work really well in a muffin or loaf pan, too. Happy Holidays! 🙂
Ooh, look at that glaze…..
What a gorgeous Bundt! The lush glaze is a stellar pairing with the eggnog poppy seed cake, a tempting holiday dessert!
Ooh Valentina!
What a georgous & tasty glazed Bundt cake!! Beautiful & a must make too! 🙂 MMMMMMM! Perefct for entertaining!
Thank you, Sophie! Hope you have a happy holiday season! xo
This looks and, I’m sure, tastes divine. Love the combination. Have a great holiday.
Thank you Judy! Happy holiday’s to you, too! XO
Wow, this cake looks amazing. Definitely trying this. 🙂
I hope you do, and love it! Thank you!
Thanks for reposting! Sounds like a perfect party cake! And I love the little hand-painted plate!
Thanks so much, David. (I love that plate, too.) 🙂
I can’t see or hear “bundt cake” and not think of My Big Fat Greek Wedding! 🙂 Your bundt cake looks so good, I could use a piece with my tea right now!
Ha! Love that. I could always use a piece with my coffee. Thank you. 🙂
How can you go wrong with an eggnog glaze, am I right? I’d love a piece right now with my morning coffee to get me into the holiday mood. 🎄
Thanks, Frank. It’s So perfect with coffee — especially for breakfast. 😉
Adding poppy seeds to the flavors of egg nog is genius! I’d love a slice of this beauty to go with my morning coffee.
This is the only way I’m having eggnog!
I’m so with you! 🙂
This is my kind of cake, Valentina! Before I started the blog, I toyed with the idea of starting a bundt cake bakery. Seriously! I was gonna call it “I like big bundts.” I love a good bundt cake, and the eggnog flavor here is excellent…plus I like that you put a bit of rum in that glaze. Nailed it! 🙂
That is such a fantastic name, David! I think you should hold on to that idea and use it one day. Love it. 🙂 And thank you for visiting.
Love the shape of a bundt cake! And love the flavor of poppy seeds — they’re so nice in baked things. And eggnog? Yes! The perfect seasonal recipe. 🙂 Really good stuff — thanks.
Thank you, John! 🙂
Wow !Now this is a Bundt Cake ! Pinning !
Thank you! 😀
Holiday drink in cake form, I’m in. We always make eggnog for Christmas (we don’t get the commercial stuff here) and I’ll be using some to try this cake. It’ll be a perfect holiday Fika snack.
Ron, even better if you make your own! Enjoy during a relaxing Fika. 🙂
What a beautiful cake! I love the flavor of eggnog, but I don’t like the texture of milk – especially thick milks (like whole milk, for instance), so eggnog isn’t for me. But! An eggnog cake would certainly be!
Hi Jeff, I get it about the milk — that thickness isn’t always the most pleasant to drink. And yes, it’s excellent in the cake. 🙂 Thanks so much for visiting my site!
Your bundt cake looks and sounds absolutely divine and I have some dairy free almond eggnog (my niece is lactose intolerant) in the fridge. If I find time I will try this recipe.
Thanks so much Gerlinde! I hope if you tried it, you and your niece loved it. Wish you and yours a very happy new year! 🙂
My sweet tooth can hardly stand it either! I wish I could reach through the screen and grab this all myself.
Thanks so much, Kristina! 🙂