Olive Jude

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Easy Spiked Eggnog Cake for Entertaining

Make your holidays merrier with this easy eggnog flavored cake perfect for entertaining.
 2 weeks! That’s it! 2 weeks until Christmas and I’m on the verge of freaking out a bit. I can check some things off my list, for sure, but there are several other “to-dos” just lingering over me.

It doesn’t help that on top of the chaos of preparing for the perfect Christmas, that there are an incredible amount of kids’ activities over the next 2 weeks. We are juggling 6 basketball games a week right now. Add to that, several basketball practices, dance classes and winter performances, chorus concerts, band concerts, holiday parties, and gift exchanges, and it is no wonder that I have bags under my eyes. ‘Tis the season, I suppose. I wouldn’t trade any of it, but I’m always trying to find ways to make things a little easier on myself this season. Therein lies the beauty of a boxed cake mix. Are you with me still? The holidays wouldn’t be the holidays without baking, but honestly, I just don’t have time to bake from scratch. That is why boxed cake mixes are my favorite kitchen ingredient this time of year.

This beautiful Spiked Eggnog Cake, a classic dessert pulled from my mom’s recipe collection, starts with a cake mix, but is transformed into something really special with the addition of rum, eggnog, and nutmeg. Tangy cream cheese based frosting spiked with extra eggnog and rum adds more holiday flavor to the cake.  It’s spread thin between the cake layers and then coats the cake “naked style” to give it a look fit for any occasion. Topping it with sweet little rosemary trees, a crispy cake “dirt trail,” and a dusting of snow-like powdered sugar gives it a festive wintry flair.

It’s quick and easy to whip up and is ultra moist and rich in every way.It tastes like I’ve made it from scratch and it certainly looks like I’ve decorated it from scratch, uneven icing layers and all. (Duff may not be proud, but this disappears so quickly that my guests never even notice.) It’s a delicious way to enjoy the classic holiday flavor of eggnog and a scrumptious addition to your dessert table.

*I wanted to be adventurous here and create my own design, but my mom’s original recipe called for baking this in a rectangular baking dish. She also added yellow food coloring to the icing to mimic the eggnog color and then topped it with green-dyed coconut flakes and bright red cherries. It was certainly festive! 

For another simple way to fancy up a boxed cake mix, try my Easy and Rustic Lemon Rosemary Cake Mix Cookies.

Do you use cake mixes as a timesaver when baking?

Easy Spiked Eggnog Cake for Entertaining

Make your holidays merrier with this easy eggnog flavored cake perfect for entertaining. 

Cake

  • 1 box golden butter cake mix
  • 1 cup eggnog
  • 1/4 cup butter (room temperature)
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tbsp rum
  • 1 tsp rum extract
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Frosting

  • 8 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
  • 1 lb confectioners sugar
  • 2 tsp eggnog
  • 1 tsp rum

Garnish

  • 3 large rosemary sprigs
  • baked cake crumbles ((see instructions))
  • confectioners (powdered) sugar

Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

  2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. 

  3. Pour into 2 greased and floured 8 inch round pans. 

  4. Bake for 23-25 minutes. Cool. 

  5. Carefully remove both cakes from the pan. With a sharp knife, level the tops of the cake by cutting away any uneven parts. 

  6. Place cake cuts on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake until golden and crisp. Let cool and then add the pieces to a food processor until crumbled. Set aside. 

  7. Carefully cut the 2 cakes across in half so you have 4 round pieces. 

    (if one cake is thicker than the other, just cut that one to get 3 round pieces)

Frosting

  1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and beat at medium speed until smooth. 

  2. Add a layer of thin frosting between each cake layer and stack. 

  3. Add the frosting “naked style” to the entire cake. 

  4. Place 3 rosemary sprigs upside down on cake. Sprinkle the cake crumbs over the top and dust it with the powered sugar. 

This cake can be made in any pan you desire. Just be sure to check your cooking time. 

*I wanted to be adventurous here and create my own design, but my mom’s original recipe called for baking this in a rectangular baking dish. She also added yellow food coloring to the icing to mimic the eggnog color and then topped it with green-dyed coconut flakes and bright red cherries. It was certainly festive! 

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Comments

  1. Kris says

    This looks fabulous!

    How can / should I adjust the recipe to make a Bundt cake (I’ll drizzle the delish eggnog icing)?

    Thanks for the help?

    Reply

    • Olive Jude says

      I’ve never tried a Bundt version so I would just make sure you keep an eye on it while baking. In my experience, because these pans are deeper, they take more time to bake. Sounds like it will be a lovely dessert!

      Reply

  12. candy says

    This simple yet elegant cake sounds delicious. Love how you used the rosemary for trees. I would never have thought of this idea.

    Reply

  14. Diane@worthbeyondrubies says

    This looks SO amazing! And your pictures are just gorgeous!! I also appreciate that you added a link directly to the recipe so the next time I come back to make it I can skip right to the recipe since I have already read the post! That is SO helpful!!

    Reply

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