Go Back
Christmas Spice Cake Easy Holiday Dinner Dessert Recipe

Best Christmas Spice Cake with Eggnog Buttercream

A festive, tender spice cake infused with eggnog, warm holiday spices, and vanilla bean, topped with a fluffy eggnog buttercream that tastes like Christmas in every bite.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 560
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
  • 1 cup eggnog
  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp rum flavoring
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
  • 2 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ cup milk
  • 4 tbsp milk
  • 2 cups unsalted butter, softened
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp rum flavoring
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Method
 

  1. Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 8-inch cake pans or line with parchment.
  2. Make the cake batter: In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
  3. In a separate large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes.
  4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing between each addition. Mix in vanilla bean paste, rum flavoring, oil, and eggnog.
  5. Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry mixture. Mix just until smooth.
  6. Bake: Divide batter evenly between the pans and smooth the tops.
  7. Bake for 28–32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  8. Cool cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  9. Make the buttercream: Beat softened butter until fluffy.
  10. Add powdered sugar gradually, mixing on low speed.
  11. Add milk, vanilla bean paste, rum flavoring, salt, and nutmeg. Beat 2–3 minutes until creamy and smooth.
  12. Assemble: Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread a layer of buttercream on top.
  13. Add the second cake layer and frost the entire cake with the remaining eggnog buttercream.

Notes

For an extra festive touch, dust the top with freshly grated nutmeg or add sugared cranberries. Cake layers freeze beautifully if wrapped tightly.