Dessert

Best Christmas Spice Cake with Eggnog Buttercream Recipe

ByMariam Harutyunyan November 22, 2025November 22, 2025

Introduction

This Best Christmas Spice Cake with Eggnog Buttercream is a festive treat that combines warm spices with a creamy, flavorful frosting. Perfect for holiday gatherings, this cake is moist, fragrant, and sure to impress your guests.

The image shows a three-layer cake on a white marble cake stand with a wooden base. The cake has light brown layers with thin cream-colored frosting in between and a smooth cream-colored outer frosting with white icing dripping down the sides. The top of the cake is dusted lightly with cocoa powder and decorated with two cinnamon sticks and two swirls of creamy white frosting. The background includes green pine branches and red berries on a white marbled texture, creating a wintery holiday feel. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

3 cups cake flour
2 cups granulated sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup butter (slightly cooler than room temperature)
1 cup eggnog (Southern Comfort brand recommended)
1/2 cup milk

2 tablespoons oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
1 teaspoon rum flavoring

3 large eggs
2 cups unsalted butter (at room temperature, for buttercream)
6 cups powdered sugar (for buttercream)

1/4 teaspoon salt (for buttercream)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (for buttercream)
1/4 teaspoon rum flavoring (for buttercream)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste, for buttercream)
4 tablespoons milk (for buttercream)

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans, making sure they are well coated to prevent sticking.

Step 2: In a mixing bowl, combine the cake flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Whisk well to distribute ingredients evenly. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggnog, milk, oil, vanilla extract or paste, rum flavoring, and eggs. Set aside.
Step 3: Cut the slightly cool butter into chunks. Using a mixer on low speed, gradually add the butter to the dry ingredients. Increase speed to medium and mix until the flour is coated and the mixture has a crumbly, sand-like texture.
Step 4: Pour about one-third of the liquid mixture into the butter-flour blend. Mix on low to medium speed for about 30 seconds until combined. Add the remaining liquid and mix just until incorporated. Avoid overmixing. Scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and mix for another 10 to 15 seconds.

Step 5: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the sides pull away and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.
Step 6: For the buttercream, beat the unsalted butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add 3 cups of powdered sugar and beat on low until incorporated, then increase to medium speed until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons milk and the remaining 3 cups powdered sugar, beating on low then medium-speed until combined. Mix in 1 tablespoon milk, vanilla extract, rum flavoring, nutmeg, and salt, beating until smooth. Adjust consistency by adding milk by tablespoonfuls if too thick, or more powdered sugar if too thin. Beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until fluffy.
Step 7: When the cake layers are fully cooled, spread buttercream between the layers, on top, and around the sides. Serve and enjoy this flavorful holiday cake!

Tips & Variations

For extra warmth, add a pinch of ground cloves or ginger to the spice mix.
Use fresh nutmeg for a brighter flavor in both the cake and buttercream.
Substitute rum flavoring with maple extract for a unique twist.

If eggnog is unavailable, replace it with a mix of milk and cream with a pinch of nutmeg.
Allow the cake to chill for an hour before frosting to prevent crumbs from mixing into the buttercream.

Storage

Store the frosted cake in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 5 days. Before serving refrigerated cake, let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes to soften the buttercream. You can also freeze the unfrosted cake layers wrapped well for up to 3 months; thaw completely before frosting.

How to Serve

A slice of three-layer cake sits on a white plate with a gold fork beside it. The cake has moist, light brown layers filled and covered with creamy white frosting. The frosting appears smooth with some texture on the sides, and the cake edges are slightly crumbly. The plate is on a white marbled surface with soft green foliage blurred in the background. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I make this cake gluten-free?

You can substitute the cake flour with a gluten-free flour blend suitable for baking, but the texture may vary slightly. Be sure to use a blend that includes xanthan gum for best results.

What if I don’t have rum flavoring?

If rum flavoring isn’t available, vanilla extract alone works well. You can also try almond extract or a small amount of bourbon for a different but complementary flavor.