Eggnog Bread

By
Jessie Sheehan
Jessie Sheehan
Jessie Sheehan
Jessie Sheehan is a recipe developer, baker, food writer, and author of "The Vintage Baker" and "Icebox Cakes."
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/27/22
Eggnog Bread

The Spruce Eats / Jessie Sheehan

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 75 mins
Servings: 12
Yield: 1 loaf
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
366 Calories
16g Fat
53g Carbs
4g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 366
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 20%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 57mg 19%
Sodium 236mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 53g 19%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 36g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 81mg 6%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 68mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Nothing quite says the winter holidays like eggnog, and this bread recipe calls for a generous amount of the creamy, rich store-bought stuff. It takes minutes to mix before baking. We enhance the flavor of the eggnog with ground cinnamon and nutmeg. A splash of (optional) rum really makes the celebratory flavors of the cake shine. And we use oil, rather than butter, making the bread not only even easier to assemble, but also extra moist. An extra egg yolk adds both richness and moisture, resulting in a cake with the softest and most flavorful of crumbs.

The glaze is optional, but highly recommended, as it shatters with every bite (as all the best powdered-sugar glazes are wont to do) and is the perfect blend of sweet, booze and spice. Moreover, because the eggnog flavor is muted a bit by the baking, the glaze really helps make that flavor pop.

Ingredients

For the bread

  • 2 cups all purpose flour

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil

  • 2 tablespoons rum, or 1 tablespoon rum extract, optional

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

  • 1 large large egg

  • 1 large egg yolk

  • 3/4 cup eggnog

For the glaze

  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted if lumpy

  • 2 tablespoons eggnog, plus more as needed

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 tablespoon rum, or 1 1/2 teaspoons rum extract, optional

Steps to Make It

Make the bread

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom and two short sides with parchment paper.

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, rum or rum extract (if using), vanilla, and sugar.

  4. Whisk the egg and yolk, one at a time, into the wet mixture.

  5. Whisk the eggnog into the wet mixture.

  6. Using a flexible spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Do not over mix.

  7. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 60-70 minutes, rotating the cake at 30 minutes, and testing it for doneness at 60 minutes. The cake can be pulled from the oven when a tester inserted in the center comes out with only a moist crumb or two.

  8. Once cooled enough to handle, run a paring knife around the edges of the cake to release it, and invert it right-side-up on a serving platter.

Make the glaze

  1. Gather your ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggnog, vanilla, nutmeg, salt, and rum or rum extract, if using. Add more eggnog if the glaze is too thick.

  2. Drizzle the glaze over the room temperature bread.

  3. The bread will keep on the counter for up to three days, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.

Variations

  • If you like your eggnog with cognac or bourbon, substitute the rum with one of your faves.
  • If you like a spicier eggnog, add 1/8 teaspoon allspice and a pinch of cloves to the dry ingredients in the bread.

Tips

  • Be gentle when mixing the dry ingredients into the wet, as the cake will come out dry if you are too rough.
  • If you like a thinner glaze, add a bit more eggnog, and if you like a thicker one, add a bit more sugar.
  • Be sure to wait until the cake has cooled before drizzling it with the glaze.
  • Pour the glaze in the center of the cake and then use an offset spatula to gently nudge it off the top of the cake in decorative drips.