• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Hunger Thirst Play

Delicious Recipes for Every Season

  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • eBooks
  • Work with Me
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • eBooks
  • Work with Me
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • eBooks
    • Work with Me
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Hunger » Dessert

    Christmas Spice Cake with Eggnog Buttercream

    By Lauren on December 24, 2017, Updated April 27, 2021 70 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    slice of christmas spice cake on a plate
    three layer cake in a window
    Slice out of Christmas spice cake
    slice of cake on a plate
    cake in a window
    collage of spice cake photos
    collage of spice cake photos
    three layer cake with white frosting
    three layer cake on a plate
    Christmas Spice Cake with Egg Nog Buttercream | Ultra moist cake laced with warming, spices with a touch of heat and hint of apple cloaked in festive eggnog buttercream.Christmas Spice Cake with Eggnog Buttercream | Ultra moist spice cake with ginger, cinnamon, and a touch of pepper with creamy sweet eggnog buttercream

    Tender cake laced with warming spices of cinnamon, clove, and ginger, coated in fluffy eggnog buttercream and white chocolate ganache drip. Christmas Spice Cake with Eggnog Buttercream is a delicious and beautiful cake to serve this holiday!

    Christmas Spice Cake with Eggnog Buttercream

    Well, it's here. Ready or not. The big guy in the red suit is checking his list, loading up his sleigh and getting ready for a busy ride around the world. Meanwhile, we're over here in Boston checking our shopping lists, twice, because facing that crowd twice is not on anyone's nice list.

    What's on my shopping list? Ingredients for christmas spice cake and creamy eggnog frosting. The happy to my holidays.

    I've made this spice cake, hmmm, roughly 5 times this month. Trust me, my pants aren't happy about it, but my mouth is doing just spectacularly. Luckily my coworkers are very willing to test the samples. Aren't they just the best?

    Christmas Spice Cake with Eggnog Buttercream

    Let's talk about the Christmas Spice Cake

    There are a few cake that my hands always just seem to make. My very favorite chocolate cake in salted caramel pretzel cake or pumpkin buttercream cake. And then this summer these red velvet cupcakes got added to the list. But now, you guys, we have a third cake that's a must make for the holidays. Christmas Spice Cake.

    We're calling it christmas spice cake because it's got all those warming spices that make us think of cozy slippers and falling snow, but really it can be whenever-you-want spice cake. Let's be honest, whenever cakes are always the best cakes.

    Christmas Spice Cake with Eggnog Buttercream

    The tricky awesome part about spice cake is the wonderful combination of spices that perk up your tongue. When you read the ingredients, your eyebrows will raise at the black pepper.

    But trust me. It provides just the subtlest kick of warm heat without even giving off that there is black pepper in the cake. All you're tasting is sweet cinnamon, spicy ginger, roasty clove and fluffy, moist cake. All the wins.

    But just waaaait....a present's not a present until it's wrapped right? Well, here's the most festive wrapping evah.

    Fluffy Eggnog Buttercream

    If you've been tuning in on the Instastories, you'll know the first attempt at this did not go so well. Second attempt, we did things much different. Results? Creamy, dreamy eggnog buttercream.

    Christmas Spice Cake with Eggnog Buttercream

    TIPS FOR MAKING EGGNOG BUTTERCREAM

    • whip the buttercream until pale and fluffy
    • incorporate the confectioners sugar
    • add the eggnog one tablespoon at a time
    • adjust the texture with heavy cream

    Be sure to refrigerate this cake if you're not serving it right away. You can take it out of the fridge - or if you're in cold climates and you store holiday food in the garage. It's a thing we do, it's odd but useful when the fridge is full.

    After refrigeration, the cake will need about 45 minutes to an hour at room temp before serving.

    And then if you're extra, like me (I'm totally aware and unafraid) you add a white chocolate ganache drip to the top. Hey, it's Christmas. Calories don't count on Christmas. Or Christmas Spice Cake for that matter.

    From Henry, Shea, Charley Brown and myself we wish you the happiest of holidays. Whether you celebrate Christmas or another holiday, embrace religion or just for the love of it. We hope your holidays are magical.

    Christmas Spice Cake with Eggnog Buttercream

    slice of christmas spice cake on a plate

    Christmas Spice Cake with Eggnog Buttercream

    Three layers of ultra moist cake with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and more surrounded by creamy, sweet eggnog frosting.
    4.89 from 27 votes
    Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: christmas cakes, christmas spice cake, eggnog buttercream, spice cake
    Prep Time: 45 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 30 minutes mins
    Assemble: 30 minutes mins
    Total Time: 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins
    Servings: 10 to 12 servings
    Calories: 1122kcal
    Author: Lauren
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    Christmas Spice Cake

    • 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 2 teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
    • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ½ teaspoon ground clove
    • ¼ teaspoon pure ground black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon unsulphered molasses
    • 1 cup vegetable oil
    • 1 ¾ cup light brown sugar
    • 1 ½ cup unsweetened apple sauce
    • 4 large eggs
    • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla

    Eggnog Buttercream

    • 1 ½ cups 3 sticks unsalted butter
    • 4 ½ cups confectioner's sugar
    • 7 tablespoons eggnog
    • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ¼ cup heavy cream

    White Chocolate Ganache

    • 1 cup white chocolate chips
    • ½ cup heavy cream

    Instructions

    Christmas Spice Cake

    • Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease and flour 3 8-inch cake pans, set aside.
    • In a medium size bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices (cinnamon through black pepper). Whisk together and set aside.
    • In the bowl of a standing mixer, or using a large bowl with a hand held mixer, add light brown sugar, vegetable oil, molasses and apple sauce.  Cream together on medium speed, making sure there are no lumps left from the brown sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla, mix on low speed 1 to 2 minutes until incorporated.
    • Working in three batches, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients on low speed.  Mix to combine ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary.
    • Divide the cake batter evenly between the three pans.  Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
    • Let cake cool and prepare the frosting.  Once cake is completely cool, frost each layer and top and sides of the cake.  Once frosted, lightly drip the cooled ganache over the sides of the cake.  Pour ganache over the top and lightly smooth.  Optional:  Once ganache has set, lightly sprinkle top with spices.

    Eggnog Buttercream

    • Cream the butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low, slowly adding confectioners sugar one cup at a time.
    • Add eggnog one tablespoon at a time, raising speed to medium.  Add ground nutmeg and beat for 2 minutes to incorporate.  Reduce speed to add heavy cream without splashing, slowly increase speed medium-high to whip the cream into the frosting.  Beat for 1 to 2 minutes until frosting is light and fluffy.

    White Chocolate Ganache

    • In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream to a simmer.  Pour hot cream over white chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl.  Stir with a spatula until smooth.  Let sit for 10-20 minutes until cool but still liquid.  The warmer the chocolate ganache is, the longer your drips will be.  How long you cool it is a matter of preference and patience.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1122kcal | Carbohydrates: 134g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 64g | Saturated Fat: 44g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 173mg | Sodium: 492mg | Potassium: 264mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 107g | Vitamin A: 1247IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 173mg | Iron: 2mg
    « Bourbon White Chocolate Truffles
    Quick + Creamy Cranberry Brie Flatbread »
    265897 shares
    • Share63
    • Tweet

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Melissa says

      December 12, 2020 at 10:34 am

      How would I adjust this recipe to use it for 6 inch cake pans? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Lauren says

        December 13, 2020 at 9:24 pm

        I haven't made this cake as a 6-inch cake before, my estimate is that you would end up with double the number of layers (6).

        Reply
    2. Lauren says

      December 02, 2020 at 9:08 pm

      Hi Lauren,

      How many cupcakes do you think this recipe might yield? Thanks!

      Lauren

      Reply
      • Lauren says

        December 03, 2020 at 7:35 am

        Hi Lauren 🙂

        This will make about 24 cupcakes. Thanks!

        Reply
    3. Jill stewart says

      November 25, 2020 at 6:26 pm

      The cake made my whole house smell amazing, but the buttercream was a nightmare to work with. No matter how many tablespoons of milks I added it was the consistency of playdough. 😩

      Reply
      • Lauren says

        December 03, 2020 at 7:40 am

        Jill! I'm so sorry this recipe didn't work out for you! Is there a chance the butter hadn't softened enough yet? That tends to be my problem when a frosting texture isn't working out. It also helps to add the confectioner's sugar in increments so you can taste for preferred sweetness and texture as you go.

        Reply
      • Saron R. Donaldson says

        December 24, 2021 at 2:06 pm

        My first rodeo with this icing was that it was too soupy. I called a friend for suggestions, but she had no idea how to stiffen it up. I did not want to add more sugar, as it already had enough. Then, "brainstorm" I added corn starch. It was undetectable and worked like a miracle. DELISH !

        Reply
    4. Katie F says

      November 19, 2020 at 4:47 pm

      Can this be made with a substitution for Molasses and vegetable oil?

      Reply
      • Lauren says

        November 20, 2020 at 2:17 pm

        What did you want to substitute? Vegetable oil is commonly substituted with apple sauce, so I would imagine that would work in this case. If you don't have molasses, I don't think it will greatly affect the texture of the cake just a loss of caramelized sweetness in taste.

        Reply
    5. Melanie says

      December 26, 2019 at 9:08 am

      This was great! I adjusted the buttercream recipe by using all eggnog instead of the heavy cream/eggnog mix and it was delicious. Big hit after Christmas dinner!

      Reply
    6. Molly says

      December 23, 2019 at 11:52 pm

      Can the cake layers (unfrosted) be left out at room temperature? Or does it need to refrigerated As well?

      Reply
      • Lauren says

        December 26, 2019 at 8:06 am

        absolutely, just wrap them after they've cooled so they don't get stale!

        Reply
    7. Jen says

      December 17, 2019 at 5:27 pm

      I’m wondering if it would be possible to incorporate the eggnog into the cake itself ? I was thinking to use half the amount of apple sauce and substitute the other half with the eggnog? We’re not a huge fan of frosting on my house but don’t want to miss out on the eggnoggy goodness!

      Reply
      • Lauren says

        December 17, 2019 at 10:28 pm

        TBH, I'm not 100% sure. There's more liquid in eggnog than in applesauce so maybe cut the amount of eggnog you end up using in half? If you try it, be sure to let us know how it works out!

        Reply
    8. Elizabeth says

      December 15, 2019 at 3:52 am

      Could this be used for cupcakes? We got a Christmas tree cupcake silicone thingy (I’m SO EXCITED) and I’m thinking this might be delicious in little portions!

      Reply
      • Lauren says

        December 15, 2019 at 8:49 pm

        Sure! You'd just have to adjust the bake time. It depends on how deep the cupcake pan is, but maybe check them around 15-18 minutes. Also, depending on how many you want to make, you may want to cut the recipe in half.

        Reply
    9. Suzanne says

      November 10, 2019 at 2:15 pm

      This looks delicious! Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
    10. Julie says

      November 08, 2019 at 9:30 pm

      What spices did you sprinkle on top (measurements too) of the ganache?

      Reply
      • Lauren says

        November 08, 2019 at 10:03 pm

        Hi Julie! The top is just sprinkled with ground cinnamon. For the ganaches, after it cooles I usually transfer it to a squirt bottle and do it that way but you can also use a small piping bag.

        Reply
    11. Gina says

      December 25, 2018 at 10:30 pm

      I made this cake for Christmas and it was a huge hit! The cake was extremely moist and flavorful. Even though the buttercream and white chocolate ganache were very sweet, the spices in the cake balanced it well. I’ll definitely keep this recipe in my collection for special occasions! Thank you for a unique and enjoyable dessert 🙂

      Reply
      • Lauren says

        December 26, 2018 at 7:17 pm

        Thanks Gina! So glad to hear you loved it!

        Reply
    12. Stardust says

      December 25, 2018 at 5:27 pm

      Made this for Christmas dinner and it may have become our new traditional Christmas dessert! AMAZING!!!!

      Reply
      • Lauren says

        December 25, 2018 at 9:07 pm

        So glad you loved it! Merry Christmas!

        Reply
    13. Angela says

      December 25, 2018 at 12:59 pm

      This is a keeper. I made it in two 9 inch pans, still took 25 minutes. Let the ganache cool about 12 minutes. Should have waited longer but it didn't impact taste. This came out perfect. Served it to a crowd and everyone liked it.

      Reply
      • Lauren says

        December 25, 2018 at 9:08 pm

        Glad it was a hit!! Thank you!

        Reply
    14. Barbara says

      December 16, 2018 at 1:22 pm

      Cant wait to try.

      Reply
    15. Meesh says

      November 30, 2018 at 3:01 pm

      Sorry to say this cake was a bit bland. Bought good eggnog but didn’t taste it at all in the icing.
      Will use the icing recipe again and maybe adjust it a little. It was nice and fluffy.

      Reply
      • Lauren says

        January 17, 2019 at 7:25 pm

        I'm sorry to hear this recipe didn't meet your expectations! Is it just the buttercream you're referring to or the cake on the whole? Glad to hear the buttercream was nice and fluffy though!

        Reply
    Newer Comments »
    4.89 from 27 votes (20 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Lauren! This is my slice of the internet to share seasonally-inspired recipes. I live in the heart of New England with my two kiddos. Life is busy AND delicious!

    Trending Recipes

    • overhead photo of thai peanut dressing and a salad dressed
      Low-Calorie Spicy Thai Peanut Dressing
    • green kale gnocchi over spicy red tomato sauce
      Trader Joe's Kale Gnocchi with Arrabbiata
    • overhead of pumpkin shaped sourdough bread
      Whole Wheat Sourdough Pumpkin Bread
    • Earthy green tea matcha whisked with sweet floral lavender and creamy milk. #greentea #matcha #matcharecipes #lavender #cookingwithlavender
      Iced Lavender Matcha Latte

    Get my Thanksgiving eCookbook!

    Footer

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Inquiries + Collabs
    • Subscribe for updates!

    Recipes

    • All Recipes
    • Dinner Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Instant Pot Recipes

    Our Restaurants

    • Bonefish Harrys
    • Portsmouth Feed Company
    • Thirsty Butcher Hospitality
    • Restaurant Photography

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Hunger Thirst Play

    Copyright© 2025 Hunger Thirst Play · Privacy Policy ·

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.