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This eggnog coffee cake brings all the cozy flavors of your favorite holiday drink into a tender, streusel-topped treat that's perfect for Christmas morning or any winter gathering.
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What makes this recipe special
When I was young, I didn't have cable, so I only watched a handful of shows. I would watch reruns of Family Matters, The Full House, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on a daily basis and never get sick of them. There is one episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in which Geoffrey, the butler, drinks eggnog for the entire show. He drinks glass after glass as if his life depended on it, while thoroughly enjoying every gulp (mostly because of the alcohol, I'm sure). As silly as it sounds, that one episode spurred my curiosity about this holiday drink.
Many people told me that eggnog is not as tasty as it appears, so until I finally try a glass, I will stick to eggnog-inspired desserts. If the beverage tastes anything like this eggnog coffee cake, sign me up for a glass!
The beauty of coffee cakes is that there are so many variations, yet they are all easy to prepare. This eggnog variation is also a cinch to put together, even with the special crumble.
Ingredients
- Rolled oats: Add texture and a pleasant chewiness to the streusel topping. They also help absorb some of the butter, creating those desirable crumbly clusters on top of the cake.
- Pecans: Add crunch, richness, and a buttery, slightly sweet flavor to the streusel.
- Nutmeg: Provides a warm, slightly sweet, and aromatic spice note that's traditionally associated with holiday eggnog drinks.
- Eggnog: Serves as the primary liquid in this cake, replacing what would typically be milk or buttermilk. Adds moisture, richness, and that distinctive creamy eggnog flavor.
Substitutions and variations
- Nuts: Replace pecans with walnuts, hazelnuts, or almonds.
- Add-ins: You can add chocolate chips, dried cranberries, or orange zest for a slightly different flavor profile.
- Glaze: For a sweeter touch, finish the cake with an eggnog glaze.
Recipe
Eggnog Coffee Cake
Ingredients
Oat pecan streusel
- ½ cup butter (113 grams)
- ¾ cup rolled oats (70 grams)
- ½ cup packed brown sugar (100 grams)
- ½ cup chopped raw pecans (55 grams)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (31 grams)
Eggnog cake
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (281 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup butter plus 2 tablespoons, softened at room temperature (85 grams)
- 1 cup brown sugar (200 grams)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups eggnog (375 ml)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray or butter.
- Make the streusel. Melt butter and let cool. Combine butter with oats, brown sugar, chopped pecans, and flour. Stir to combine and set aside.
- Combine dry ingredients for cake including flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
- Make the cake. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy and well combined, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add half of the eggnog, stirring to combine. Add the dry ingredient mix, followed by the remaining eggnog, and stir just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top. Bake for about 50 minutes - 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Make streusel
Start by making the oat pecan streusel. Normally, streusels are made with cold butter, but I discovered that melted butter yields a better topping.
By melting the butter, it mixes better with the ingredients and creates a lovely crust on the cake, allowing the topping to spread. When you use cold butter, if it's not fully incorporated with the dry ingredients, it can become dry.
Feel free to make the streusel ahead of time and set it aside until ready to use.
Step 2: Prepare cake batter
Set aside the crumble and make the cake. Your key ingredients for the cake are the usual basics, including flour, sugar, butter, and egg. To turn this into an eggnog coffee cake, we're adding spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, vanilla, and of course, eggnog.
To make the eggnog coffee cake, mix the wet ingredients, then add the dry ingredients, stirring just until mixed.
We're going to add the flour mixture and eggnog, alternating between the two to avoid overmixing the batter. If the flour is overworked, the cake can become tough.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread the streusel in an even layer. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Serve the eggnog coffee cake warm or at room temperature. I loved the bits of pecans throughout the moist and light cake and the hints of nutmeg and cinnamon.
The cake itself was the perfect amount of sweetness, unlike other coffee cakes that are loaded with sugar. Now I think it's time for that eggnog!
For more holiday treats, check out these chocolate raspberry Milano cookies and cranberry orange cake with pecan streusel!
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: You can make the streusel ahead of time, if desired.
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Frequently asked questions
You can, but reduce the added salt in the cake to ¼ teaspoon since you'll be getting salt from the butter in both the cake and streusel.
Yes, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil. It will keep frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
More eggnog desserts
Looking for more treats with eggnog? Try these:
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