Tender, fluffy coffee cake gently spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon and topped with a warm brown sugar streusel, drizzled with a simple eggnog glaze. With easy overnight instructions and high altitude adjustments.
I have tested this in a 9x13 inch pan and a 10 cup bundt pan and it worked fabulous! Be sure to spray your pan well with a flour based baking spray, or butter it well, then dust with a little flour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (375 degrees for high altitude).
Make up the Brown Sugar Streusel ToppingIn a small mixing bowl or baggie, using your hands or a fork, combine brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and nutmeg (and nuts if using) until mixture is combined and sticks together when squeezed. Set aside.
Making Eggnog Coffee CakeIn a large batter bowl or stand mixer cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy and well combined.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low for 1 minute after each addition. Scrape sides of bowl.
Whisk together eggnog, Greek yogurt, and vanilla extract in a small bowl.
Measure out the eggnog in a 2 cup measuring cup (remember you only need one cup though), you will have room to mix in the Greek yogurt and vanilla, saving a dish!
In a 4 cup or larger bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg until combined.
Alternately add a ½ cup at a time of the flour mixture and the eggnog mixture, beating well after each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl and then mix on medium speed for 1 minute.
Spread the mixture evenly into prepared pan, then top with streusel topping*.
Bundt Pan Prep | Two WaysStreusel on TopFill the bundt pan with all of the batter, then sprinkle streusel topping on top, pressing gently into the batter.
Streusel CenterSpread a little more than ½ the batter into the prepared bundt pan, then sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the batter, spreading the remaining batter on top.
Step 3 | Baking the Eggnog Cake Recipe Bake on center rack of oven. For 9x13 pan bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean (a few moist crumbs is fine). Bundt Pan | Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Remove from oven, cool 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool further.
Overnight InstructionsIf making the night before, assemble the cake through the streusel topping and store covered in the refrigerator overnight. Bring to room temperature while preheating the oven. Bake as directed. *Streusel topping may be put on the night before, or the morning of, I have not found that it makes much difference.
Allow the coffee cake to cool for 10-20 minutes, then make the easy eggnog glaze to go on top. In a small bowl stir together eggnog and powdered sugar along with ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg; add eggnog a little at a time, until desired consistency. Drizzle on top of cake. I suggest doubling the glaze if drizzling over a bundt cake as you have more “real estate” to cover so to speak.
Notes
High Altitude Eggnog Coffee Cake
This recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to high altitude, but I have a few adjustments for you.
Increase unbleached all-purpose flour by ¼ cup.
Reduce granulated sugar to ¾ cup
Reduce baking powder to 1 teaspoon
Batter should be thick, but if too dry then add a little extra whole milk, eggnog, do not overmix. I used an extra tablespoon.
Increase baking temperature to 375F degrees and start checking for doneness at 35 minutes (9x13 and 45 for Bundt), covering if needed if browning too quickly.
Variations & Substitutions
No eggnog? No worries, you can substitute 1:1 with milk, buttermilk or cream in baking recipes, but add a little extra nutmeg and vanilla.
For a dairy free, lactose free version, substitute eggnog with a plant based eggnog and replace butter with your favorite plant based butter, or coconut oil.
Love nuts? I love nuts on my eggnog coffee cake, but my son has a tree-nut allergy, so I leave them off; stir in ½ cup of chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds to the streusel topping for this Christmas coffee cake.
Gluten-Free Eggnog Coffee Cake | I have had great luck swapping out the regular flour with my favorite Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour, let me know if you try it!
Tips
Do not overbake this cake, it’s light, with a heavy, tender crumb, a bit like this Cranberry Christmas Cake that is so good, almost pound cake like!
Split the batter and you have a BOGO, well a MTEO (make two, eat one) but that doesn’t quite roll off the tongue. Split batter into two 8x8 square pans or even two 8” round cake pans, like this Copycat Starbucks Coffee Cake.