This Mile High Eggnog Pound Cake is rich, buttery, and full of classic holiday flavor. Made with eggnog, vanilla, and warm nutmeg, this extra-tall pound cake is baked in an 18-cup Bundt pan and finished with a simple eggnog glaze.

For an extra festive twist, I make mine with spiked eggnog, which adds another layer of flavor to both the pound cake and the glaze. But don't worry-if alcohol isn't your thing, you can make this recipe with your favorite regular eggnog instead.

And I'll be the first to admit: drinking eggnog isn't really my thing. 😂 But put it in a pound cake? Now we're talking!

Video Tutorial

What Is a Mile High Pound Cake?

A Mile High Pound Cake is an extra-large pound cake baked in a larger Bundt pan to create its signature tall appearance.

For my Mile High recipes, I use an 18-cup Bundt pan rather than a standard 10- or 12-cup Bundt pan. This recipe makes substantially more batter than a traditional pound cake, so the larger pan is important. Your current recipe specifically requires an 18-cup pan for this volume of batter. A 12-cup Bundt pan simply won't be large enough.

A Mile High Pound Cake at its base is:

4 cups all-purpose flour
4 cups granulated sugar
4 sticks butter
10 eggs

That large formula creates the beautiful height that makes Mile High Pound Cakes stand out.

What Is a Mile High Pound Cake?

Why You'll Love This Mile High Eggnog Pound Cake

Perfect for the holidays: Eggnog, vanilla, and nutmeg give this cake plenty of classic holiday flavor.

Extra tall and impressive: This recipe is specifically designed for an 18-cup Bundt pan.

Rich and buttery: Four sticks of butter give this cake that classic rich pound cake flavor.

Feeds a crowd: This oversized pound cake makes approximately 20+ servings.

Spiked or alcohol-free: You can make the cake with alcohol-infused eggnog or your favorite regular eggnog.

Simple eggnog glaze: The glaze requires just powdered sugar and eggnog.

Recommended tools and equipment:

Mile High Bundt Pan (An 18-cup bundt pan is needed for this recipe.)
Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
Silicone Spatula
Oven Thermometer
Cake Keeper
Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons
Eggnog with alcohol

What Does Eggnog Do in Pound Cake?

Eggnog does more than simply give this cake its holiday flavor.

It's a rich dairy ingredient traditionally made with milk or cream, sugar, eggs, and spices. In this recipe, it provides liquid and richness while bringing its distinctive holiday flavor to the pound cake.

Combined with vanilla and nutmeg, it gives the cake that recognizable eggnog taste without requiring a long list of additional spices. And because eggnog is also used in the glaze, you get that flavor both inside and on top of the cake.

Can I Make Eggnog Pound Cake Without Alcohol?

Yes. Although I use alcohol-infused eggnog for my version, you can use your favorite regular eggnog instead.

Does the Alcohol Bake Out of Eggnog Pound Cake?

If you're using spiked eggnog, some alcohol may remain after baking. More importantly, the eggnog glaze isn't baked at all.

If avoiding alcohol is important, make the cake and glaze with non-alcoholic eggnog instead.

Can I Make This in a 12-Cup Bundt Pan?

This Mile High Eggnog Pound Cake is specifically designed for an 18-cup Bundt pan. Find my 12-cup Eggnog recipe here.

Why Is My Mile High Eggnog Pound Cake Taking So Long to Bake?

Because there's a lot of cake in that pan! This recipe contains four cups of flour, four cups of sugar, four sticks of butter, ten eggs, and more than a cup of eggnog.

I don't recommend increasing your oven temperature to speed things up. Bake at the temperature specified in the recipe and use a wooden skewer to determine when the center is done.

How Do I Know When Mile High Eggnog Pound Cake Is Done?

Insert a long wooden skewer into the thickest portion of the cake. The cake is done when the skewer comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

If you see wet batter, continue baking and check again after several minutes.

Why Is My Eggnog Pound Cake Dense?

Pound cake naturally has a tighter crumb than traditional layer cake, but it shouldn't be heavy or gummy.

Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature, cream your butter and sugar thoroughly, add your eggs one at a time, and avoid overmixing once the flour has been added.

How to Store Mile High Eggnog Pound Cake

Eggnog is used in the uncooked glaze; therefore, I would store the finished glazed cake covered in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days. For the best texture, allow individual slices to sit at room temperature briefly before serving.

If you're making the cake ahead of time, another option is to keep the unglazed pound cake tightly covered in an airtight container and wait to add the eggnog glaze closer to serving.

For longer storage, the pound cake can be frozen. For the best results, I'd freeze it without the eggnog glaze and add fresh glaze after thawing.

How to Freeze a Pound Cake (Step-by-Step + Storage Tips)

Pound Cake Tips

Whether you are a beginner or have been in the baking game for a while, I hope these tips are helpful in making sure that your pound cake comes out great!

⇢ Always use room temperature ingredients - Standard pound cake ingredients include butter and eggs which should always be at room temperature to ensure that they properly blend into the batter and do not cause any clumping. Other common ingredients such as milk, cream cheese, etc should also be at room temperature. Make sure to allow enough time before baking to remove the ingredients from the refrigerator and sit them on the counter to allow them to come to room temperature.

⇢ Properly measure your ingredients - Always measure each ingredient before adding it to the cake to make sure that you have the accurate amount of each ingredient for the recipe. Baking requires exact measurements for the cake to come out correctly.

⇢ Properly cream the butter and sugar together- Once blended the texture should be light and fluffy. Blend the ingredients together at a moderate speed for approximately five minutes.

⇢ Add the eggs one at a time- Eggs must be added one at a time until combined.

⇢ Don't overmix your batter- Aside from creaming the butter and sugar together, once done adding an ingredient, immediately start adding the next ingredient. If you are not quite ready, stop the mixer until you're ready to add the next ingredient. After you have added the last ingredient, just mix until blended. If the batter still requires mixing, for example, if there is any unmixed batter on the side of the bowl, finish the mixing process using a spoon.

⇢ Spray the hell out of your bundt pan - My favorite method is using a baking spray such as Baker's Joy, which includes the flour and oil all in one can. It's always a no-fail method for me, and the cake comes right out of the pan. You can also grease the pan with oil (solid or liquid) then dust the pan evenly with flour if you prefer that method.

Mile High Eggnog Pound Cake recipe

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: mile high pound cake, pound cake, pound cake recipe

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 1 30

Servings: people

Author: Ashley Frederick

Ingredients

Pound Cake Ingredients:
4 c All-purpose flour
4 c Granulated sugar
2 c Unsalted butter - room temperature
10 Large Eggs - room temperature
1 ⅓ c Eggnog - room temperature (Spiked eggnog is used for this recipe)
½ teaspoon Baking powder
½ teaspoon Salt
4 tsps Vanilla
1 teaspoon Nutmeg
Glaze Ingredients:
2 c Powdered sugar
⅓ - ½ c Eggnog - room temperature

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pound Cake Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (approximately 5 minutes).
Mix in the vanilla.
Add the eggs one at a time until combined.
Combine the flour, salt, nutmeg, and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the bowl, alternating with the eggnog, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
Spray your 18-cup bundt pan with baking spray and pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top of the cake. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes or longer if needed. The cake is done once a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean/with moist crumbs.
Allow the cake to cool for 10 - 15 minutes before removing it from the pan to complete the cooling process.
Glaze Instructions:
In a large bowl, add the powdered sugar. Blend together while slowly adding the Eggnog to the bowl until your desired consistency is reached.
Pour the glaze on your cooled cake as desired. Once the glaze has set, serve and enjoy!

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does Mile High Eggnog Pound Cake taste like?

It's a rich, buttery pound cake with creamy eggnog flavor, vanilla, and warm nutmeg, finished with a sweet eggnog glaze.

What size Bundt pan do I need?

You'll need an 18-cup Bundt pan for the full recipe.

Can I use regular eggnog instead of spiked eggnog?

Yes. You can use your favorite non-alcoholic eggnog instead.

How many people does this cake serve?

The recipe makes approximately 20+ servings, although the exact number depends on how thickly you slice it.

How long does Mile High Eggnog Pound Cake take to bake?

Plan for approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes or longer if needed at 325°F. Always check the center for doneness rather than relying solely on time.

Does Mile High Eggnog Pound Cake need to be refrigerated?

Because the finished cake is topped with a glaze made with eggnog, I recommend storing the glazed cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

More Holiday Pound Cake Recipes

Looking for a regular version of this pound cake? See my Eggnog Pound Cake recipe.

Looking for another Mile High boozy pound cake? Try my Mile High Buttered Rum Pound Cake recipe.

My Kentucky Butter Pound Cake recipe is infused with Kentucky Bourbon. This moist, buttery pound cake is packed with so much delicious flavor.

Made my recipe? Share it in my Whip it like Butter Community!!

This community is a place to share pound cakes, ask baking questions, swap tips, get inspiration, and help each other become more confident bakers.