We made it through 2020.
Celebrate the end of the year with a smile and welcome 2021 in style with this Vegan Egg Nog Cake.
Richly spiked with rum and brandy for authentic eggnog flavor, trimmed in gold, and layered into an elegant cake—it’s the perfect dessert for New Year’s festivities.
This cake uses the Super Easy Vanilla Cake recipe from my 2018 cookbook Modern Vegan Baking. The base is a dependable one-bowl cake that comes together quickly and bakes in about 30 minutes.
I’ve long loved another vanilla cake on the site, but this recipe is ideal when you need something effortless. It’s one bowl, minimal fuss, and perfect for holiday baking when time and energy are limited.
The cake bakes in thirty minutes while you prepare the eggnog custard and the spiced buttercream. Adding brandy and rum to the custard and buttercream gives the whole cake a celebratory kick. The buttercream is spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a hint of clove to echo classic eggnog flavors.
These three simple components—the cake, the eggnog custard (or bavarian-style filling), and the spiced buttercream—combine into a dessert that might have guests wishing the holidays lasted a little longer. You can also make egg nog cake balls from an extra layer of cake mixed with buttercream, rolled and garnished with cinnamon and nutmeg for a delightful bite-sized treat.
There are two filling options: the standard eggnog custard shown in the video, or a lighter bavarian-style filling made by folding 1½ cups of whipped cream into the cooled custard. Choose the texture you prefer; the cake in this recipe is denser, similar to a pound cake, compared to the lighter vanilla cake you may already know from other recipes.
I recommend using an American-style buttercream for the stability needed when adding liquids like rum and brandy. Swiss and Italian buttercreams can be more prone to breaking when extra liquid is added.
- For the cake
- Soy milk 1½ cups (355 ml)
- White vinegar 1½ tablespoons
- Vegan butter ½ cup (113 g)
- Coconut oil or vegetable oil ½ cup (117 ml)
- Granulated sugar 1¾ cups (350 g)
- Salt ½ teaspoon
- Vanilla extract 2 teaspoons (10 ml)
- All-purpose flour 3 cups (375 g)
- Baking soda 2 teaspoons
- For the eggnog buttercream
- 1 recipe buttercream of your choice (American-style recommended)
- Ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon
- Nutmeg ¼ teaspoon
- Cloves pinch
- Brandy 1½ tablespoons
- Rum 1½ tablespoons
- For the eggnog custard
- Soy milk 2¼ cups (533 ml)
- Granulated sugar ¾ cup (150 g)
- Cornstarch 6 tablespoons (50 g)
- Turmeric 1/8 teaspoon (optional, for color)
- Vegan butter 1½ tablespoons (21 g)
- Vanilla extract 1 teaspoon (5 ml)
- Brandy 1½ tablespoons
- Rum 1½ tablespoons
- For the Bavarian cream variation
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream or 1 cup whipped cream of your choice
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Prepare three 7-inch cake pans with pan grease and parchment liners.
- Melt the coconut oil (or other vegetable oil) together with the vegan butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Combine the soy milk and vinegar and let stand 5 minutes to thicken.
- Add the vanilla extract, then stir in the melted butter and oil.
- Sift the dry ingredients, including sugar, into a large mixing bowl.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 27–30 minutes, or until the centers spring back when gently pressed.
- Cool in the pans until manageable, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the buttercream of your choice (American-style recommended). At the final stage of mixing, add the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, rum, and brandy, then set aside.
- For the custard, combine sugar, cornstarch, soy milk, and turmeric (if using) in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the vegan butter, vanilla extract, rum, and brandy until smooth.
- If making the Bavarian cream variation, cool the custard completely before folding in 1½ cups of whipped cream.
- Assemble the cake: layer cake, custard or bavarian filling, and buttercream as desired. Chill briefly if needed to set the filling before finishing the sides and decorating.
Enjoy this festive Vegan Egg Nog Cake as a centerpiece for your holiday celebrations—whether you make the full cake or turn an extra layer into bite-sized cake balls, it’s sure to be memorable.