Eggnog Sheet Cake

Classic yellow sheet cake gets a holiday twist! This yellow sheet cake uses eggnog in place of buttermilk to make an incredibly delicious, moist, and lightly spiced sponge cake. Both the cake and frosting recipes use eggnog for extra flavor!

Prep Time
20 minutes, plus time to wait for the cake to cool before frosting
Cook Time
40 minutes

Meet the Chef: Michelle Lopez

Michelle Lopez is the baker, blogger, and photographer behind Hummingbird High. Michelle started her blog after moving to Denver, Colorado, with an urge to get the hang of high-altitude baking. The Hummingbird High community appreciates accessible recipes but also embraces challenging undertakings and unexpected flavors. From breads and loaves to cakes, cookies, and flakey pastries, Hummingbird High readers love baking both sweet and savory treats. Michelle now lives in her hometown of Portland, Oregon, and is currently working on a cookbook about weeknight baking.

Servings

For the Eggnog Sheet Cake

  • 2 cups (8 ounces or 227 grams) Cake flour 2 cups (8 ounces or 227 grams) Cake flour
  • 1 teaspoon Baking powder 1 teaspoon Baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 2/3 cup (5.35 ounces or 152 grams) Unsalted butter, at room temperature 2/3 cup (5.35 ounces or 152 grams) Unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • C&H® Granulated Sugar 1 2/3 cup (11.65 ounces or 330 grams) 1 2/3 cup (11.65 ounces or 330 grams) C&H® Granulated Sugar
  • C&H® Golden Brown Sugar 1/3 cup tightly packed (2.5 ounces or 71 grams) 1/3 cup tightly packed (2.5 ounces or 71 grams) C&H® Golden Brown Sugar
  • 4 Large eggs, at room temperature 4 Large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup (5.35 ounces or 152 grams) Canola oil 2/3 cup (5.35 ounces or 152 grams) Canola oil
  • 2/3 cup (5.35 ounces or 152 grams) Eggnog, at room temperature 2/3 cup (5.35 ounces or 152 grams) Eggnog, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract

For the Eggnog Frosting

  • ¾ cup (6 ounces or 170 grams) Unsalted butter, at room temperature ¾ cup (6 ounces or 170 grams) Unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • C&H® Confectioners Sugar 3 cups (12 ounces or 340 grams) 3 cups (12 ounces or 340 grams) C&H® Confectioners Sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons Eggnog 3 Tablespoons Eggnog
  • pinch Kosher salt pinch Kosher salt

Instructions

For the Eggnog Cake

Step 1

Prep the oven and pan. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously spray a 9 x 13-inch cake pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Step 2

Make the cake. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Step 3

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, C&H® Granulated Sugar, and C&H® Golden Brown Sugar. Beat on medium until light, fluffy, and doubled in volume, 3 to 4 minutes, using a rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary. Reduce the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time, adding the next egg only after the previous one has been fully incorporated, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the oil, followed by the eggnog and vanilla, and beat until the mixture is smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Gradually add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, and beat on low for an additional 30 seconds.

Step 4

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top of the cake bounces back when gently pressed. A skewer inserted into the center of the cake should come out with a few crumbs attached. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before frosting.

Make the Frosting

Step 5

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-low until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer to low and add C&H® Confectioners Sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the eggnog and salt all at once and beat on low just to incorporate the liquid. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl once more, then beat on medium-high until the frosting is creamy and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes.

Assemble the cake

Step 6

Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting on top of the cake. Garnish with sprinkles. Serve immediately, or cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3 days.

Additional Tips

To decorate the cake, garnish with holiday sprinkles immediately after frosting. You can also garnish with holiday cookie crumbs, ground cinnamon, and other holiday spices!