Easy Eggnog Dump Cake With Vanilla Cake Mix for Christmas

Eggnog Cream Dump Cake With Vanilla Cake Mix

This eggnog cream dump cake bakes a layer of spiced, cream cheese filling beneath a buttery vanilla cake topping. It has the familiar flavor of eggnog, but it serves by the square and needs no frosting. Serve it warm for a soft, spoonable dessert, or chill it for neater slices.

The filling needs a quick mix in a bowl before it goes into the baking dish. After that, the method is straightforward: pour in the filling, scatter dry cake mix over it, add butter, and bake. For a holiday gathering, you can make the cake the day before and keep it refrigerated until serving.

Eggnog Cream Dump Cake Recipe

Yield: 12 servings
Prep time: About 20 minutes
Bake time: 50 to 60 minutes
Cooling time: At least 2 hours for sliceable squares
Total time: About 3 hours, 10 minutes

Ingredients

For the eggnog cream filling:

• 8 ounces (225 g) cream cheese, softened
• ⅓ cup (65 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1½ cups (360 ml) refrigerated dairy eggnog
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

For the cake topping:

• 1 box (15.25 ounces or about 432 g) vanilla cake mix
• ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, cold

For serving, optional:

• Lightly sweetened whipped cream
• A small pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

1. Prepare the oven and pan. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

2. Mix the cream cheese and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the sugar until smooth. A hand mixer makes this easier, though a sturdy whisk will work if the cream cheese is quite soft.

3. Add the eggs and eggnog. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the eggnog gradually, mixing as you pour, then stir in the vanilla and nutmeg. The filling will be fairly thin. Pour it into the prepared dish.

4. Add the dry cake mix. Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the filling. Do not stir the layers together.

5. Cover with butter. Cut the cold butter into thin slices and distribute them across the cake mix, leaving as little dry mix exposed as possible. Small gaps are fine; large bare patches may remain powdery after baking.

6. Bake. Place the dish on the center rack and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. The topping should be golden, with no broad areas of dry cake mix, and the filling near the center should look set when the dish is gently nudged. If the top browns before the center is set, loosely cover the dish with foil for the remaining bake time. Because the filling contains eggs, it should reach 160°F (71°C) in the center; insert an instant-read thermometer through the topping into the filling to check.

7. Cool before serving. Set the dish on a rack and let it cool for at least 2 hours if you want to cut squares. For firmer pieces, cool it to room temperature, then refrigerate it. Add whipped cream and a little nutmeg just before serving, if desired.

How the Layers Bake

A dump cake gets its name from the way its topping comes together in the pan. The dry cake mix sits over a moist filling, and butter melts into it as the cake bakes. You do not prepare the cake mix according to the box directions, and you do not stir it into the eggnog layer.

The eggnog mixture in this recipe contains cream cheese and eggs, so it sets into a soft filling as it bakes. It will not have the airy crumb of a conventional cake. Warm from the oven, a serving is easiest to lift out with a spoon. Once chilled, the filling firms up and the dessert can be cut into squares.

Spreading the dry mix evenly is worth a little attention. If most of it lands in one spot, that area may stay floury while thinner areas soak through. The butter slices also need to reach across the surface. They do not have to form an unbroken sheet, but distributing them well gives the topping a better chance to bake evenly.

Vanilla cake mix keeps the eggnog flavor prominent. A mix labeled “white cake” can also work, though its flavor may be milder. Use a box close to the specified 15.25-ounce size. Box sizes vary, and a substantially smaller mix changes the balance of cake mix and butter.

Choosing Eggnog and Adjusting the Flavor

Use a refrigerated dairy eggnog you enjoy drinking. Brands differ in sweetness, thickness, and spice, so the finished filling will vary somewhat with the carton. The recipe adds only a modest amount of sugar because the eggnog and cake mix are already sweet.

Freshly grated nutmeg has a strong aroma and makes a pleasant finish at the table. If you are using preground nutmeg, the amount in the filling is enough to give the cake a recognizable holiday flavor without overwhelming the vanilla. You can leave the extra nutmeg off individual servings.

Avoid alcoholic eggnog if the cake will be served to anyone avoiding alcohol. Baking does not reliably remove all of it. Dairy-free eggnog also varies considerably by brand and may not produce the same filling texture as dairy eggnog.

Serving and Making It Ahead

For a casual dessert, let the cake cool until warm rather than hot, then spoon it into shallow bowls. The topping will be tender, and the filling may spread slightly on the plate. A little whipped cream is plenty alongside it.

For a Christmas dinner or potluck where tidy portions are useful, make the cake a day ahead. Let it cool, cover the dish, and refrigerate it overnight. Cut the chilled cake with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts if the filling sticks. You can serve the squares cold or let them stand briefly at room temperature before serving. Keep the cake refrigerated when it is not being served.

Leftovers should be covered and refrigerated within 2 hours of baking or serving. Eat them within 3 to 4 days. The topping softens as it sits in the refrigerator, but the eggnog filling remains pleasant cold. You can warm an individual portion gently in the microwave if you prefer it soft.

If the Topping Has Dry Spots

A few pale crumbs on top are normal. A thick patch of loose, powdery cake mix means that area did not get enough butter or moisture during baking. The easiest way to prevent it is to scatter the mix in an even layer and arrange the butter slices across the whole dish before it goes into the oven.

If you notice a dry patch partway through baking, place a small piece of butter on that spot and continue baking. Check quickly so the oven does not lose much heat. Do not stir the topping into the filling: that changes the layers and makes it harder to judge when the center has set.

A golden top alone does not mean the cake is done. The filling should no longer move like liquid at the center. If needed, protect the browned topping with foil and give the filling more time in the oven.

A Holiday Dessert That Keeps Its Place on the Menu

This is a useful make-ahead Christmas dessert because chilling helps it hold together. Bake it the evening before, refrigerate it, and leave the final garnish until serving. The cake brings eggnog and nutmeg to the table without requiring a separate sauce or frosting, and guests can choose a small square or a generous spoonful.