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The Best Eggnog Buttercream Frosting is creamy and delicious and it tastes just like a glass of Eggnog. What a great frosting for your holiday cupcakes!

Closeup on a cupcake topped with The Best Eggnog Buttercream Frosting sitting on a white surface in front of a glass of Eggnog.

Eggnog is one of the most delicious parts of the Holidays.  And guess what?  You don’t just have to drink it by the glass.  You can make up a batch of our yummy The Best Eggnog Buttercream Frosting and put it on a cupcake, a sweet bread, cookies, or a layered cake.  Yum, yum yum!

How to Make

Collage image showing the steps for mixing the butter and the eggnog together for the best frosting flavor.

Step 1: Add the butter and the eggnog to a mixing bowl. The butter needs to be what we call, slightly softened which is somewhere between straight out of the refrigerator and room temperature.
Step 2: Mix the butter and the eggnog together on medium speed until thoroughly combined (about 2 minutes.)  The goal is to get the eggnog to meld with the butter to enhance the flavor of the frosting.
Step 3: Use a spatula to scrape the butter and eggnog mixture down from the sides of the bowl.  

Collage image showing the steps for adding the powdered sugar to the frosting mixture.

Step 4: We use a food scale to measure 1 Pound of Powdered Sugar.  If you don’t have a food scale, measure 4 cups instead. We normally do not sift the powdered sugar and instead rely on the mixer to do that work for us.
Step 5: Add the powdered sugar to the butter/eggnog mixture in the mixing bowl.
Step 6: Here is a Two Sisters Tip – cover the mixer with a towel during this part of the mixing process to keep the powdered sugar from flying out of the mixer.
Step 7: Start your mixer (or electric beater) on the lowest setting and keep it on low until the butter and sugar are incorporated (about 30 seconds). Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and then increase the speed to medium-high and mix for another 30-45 seconds until the frosting is light and fluffy.  Add the nutmeg and mix again until just combined.

Closeup on a clear mixing bowl filled with Eggnog Frosting and a white spatula.

Step 8: This is the fun part of the recipe where you get to taste your frosting. You are trying to determine if the consistency is correct or if it needs a little more eggnog or nutmeg. If it tastes great, test the consistency.  Too thick? Add 1 teaspoon of eggnog and mix again to check to see if it is now the right consistency.  The amount of eggnog to use depends on the state of your frosting and sometimes the time of year (if it is a hot humid day, you might not need to add any milk.) A good rule of thumb is to add the eggnog a teaspoon at a time. You can check out our FAQ section below to see some other advice on making the perfect batch of frosting.

Closeup on a a decorating bag filled with Eggnog Frosting sitting on a white table in front of a batch of unfrosted cupcakes.

How much frosting will you need?  That always depends on how thick or thin you apply the frosting or how much decorating you do but here are a couple of guidelines. Our Eggnog Buttercream Frosting recipe should make enough icing to cover a 9″ x 13″ sheet cake or a two-layer 8″ cake.  If you are making cupcakes, you should be able to frost 24 cupcakes if you apply the frosting with a knife.  If you swirl on the frosting with a pastry bag and a decorating tip you should be able to frost 15-18 cupcakes depending on the size of the swirl.

Expert Tips and FAQ’s

Does the frosting need to be refrigerated?

Yes, because of the eggs in the Eggnog it will hold up best in the refrigerator. We store the baked goods frosted with this Eggnog Icing in the refrigerator but then remove them from the refrigerator a couple of hours before we will serve them so the frosting comes back up to room temperature (which is how it tastes best.)

How do I store any leftover frosting?

Frosting stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator should be good for up to a week. If you carefully wrap the frosting in order to avoid freezer burn, the frosting should be fine in the freezer for 3-4 months.

What should I do if my frosting turned out too thin?

Temperature plays a big part in the consistency of frosting. A thin frosting could mean that the butter has gotten overworked and is too melted. The first thing to do is refrigerate the frosting for an hour and then check to see if the frosting has set back up again. If not, the next step is to add more powdered sugar or cornstarch. Start with either 1/2 cup of Powdered Sugar or 1 tablespoon of Cornstarch. Mix again and see if the consistency is better.

Closeup of a chocolate cupcake topped with The Best Eggnog Buttercream Frosting sitting on a white table in front of a glass of Eggnog.

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The Best Eggnog Buttercream FrostingPrint

The Best Eggnog Buttercream Frosting

Yield 2 1/2 cups
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

The Best Eggnog Buttercream Frosting is creamy and delicious and it tastes just like a glass of Eggnog. What a great frosting for you holiday cupcakes!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Butter, slightly softened (We use Salted Sweet Cream Butter)
  • 2 tablespoons Eggnog
  • 1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
  • 1 pound Powdered Sugar (or 4 cups)

Instructions

  1. Add the butter and the eggnog to a mixing bowl. The butter needs to be what we call, slightly softened which is somewhere between straight out of the refrigerator and room temperature.
  2. Mix the butter and the eggnog together on medium speed until thoroughly combined (about 2 minutes.)  The goal is to get the eggnog to meld with the butter to enhance the flavor of the frosting.
  3. Use a spatula to scrape the butter and eggnog mixture down from the sides of the bowl.  
  4. We use a food scale to measure 1 Pound of Powdered Sugar.  If you don’t have a food scale, measure 4 cups instead. We normally do not sift the powdered sugar and instead rely on the mixer to do that work for us.
  5. Add the powdered sugar to the butter/eggnog mixture in the mixing bowl.
  6. Start your mixer (or electric beater) on the lowest setting and keep it on low until the butter and sugar are incorporated (about 30 seconds). Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and then increase the speed to medium-high and mix for another 30-45 seconds until the frosting is light and fluffy.
  7. Add the nutmeg and mix again until just combined.
  8. Taste your frosting. You are trying to determine if the consistency is correct or if it needs a little more eggnog or nutmeg. If it tastes great, test the consistency.  Too thick? Add 1 teaspoon of eggnog and mix again to check to see if it is now the right consistency.  The amount of eggnog to use depends on the state of your frosting and sometimes the time of year (if it is a hot humid day, you might not need to add any milk.) A good rule of thumb is to add the eggnog a teaspoon at a time. 

Did you Make this Recipe? Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @twosisterscrafting on Instagram so we can see it!

© Two Sisters Crafting
Cuisine: American / Category: Frosting