Preheat your oven to 350°F and generously grease your loaf pans with butter or cooking spray, making sure to coat the bottom and all sides evenly. This prevents sticking and ensures your loaves release cleanly. While the oven preheats, gather all your ingredients and have them ready—having everything prepared before you start mixing is key to a smooth baking process.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Whisking the dry ingredients together not only mixes them evenly but also aerates the flour slightly and incorporates the leavening agent throughout, which helps your loaves rise uniformly. I prefer using freshly ground cinnamon and nutmeg here—they have so much more warmth and complexity than pre-ground spices, and they really make a difference in the final flavor.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, eggnog, sugar, cooled melted butter, vanilla extract, and rum extract. Whisk vigorously for about 1-2 minutes until the mixture is well combined and slightly lighter in color, which indicates the eggs are well incorporated. The cooling of the butter before mixing is important—if it's too hot, it can scramble the eggs or create an uneven texture. Using room temperature eggs helps them blend smoothly with the other wet ingredients.

Pour the wet ingredient mixture from Step 3 into the bowl with the dry ingredients from Step 2. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold the ingredients together until just combined—you're looking for a thick batter with no visible dry streaks. Don't overmix, as this can develop gluten and make your loaves tough and dense. A few small lumps are perfectly fine and actually desirable. I like to fold by hand rather than using an electric mixer for quick breads to keep the texture tender and moist.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared loaf pans, filling each about two-thirds full. Smooth the tops gently with a spatula. Place in the preheated 350°F oven and bake for 30 minutes for small loaves or 50 minutes for a large loaf, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. The loaves should be golden brown on top and spring back when lightly touched.

Remove the loaves from the oven and let them cool in the pans for 2-3 minutes. This brief cooling helps them set enough to remove without falling apart, but leaving them too long can make them stick to the pan. Turn the loaves out onto a wire rack to cool completely, which allows air to circulate around them and prevents the bottom from becoming soggy. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm.