easy baileys chocolate cake with baileys cream cheese frosting

Baileys Cake is a cake as delicious as it is easy! A single-layer chocolate cake is infused with Baileys Irish Cream and baked until perfectly tender and moist. Frost your cake in a luscious Baileys Cream Cheese frosting and add chocolate shavings for a festive St. Patrick’s Day dessert!

this recipe

Why you’ll love this Baileys Cake:

• Baileys Chocolate Cake – This moist & rich chocolate cake is full of Baileys Irish Cream! It really does taste like Baileys, but don’t worry – it’s not too strong or overwhelming.
• Baileys Cream Cheese Frosting – This frosting is absolutely packed with flavor thanks to a combo of brown butter and Bailey
• s. Cream cheese makes it extra creamy and keeps the sweetness toned down.
• Easy Recipe – This delicious cake is completely doable for any skill level baker – it’s especially easy because you only need to worry about one layer, not multiple cake layers that must be stacked!

Ingredient Overview:

As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).

• Baileys Irish Cream – You can use Baileys or any other irish cream liquor in this recipe! Five Farms makes an absolutely delicious Irish Cream.
• Cocoa Powder – Use natural cocoa powder, not dutch process. They are not interchangeable (each one reacts differently with baking soda/baking powder).
• All-purpose flour – Spoon your flour into the measuring cup, then level it with a flat utensil for best results, or use a scale. Scooping the measuring cup directly into your flour will lead to too much flour, and a potentially dry bake.
• Corn Starch – Just a bit of corn starch helps keep this cake perfectly tender!
• Sour Cream – Use full fat sour cream at room temperature.
• Cream Cheese – Use cold, full fat cream cheese.
• Butter – I always use salted buter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer.

Recipe Variations:

• Sour Cream – You can use full fat greek yogurt, at room temperature, in place of the sour cream.
• Non-Alcoholic – Swap the baileys in the cake for very hot or boiling water. Omit it from the frosting and add milk as needed to help it come together.
• Layer Cake – Feel free to double or triple the recipe to make a two layer or a three layer cake!
• Brown Butter – If you’re pinched for time, you can skip browning the butter for the frosting.
• Chocolate Ganache – If you prefer chocolate ganache over frosting, use the Baileys ganache from my Baileys Cheesecake. If you want a whipped ganache, let the ganache chill in the fridge until solid, then beat with an electric mixer on medium until whipped!

How to Make a Baileys Irish Cream Cake:

Step 1: Bloom the Cocoa. Add the baileys to a large 2-cup glass measuring cup and gently heat in the microwave until steaming. Whisk in the cocoa powder until dissolved, and set aside. This draws out the chocolate flavor from the cocoa.

Step 2: Make the Cake Batter. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then, stir in the wet ingredients – the beaten egg, sour cream, milk, the hot chocolate mixture, vegetable oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract.

Step 3: Bake. Pour the batter into a greased & floured 8-inch cake pan. Bake at 350 for 28 to 32 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Step 4: Make the Baileys Frosting. While the cake cools, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat together the brown butter & cream cheese until creamy. Mix in the baileys, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.

Serving + Storing:

Frost the cooled cake, then slice and serve! Top with chocolate shavings, if desired. Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. To keep the cake extra moist in the fridge, press plastic wrap against the cut part of the cake.

Have more Baileys to use up? Make my Baileys Cheesecake or my Irish Cream Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars!

Expert Success Tips:

• Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
• Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.
• Room Temperature Ingredients – Make sure you let any cold ingredients come to room temperature before beginning this recipe. I don’t just throw in that direction for fun – it’s an important step that helps everything incorporate together evenly so your cake will turn out perfectly!

FAQs:

Special Tools:

• Cake Pans – You’ll need one 8-inch cake pan or one 9-inch cake pan to make this Baileys Cake.
• Offset Spatula – Offset spatulas make frosting a cake so easy!
• Parchment Paper Cake Rounds – Parchment rounds save you the time and hassle of cutting your own. I use them for all my cakes!

More St. Patrick’s Day Recipes to Love:

• Beer Braised Short Ribs with Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
• Mom’s Irish Stew
• Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes
• Baileys Irish Cream Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache
• Skillet Irish Soda Bread
• Classic Beer Bread

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