Baileys Irish Cream Layer Cake has such an amazing flavor. It has a rich chocolate cake as the base, topped with a delicious Baileys buttercream frosting. This 3 layer cake is truly special and is perfect for a St. Patrick’s Day dessert.
Bailey’s Irish Cream Chocolate Cake
This fabulous chocolate cake recipe will look and taste amazing when you cut it into slices for your St. Patrick’s Day party. Add a few gold or green sprinkles if you want to add a touch more St. Patrick’s Day flare to this cake. Don’t be pressured into only eating this scrumptious cake at St. Patrick’s Day as it is a great dessert any time of year.
Love the flavor of Baileys Irish Cream Desserts? Baileys Pound Cake Recipe, Baileys Irish Cream Cake and Baileys Cheesecake are just a few of my favorites.
What You’ll Need
To make this Baileys Irish Cream cake recipe, you’ll need special dark chocolate cocoa powder, espresso powder, and pantry staples like butter, sugar, and heavy whipping cream. Be sure to check the recipe card below for measurements.
Cake
- Dry ingredients – All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and Kosher salt
- Wet Ingredients – Eggs, milk, and canola oil
- Special ingredients – Special dark chocolate cocoa powder and espresso powder
- Vanilla extract
Frosting
- Unsalted butter – It should be at room temperature, not melted or chilled.
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy whipping cream
- Baileys Irish Creme
- Chocolate Chips – You’ll need mini chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Ganache
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Heavy whipping cream
How To Make Baileys Irish Cream Layer Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare three 9 inch cake pans with baking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the espresso powder and water until it is combined.
- Using a mixer, whisk the dry ingredients together.
- Slowly add in the wet ingredients to the flour mixture until it is mixed together.
- Divide the batter between 3 pans and bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Begin making the frosting.
- Place the first layer of cake on the cake board.
- Scoop frosting on the cake and spread it smooth it over the cake.
- Place the next layer of cake on top and repeat with more frosting.
- Add the 3rd layer of cake and frost the rest of the cake.
- Coat the bottom sides of the cake in the mini chocolate chips.
- Make the chocolate ganache.
- Pour the ganache into the squeeze bottle and then pipe dollops of the ganache.
- Sprinkle some of the mini chocolate chips all over the top of the cake and then cut and serve.
Can I Use Ready-Made Frosting For This Cake?
The difference between this frosting recipe and a store bought frosting is that there is no Baileys in the store bought version. If you use store bought frosting, you can add some Baileys Irish Creme. You might need more powdered sugar to keep the frosting from being to thin.
Tips for Icing a Layered Cake
Here are some things you can do to make frosting any layered cake easier. First, you will want to chill the cake. This will make it easier to add the frosting. Second, you will want to make sure you cut the domes off of the cakes. This will ensure that the cake lays flat against the other layers. Using an angled spatula, spread the frosting over the cake evenly. Use the excess frosting to create a crumb coat on the sides of the cake.
Other Baileys Recipes
- Chocolate Baileys Truffles
- Chocolate Baileys Poke Cake
- Baileys Irish Cream Cream Coffee Cookies
- Baileys Cheesecake Cake
Baileys Irish Cream Layer Cake
Ingredients
Baileys Cake Ingredients
- 2 cup flour
- 2 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup special dark chocolate cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup milk
- ¾ cup warm water
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Baileys Frosting ingredients
- 2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 6 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup Baileys Irish Creme
- 4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5-7 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
- 1 ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Cake Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray three 9 in cake pans with baking spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the espresso and the warm water until combined.
- Using your standing mixer, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.
- Gradually add in the eggs, espresso, oil and vanilla extract until combined.
- Divide the batter between the 3 pans.
- Place in the oven to bake for 25-35 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean.
- Allow cakes to cool for 20 minutes.
Baileys Frosting Directions:
- Using a standing mixer, cream together the butter, vanilla, powdered sugar, Baileys and heavy whipping cream until combined and creamy and stiff with peaks.
- Scoop 1 C of frosting into the piping bag.
Directions to build the cake
- Place 1 layer of cake onto the cake board.
- Using the ice cream scooper, scoop out 4-6 scoops of frosting and smooth evenly on one layer of cake.
- Place another layer of cake on top and spread more frosting.
- Place the last layer on top and frost the remaining cake with remaining frosting.
- Coat the bottom sides of the cake in the mini chocolate chips.
Chocolate ganache directions
- Using a small pot, heat up the heavy whipping cream until steaming.
- While heavy whipping cream is heating up, place chocolate chips into a heat-proof bowl.
- Once the heavy whipping cream is heated, pour over the chocolate chips.
- Allow to sit for 1 minute before whisking until smooth.
- Pour ganache into the squeeze bottle.
- Pipe dollops of ganache over the edge of the cake.
- Pipe dollops of frosting onto the top of the cake.
- Sprinkle some mini chocolate chips all over the top of the cake.
- Cut, serve and enjoy.
Last Step:
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