Irish Cream Cake, Great For St Patrick’s Day
It’s that time of year again when everyone bakes green items for St Patrick’s Day. I try to avoid green baking at all costs. I find that you need to add so much food colouring to make things a good shade of green and then when it bakes it doesn’t always look the most appealing. Sometimes it comes out looking mouldy and it should go in the trash instead of on a plate.
This year I thought I would try to make something with Bailey’s Irish Cream. I don’t bake a lot with alcohol, I don’t like the taste of it in my baking, but with Baileys, I don’t mind using it. If you don’t want to use alcohol you can substitute an Irish Cream flavoured creamer instead and use the same amount that is required for the Irish Cream.
The cake is good but the icing is the best part! It has a nice but subtle Baileys taste to it.
If you are wanting to put the icing on the whole cake, the sides as well, double the recipe. I am a terrible cake decorator so all of my cakes are naked cakes. I do plan on taking some decorating classes when we are able to go to classes again.
INGREDIENTS
Baileys Irish Cream Cake
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter room temperature
1/4 cup Baileys Irish Cream
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk room temperature
Baileys Buttercream
3/4 cup butter room temperature
3 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs Baileys Irish Cream
DIRECTIONS
Baileys Irish Cream Cake
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two 8″ cake pans.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
In a liquid measuring cup combine the buttermilk and Baileys. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy – about 2 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add in the vanilla extract.
Turn the mixer down to medium and alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk/Bailey’s mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Be careful not to over-mix!
Distribute the batter into the pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for about 10 minutes in the pan. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Baileys Buttercream
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on high – about 2 minutes.
Add in 2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar and mix until combined.
Add the Baileys and the remaining 1 cup of confectioners sugar and beat until combined.
Add the vanilla and beat until light and fluffy – about 3 minutes.
If the icing is too thick, add more Baileys 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
Assembly
Level the tops of the cake layers using a knife or cake leveller.
Carefully spread a layer of buttercream on the cake. Then place the other layer of cake on top of the icing.
Repeat with the next layer(s) of cake.
Bailey’s Irish Cream Cake
Ingredients
Baileys Irish Cream Cake
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup butter room temperature
- 1/4 cup Baileys Irish Cream or Irish Cream Flavored cream
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup buttermilk room temperature
Baileys Buttercream
- 3/4 cup butter room temperature
- 3 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp Baileys Irish Cream
Instructions
Baileys Irish Cream Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease two 8" cake pans.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together.
- In a liquid measuring cup combine the buttermilk and Baileys. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy – about 2 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add in the vanilla extract.
- Turn the mixer down to medium and alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk/Bailey's mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Be careful not to over-mix!
- Distribute the batter into the pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for about 10 minutes in the pan. Then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Baileys Buttercream
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on high – about 2 minutes.
- Add in 2 cups of the confectioners' sugar and mix until combined.
- Add the Baileys and the remaining 1 cup of confectioners sugar and beat until combined.
- Add the vanilla and beat until light and fluffy – about 3 minutes.
- If the icing is too thick, add more Baileys 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
Assembly
- Level the tops of the cake layers using a knife or cake leveller.
- Carefully spread a layer of buttercream on the cake. Then place the other layer of cake on top of the icing.
- Repeat with the next layer(s) of cake.
