Irish Cream Cake

slice of chocolate cake with white frosting and caramel drip on a dark plate

This Irish cream cake is three rich chocolate layers of Guinness cake soaked in Bailey's Irish Cream with an Irish Whiskey white chocolate frosting! Drizzle it in homemade caramel for the most perfect St. Patrick's Day cake!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, irish

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 40

Resting Time 6

Total Time 7 20

Servings servings

Calories 576kcal

Author Elizabeth Marek

Equipment

Stand mixer with paddle attachment
3 8" x 2" cake pans

Ingredients

Death By Chocolate Cake

14 ounces Stout Beer Guinness
1 ½ Tablespoons Espresso Powder
2 teaspoons Real Vanilla
14 ounces Cake Flour
1 teaspoon Baking powder
2 teaspoons Baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons Salt
6 ounces Dutched Cocoa Powder
10 ounces Unsalted Butter
16 ounces Granulated Sugar
4 Large Eggs
6 ounces Mayonnaise
6 ounces Mini chocolate chips

Bailey's Poke Filling

8 ounces Sweetened Condensed Milk
4 ounces Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur
4.5 ounces Semi-sweet chocolate

Bailey's White Chocolate Ganache

24 ounces White chocolate
4 ounces Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur
4 ounces Heavy Whipping Cream
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Tablespoon Irish Whiskey (Jameson)
¼ teaspoon Salt
4 ounces softened butter unsalted

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making Death by Chocolate Cake

NOTE: It is SUPER IMPORTANT that all the wet ingredients listed are room temperature and not cold so that the ingredients mix and incorporate correctly.
Preheat your oven to 350ºF/177º C.
Prepare three 8-inch cake pans with cake goop, parchment paper, or preferred pan release spray.
Whisk together the Guinness, espresso powder, and vanilla in a measuring cup and set it aside.
Sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl and set it aside.
Place the softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Cream the butter on medium speed until it's smooth and shiny. I'm using a stand mixer but you can definitely use an electric mixer if that is what you have.
Gradually sprinkle in the sugar on low speed, then bump it up to medium and cream the butter and sugar until the mixture is fluffy and almost white, about 3-5 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time. Allow each egg to incorporate fully before adding in the next egg to avoid breaking your batter.
Add in the mayo and mix until combined.
With the mixer on low speed, add ⅓ of the dry ingredients and mix until almost combined. Add ⅓ of the liquid ingredients. Repeat the process with the flour mixture and liquids two more times until everything is fully incorporated.
Gently fold in the mini chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake them for 35-40 minutes until a wooden skewer comes out clean but with a few sticky crumbs.
Let the cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes then remove them and place them onto a wire rack to cool while you prepare the Bailey's drizzle.

Making the Bailey's Irish Cream Sauce

Combine the sweetened condensed milk and Bailey's Irish cream in a measuring cup.
Microwave the cream mixture for 30 seconds and then in 15-second increments until it is just simmering. You can also do this in a pot over the stove.
Pour the simmering cream mixture over the chocolate in a medium bowl and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Whisk the sauce mixture until it's smooth and melted.

Soaking the Cake Layers with Irish Cream Sauce

Place plastic wrap into the bottom of your cake pan and set the cooled cake back into the pan. The plastic wrap will keep the cake from sticking when it's time to remove them later on.
Poke holes into the top of the cake with the end of a wooden spoon or dowel.
Drizzle the warm sauce all over the cake to soak into the holes and use a spatula to smooth out the top.
At this point, you need to freeze the cakes for two hours or let them refrigerate overnight to let the cakes fully cool down. This will give you enough time to make the ganache frosting and caramel sauce.

Making the White Chocolate Ganache

Heat up the heavy cream and Bailey's over medium heat in a saucepan until simmering, but not boiling.
Pour the hot mixture over your white chocolate. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to melt the chocolate.
Add in the whiskey, vanilla, butter, and salt then whisk until it's smooth and creamy.
Let the ganache cool until it thickens to a peanut butter consistency, about 4 hours at room temperature. Pro-tip: Pour the ganache into a sheet pan so it cools faster.
Mix the ganache for a minute in your stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer for the smoothest application on the cake.

Assembling the Irish Cream Cake

Once your cakes are chilled, remove them from the cake pans and peel away the plastic wrap. They should be firm and easy to handle.
Place your first layer of cake onto your 8" cake board or a plate.
Apply a generous amount of the Irish cream ganache to the cake and distribute it evenly across the cake layer.
Repeat this process with the other two layers.
Apply a thin coat of the ganache to the outside of the cake and smooth it out with a bench scraper. I liked this rustic naked cake look so I didn't add a second coat of frosting.
Chill the cake for about 20 minutes. I like to transfer my cake to a serving plate after frosting.
Then add the caramel drizzle on top. I made my own but you can use store-bought caramel.
Once your cake is assembled, I recommend leaving it at room temperature to soften up. This cake tastes best warm. Pro-tip: microwave a slice for 10 seconds before eating for maximum gooey-ness!

Video

Notes

Important Things To Note Before You Start

1. Bring all your ingredients to room temperature or even a little warm (eggs, buttermilk, butter, etc) to ensure your batter does not break or curdle.

2. Use a scale to weigh your ingredients (including liquids) unless otherwise instructed (Tablespoons, teaspoons, pinch etc). Metric measurements are available in the recipe card. Scaled ingredients are much more accurate than using cups and help ensure the success of your recipe.

3. Practice Mise en Place (everything in it's place). Measure out your ingredients ahead of time and have them ready before you start mixing to reduce the chances of accidentally leaving something out.

4. Chill your cakes before frosting and filling. You can cover a frosted and chilled cake in fondant if you wish. This cake is also great for stacking. I always keep my cakes chilled in the refrigerator before delivery for easy transporting.

5. If the recipe calls for specific ingredients like cake flour, replacing it with all-purpose flour and cornstarch is not recommended unless specified in the recipe that it’s ok. Substituting ingredients may cause this recipe to fail.

6. It is possible to make this cake in one day, but I recommend making all of the components the day before, and assembling them on the day you're ready to serve. The ganache will take about 4 hours to set up, and the sauce will need to soak in the cakes for 2 hours.

Nutrition