Baileys Chocolate Cake
With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, it felt fitting to whip up this Baileys chocolate cake.
In the past I’ve made an adorable shamrock cake and a giant beer mug cake, and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t made a cake with Baileys in it yet!
What Is Baileys?
Baileys is an Irish whiskey and cream-based liquor, which is actually pretty strong (17% ABV).
I’m not going to pretend like I’ve never taken a shot of it, but at this point in my life, I’m more likely to drink it in my coffee on vacation.
I love the cream flavor of Baileys, and I wanted to incorporate it into every component of this cake.
Adding Baileys to Every Aspect of This Chocolate Cake Recipe
This recipe is based on my moist chocolate cake recipe, but I swapped out half of the buttermilk for Baileys.
Most of the alcohol bakes out in the oven, but you can still taste it once the layers are baked.
I also added Baileys into my chocolate buttercream recipe in place of some of the heavy cream.
It makes a slightly boozy frosting that has the most incredible, rich flavor!!
Then I did the same thing with the ganache filling! The ganache really lets the Irish cream flavor shine through.
The end result? A delicious, boozy, chocolate cake that is the perfect St. Patrick’s Day dessert.
How To Assemble This Bailey’s Chocolate Cake
Stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cake board using a dab of chocolate ganache to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
Spread an even layer of chocolate buttercream on top of the chocolate cake layer with a large offset spatula.
Chill the cake in the freezer for 5 minutes, then spread half of the ganache mixture on top of the layer of buttercream.
Repeat with the next cake layer, then place the third cake layer upside down to make the cake easier to frost.
Cover the cake in a thin coat of chocolate buttercream. Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the buttercream is firm to the touch.
Add a second, thicker layer of chocolate buttercream to the cake and smooth using a bench scraper.
Decorate as desired! I opted to cover my cake with long chocolate ganache drips, then made a swirled pattern using a tapered offset spatula.
It creates an oddly symmetrical and unique design, and is a lot easier to do than you’d think!
Substitutions & Swaps: Bailey’s Chocolate Cake Layers
While I love this Baileys chocolate cake recipe just the way it is, I know some of you might not have all these ingredients on hand.
Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this recipe:
- All-Purpose Flour – This recipe turns out best with all-purpose flour. However, you can swap in a good gluten-free flour blend (like this) if needed. Just be sure to stir the batter longer than normal to help give the cake proper structure, and let the batter sit for about 20 minutes before baking it if you opt to make a gluten-free version.
- Granulated Sugar – I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the cake layers.
- Baking Cocoa Powder – I like to use the Ghirardelli or Hershey’s brand of baking cocoa, but you can use any brand of unsweetened cocoa powder. You can also use dark cocoa powder or black cocoa.
- Buttermilk – You can also use full-fat yogurt, sour cream, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat).
- Vegetable Oil – Any flavorless oil can be used in this recipe. Canola, vegetable, or even sunflower oil would all work great. I don’t recommend olive oil, though, as it has a strong flavor and will change the taste of the cake.
- Eggs – This recipe uses 2 large eggs. If you have an egg allergy, you can try using a vegan egg replacer.
Substitutions & Swaps: Bailey’s Chocolate Buttercream
Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this buttercream recipe.
- Unsalted Butter – If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place!
- Dark Cocoa Powder – If you can’t find dark cocoa powder or don’t have any on hand, you can use regular unsweetened baking cocoa or add additional powdered sugar in its place.
- Heavy Cream – Whole milk or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat) can also be used to make the frosting.
- Dark Chocolate – You can use dark chocolate chips, baking chocolate, or good-quality chocolate bars to melt and add into the frosting. Alternatively, you can also use milk or semi-sweet chocolate if you have a strong preference.
Making This Baileys Chocolate Cake in Different Sizes
I used three 8″ cake pans to make this cake, but this recipe can be used to make different-sized cakes. You can also half or double the ingredients to make a half or double batch!
You can also make four 8″ or 7″ cake layers with one batch of batter. Bake the cake layers at 350°F/175°C for 23-27 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
One batch of batter can also be used to make one 9×13-inch sheet cake. Bake it at 350°F / 175°C for 40-50 minutes and use flower nails or heating cores to help the cake bake evenly.
If you want to make cupcakes, I highly recommend using my chocolate cupcake recipe as a base!
One batch of my cupcake recipe makes 12 moist chocolate cupcakes. Make a quarter batch of ganache and buttercream to fill and frost them.
Tips for Making The Best Baileys Chocolate Cake
- Ingredients at room temperature mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
- Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
- Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them. Make sure each pan has the same amount of batter will make your cake layers bake to the same height and bake more evenly.
- Level your room temperature or thawed cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack.
- Chill your cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. This makes it easier to stack and frost.
- If you want to make cupcakes, I recommend using my Bailey’s chocolate cupcake recipe.
Making This Baileys Chocolate Cake in Advance and Storage Tips
Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.
Make your frosting ahead of time, too, or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.
A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!
If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a week.
Let Me Know What You Think!
If you try this Baileys chocolate cake recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a rating and comment below.
And don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets on social media so that I can see your delicious creations!
Baileys Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Baileys Chocolate Cake Layers
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 260g
- 2 cups granulated sugar 400g
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 75g
- 2 tsp baking powder 8g
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda 9g
- 1 tsp fine salt 6g
- 1 cup warm water 240g
- 2 tsp instant espresso of coffee 5g
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature 120g
- 1/2 cup Baileys Irish Cream 120g
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil 110g
- 2 large eggs, room temperature 112g
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 8g
Baileys Chocolate Ganache Filling
- 2 cups milk chocolate chips 340g
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature 240g
- 2 Tbsp Baileys Irish Cream 28g
Baileys Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 454g
- 1 cup unsweetened baking cocoa, sifted 100g
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 4g
- 1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
- 5 cups powdered sugar 625g
- 1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips, melted and cooled 228g
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature 120g
- 2 Tbsp Baileys Liqueur 30g
Instructions
Baileys Chocolate Cake Layers
- Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 175 C. Line and grease three, eight-inch cake pans, or four, seven-inch pans.
- Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, 3/4 cup baking cocoa, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp of salt in a large bowl. Whisk together until combined.
- In a separate, large bowl, add 1 cup of hot water and 2 tsp instant espresso or coffee. Stir until dissolved.
- Add in 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup Baileys Irish cream, 1/2 cup oil, 2 eggs and 2 tsp vanilla extract into the instant espresso mixture. Give the mixture a quick stir to combine the ingredients.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix by hand until fully incorporated. The batter will be on the thin side, but that’s the consistency you're after!
- Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans, and bake for about 24-27 minutes. I like to use a kitchen scale to weigh the pans. It makes sure each pan has the exact same amount of batter and helps the cake layers bake up to be the same height.
- Remove the cake layers from the oven and let them cool in the pans for about 10 minutes. Gently run an offset spatula around the rim of the cake pans to loosen them, then flip them onto wire racks to finish cooling.
- Once cooled, use a serrated knife to level the top of each cake layer. If you make these in advance, wrap and freeze them at this point.
Baileys Chocolate Ganache
- Place 2 cups of milk chocolate chips in a medium sized bowl.
- Pour 1 cup of heavy cream into a medium-sized pot and heat over a medium high heat until it just begins to boil.
- Pour over the chocolate and let the mixture sit for 1-2 minutes.
- Add in 2 Tbsp of Baileys then slowly stir with a rubber spatula until the mixture comes together and is smooth.
- Place plastic wrap over the top of the ganache and set aside to cool.
Baileys Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Beat 2 cups of butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth.
- Add in 1 cup of sifted cocoa powder, 1 tsp vanilla, and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix on low until the ingredients are combined and no clumps remain.
- Gradually mix in 5 cups of powdered sugar on a low speed. Halfway through add 1/2 cup of heavy cream and 2 Tbsp of Baileys to make the frosting easier to mix.
- Next, mix in 1 1/3 cups of dark chocolate chips that have been melted and cooled.
- Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.
Assembling This Baileys Chocolate Cake
- Stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cake board using a dab of chocolate ganache to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
- Spread an even layer of chocolate buttercream on top of the chocolate cake layer with a large offset spatula. Chill the cake in the freezer for 5 minutes, then spread half of the ganache mixture on top of the layer of buttercream. Repeat with the next cake layer, then place the third cake layer on upside down to make the cake easier to frost.
- Cover the cake in a thin coat of chocolate buttercream. Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (20 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the buttercream is firm to the touch.
- Add a second, thicker layer of chocolate buttercream to the cake and smooth using a bench scraper.
- Decorate as desired! I added a ganache drip around the sides and then used a pointed offset spatula to create lines around the cake.
Video
Notes
Tips for Making the Best Baileys Chocolate Cake
- Ingredients at room temp mix together better! Set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
- Properly measure the flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level). Or better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
- Mix the cake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated. This will ensure your cake layers are tender and fluffy.
- Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them. Make sure each pan has the same amount of batter so that the cake layers bake to the same height and bake more evenly.
- Bang the cake pans on the counter before putting them in the oven. This brings any air bubbles that are trapped in the batter to the surface.
- Level the room temperature or thawed cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack.
- Chill the cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. It makes it so much easier to stack and frost them!
Making this Baileys Chocolate Cake in Advance and Storage Tips
Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable. Make the chocolate frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month. This frosting can also be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months! Just be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to make it nice and smooth again. A frosted cake can last in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a month. The buttercream locks in the moisture and keeps the cake fresh and delicious!Nutrition
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Can this recipe made into cupcakes
it can!!
You can! It’d be delicious as cupcakes 🙂
This looks so yummy and pretty. Can’t wait to try it. Could I substitute jack Daniel’s for the baileys?
Bernadine
Thanks!! You could in the cake batter and the buttercream, but not in the ganache ??
Do u need the dark chocolate for the frosting?
I highly recommend it! It really takes the chocolate frosting to the next level, and enhances the chocolate flavor!
Hi this cake looks beautiful and yummy. I was wondering could i substitute jack daniels for the baileys.
Bernadine
definitely! Just not in the ganache, for that you can swap out the baileys for additional heavy cream <3
Hi Chelsey,
I made this today for my Tearoom. I’m sure my customers are going to love it, they lovey my coffee baileys cake so sure they’ll love this one too!
Great recipe !
aw I’m so happy to hear that Helen!! Thanks for putting this recipe to good use 🙂
Please help! I am assembling this cake tonight and made the ganache last night and set it at room temp in a container, but it is rock hard today so i’ll have to reheat all over again. Is this normal? Will it get this hard on the cake??
so sorry for the delayed response! it definitely shouldn’t be rock hard. it should be firm, but you should be able to push it around with a spatula. did you weigh out the chocolate and heavy cream? did you use the same type of chocolate as me?
I did everything according to the recipe, so I’m not sure why it got so hard. I ended up warming it back up until it was peanut butter consistency and it worked perfectly. This was honestly probably the best cake I have ever had in my life… everyone who had it told me I should open a bakery because they loved it so much! Thank you for this recipe I will without a doubt make it again!!
haha well I’m happy you thought quickly on your feet, and made it work!! Also very happy you loved the way it tasted 🙂 Those types of comments make my day, thank you for sharing!!
We made it last night in a food fight challenge, and this cake is the best cake, but I have a question. Why is it necessary to wait 4-5 hours for,the ganache? That part is not in the time to make, so we did not worry about it.
I’m happy to hear you guys loved this cake recipe! The ganache usually just takes that long to fully cool, and set/thicken up! It can vary based on the size of bowl you’re using, but waiting just makes it easier to add it to the cake 🙂
Hi! I am preparing everything for tomorrow. I am baking the cake at the moment and I finished the Ganash. But it turned out very weird, you can see the oils on top of it and the Ganash itself is not as smooth as I can see in your video. Can you help me? Should I redo it or is it fine? I think maybe the heavy cream was too hot for the chocolate so it overheated.. Please help me!
I’d recommend heating it up for 15 second intervals in the microwave, until its a workable consistency! if you give it a stir, it should come back together! The baileys can sometimes be tempermental with different types of chocolate <3
Can this be adjusted for 7 inch pans and how so?
for sure! You can bake 4, 7-inch cake layers 🙂
Hi ? For the Ganache, instead of using Bailey’s can I just use the same amount for heavy cream?
So 114 grams heavy cream?
Thank you x
you def can swap out the bailey’s for additional heavy cream! I actually share my normal ganache here, if that’s easier: https://chelsweets.com/2017/06/09/dark-chocolate-ganache-cake-filling/
Happy baking <3
Why do you use all purpose flour instead of cake flour?
I like the structure it provides for my layer cakes, especially with all the buttermilk in this recipe! You can also use cake flour, but the texture (in my opinion) isn’t quite as good 😛
Do you know how much this cake weights?
For the butter cream do I melt chocolat whit the cream?
Hi Marlyn! Usually people heat up the cream until it’s just beginning to bubble, then pour it over chocolate in a separate bowl to make ganache
Hi! i love your website and I do enjoy this cake and the flavor combo! I was wondering if you’ll be able to make another cake with vanilla layers and replicate it to be like a tiramisu? I love that dessert and would love to have that as my wedding cake 🙂
Hi Dorothy! A tiramisu cake sounds AMAZING!! I definitely am going to add that to my list of cakes to make!!!! 🙂
Hi, I was wondering if I can use this exact cake recipe but not use any alcohol?? Is that possible?
Hi Olivia,
You sure can! in the cake batter you can use extra buttermilk in place of the bailey’s, and for the ganache use heavy cream instead of the baileys. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Hi Chelsey,
Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe. I attempted to bake this cake yesterday but several things didn’t work out as it should.
Firstly, I baked the cake with a 7 inch silicon cake mold and followed all the steps adding and mixing all ingredients, however the edges of cake layers all turned out to be sloped and surface turned a bit hard like a hard, crispy cover. Not sure if it is due to the material of the mold or the over fan temperature.
Secondly, the buttercream weren’t as the goldenrod colour as yours. Thirdly, I believe I had similar problem as others mentioned above with the ganache, it turned out to be quite gluey and peanut butter like, which I can’t apply easily on the buttercream frosting surface.
I hope I can improve in my second attempt. Could you please help? Much appreciated. Thanks!
Cheers,
Diana
Hi Didi,
So sorry to hear that! This recipe makes super soft, fluffy chocolate cake layer, so you really need to use a metal or hard cake pan to bake them! A silicone cake mold isn’t quite sturdy enough :/
The ganache does turn out to be a bit thick because of the bailey’s, and that’s why I add it on top of a chilled layer of chocolate buttercream frosting. That way, you don’t get any crumbs as you spread it 🙂 However, if it’s too thick to spread you can always add a bit more heavy cream, or heat it up in the microwave in 10 second intervals, until it’s easier to work with.
Hope that helps, happy baking!!
Hi Chelsey, I’ve just come across your site this morning and I’m very excited! My friend’s birthday is coming up and she LOVES baileys so I’m planning to make this cake. One thing I’ve noticed is that for your buttercream you state to mix it on low speed; I’ve been used to whipping my butter on high until very light and fluffy. What happens to the texture of the butter cream when mixed on low speed? I did recently have a cream cheese butter cream curdle and wonder now if it’s because I over-beat it….?
Also, your video tutorials are amazing! I love the idea of piping the butter cream around the sides before smoothing it out. Thank you!!!
Kelly Hayes
Hi Kelly,
That is a great question. I try not to incorporate much air into my buttercream and use a paddle attachment, to make it silky smooth! It makes it a lot easier to smooth onto cakes and pipe with. However, if you want a fluffier buttercream you can definitely beat the butter on high with a whisk attachment! It really is more of a matter of preference than anything else 🙂 I hope that helps, and that your friend loves her bday cake!! Happy baking!
Me again! So, I made my friend’s birthday cake using your recipe as my inspiration and it was fabulous. I followed you cake recipe to a T with the exception of substituting Caputo gluten-free flour (I have an allergy) and I have to say it turned out AMAZING! Moist and chocolatey; a definite keeper! I did switch other components up based on my personal taste (I find American buttercream way too sweet) and on reviewers comments (the ganache). I made an Italian buttercream (a bit tricky but was worth it) and after going back to a ganache recipe I used for my Dad’s cake, increased the cream used substantially (for 250 grams of chocolate I used 1 cup of heated cream and 2 tbs of Baileys). The ganache was perfect; when cooled slightly it spread beautifully and firmed up perfectly. I decorated differently (although I’m dying to try your technique; I just wasn’t feeling confident to do it yesterday). Again, I love your videos and will be trying more of your recipes in the future. Thanks Chelsey!!
Hi Kelly,
I am so happy to hear that!! AND that gluten free flour worked great with it!!!! 🙂 ABC is definitely on the sweet side, I totally get that. I bet it tasted amazing with Italian buttercream!
Thank you so much for sharing, your comment put the biggest smile on my face today!
For the chocolate buttercream ingredients you have 1 1/3 melted dark chocolate but in the directions you have “chips”
Hi Jan,
I melt down down chocolate chips! I use 1 1/3 cups dark chocolate chips, which I melt and let cool before adding into my frosting. Hope that helps, sorry for any confusion!
Sorry, maybe its a dump question but “what is buttermilk?”
Hi Marilin,
buttermilk is a cultured milk that makes super tender baked goods! You can usually find it in the dairy aisle of most grocery stores. If you don’t have any in your grocery store, you can also use sour cream or whole milk in its place.
Hello! Obsessed with your page! Is there anyway to do a baileys buttercream without the chocolate?
Hi Danielle,
Totally! I’d swap it into my vanilla cake recipe, by adding it into the frosting and swapping out 1/2 cup of buttermilk for 1/2 cup of baileys. You can also add a baileys simple syrup to make it extra boozy if you want. hope that helps, happy baking!
Hello, Chelsea!! I was thinking about swapping the milk chocolate for semi sweet ganache. What do you think? Will it makes the cake bitter?
Hi Brittany,
I think it all comes down to your taste preference!! I personally prefer the taste of milk, but it you like less sweet / darker chocolate, I bet you’d love the this tastes with semi sweet chocolate. You will need to add a tiny bit more heavy cream to the ganache filling, because semi sweet has less cocoa butter in it than milk chocolate.
Hope that helps, happy baking!
Okay!! Thanks so much!! ????
Np! <3
Hey,
I was planning to make your chocolate bailey’s cake. I am not fond of buttercream and neither is my sister who i’m baking it for so i was planning to fill and top the cake with the ganache only.
I went through a lot of comments and realised that the ganache is really thick. So do you think it’s a good idea to go through with what i have in mind or is the buttercream really crucial?
Hi Nikita,
I’ve updated the recipe to make the ganache a bit less thick, but I would recommend doubling the amount of ganache for the filling if you plan for it to be the only thing between the cake layers.
If you find yours is thick, you can always add in a splash of additional heavy cream or Baileys. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Hello,
Beautiful cake! I’m wondering if only 1 and a 1/2 cup of flour can make 3 cake layers in an 8 inch pan??? And also If I want to decrease the amount of sugar (1 cup instead of 2 ) is this possible? Do I have to add more flour??
Thank you 🙂
Hello!!! I’m planning on making this cake for my birthday, I’ll start today, but I have a dumb question. Is unsweetened cocoa powder the same thing as unsweetened baking cocoa? Thank you in advance!
If I just need 2 layer with 7 inch pans is that all ingredients cut into half of it?
Would black cocoa be too much in this recipe?
Hi Chelsweets, for this receipe can I swap out the baileys for kahlua.
Hi Your recipe looks really interesting …. I would like to know if I don’t want to use eggs… Can you give me replacement of egss since I am vegetarian
Looking at the blog, it says equal ratio of cream and baileys for the ganache, but then the recipe has 1 C cream to 2 tbsp Baileys. Looking at your ganache page you have 2:1 chocolate to cream, while this is 1.3:1. Given other comments about the ganache, Am I over thinking this, or should the recipe be tweaked?
Going to make this cake for a co workers birthday. The ganache part you had mentioned equal parts of heavy cream and Bailey’s. In the actual recipe it is 1 C heavy cream, and it says 2TBSP cup Bailey’s. Did you modify the recipe so it is not to thick and didn’t take the cup part out in front of the Bailey’s? Does it still work with 1 C heavy cream and 1 C Bailey’s? Do you have to increase the chocolate portion?
@Ronda, hi I’m also wondering this can you let me know what you did and of it worked please.
Could I use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate?
Hi..I’ve to make a 2 tier chocolate Bailey’s cake for a wedding,can I cover it with white buttercream frosting to give it a naked n rustic look…I hope it tastes good
It is very yummy I’ll bake for Valentine’s day 🙂
Just a question why do you use baking powder and baking soda?
I mean in Italy we use just baking powder because it has inside baking soda.
I see in english/american recipe
Baking powder and then baking soda, but I don’t undestand why.
Thank you for your recipe 😉
Hi Chelsey
thanks for the great recipes
Can I use just white egg for this recipes?
We Love your other choc cake recipe instantly become One of our favourite
Hi Chelsea firstly I love your recipes especially this one it’s amazing. I was wondering though in the blog you specified equal amounts of cream and baileys for the ganache however the recipe calls for 2tbsp. Which is it?
Hi,
Thank you so much for this absolutely perfect recipe. I followed your instructions and it came out perfectly and was loved by everyone. I even decorated it as you did so that it was as pleasing to the eye as it was to the mouth. It was absolutely delicious and I would certainly make it again in a heartbeat.
Can you use gluten free four for the cake?
Wow it was awesome,can i cover fondent on top.plz reply
Hi Sofia,
This cake recipe is pretty soft. You can cover the cake in fondant but I would make sure to keep the cake chilled! If it fully thaws to room temperature you might experience some settling which can result in wrinkling or bubbles in the fondant. Hope that helps!
I cannot wait to make this! Quick question, could we add coffee simple syrup to the cake without it messing with the consistency. I am wanting a hint of coffee flavour in the cake also. Many thanks, Lana 🙂
Hi Lana,
Great question! You can totally add a coffee simple syrup to the cake layers! That sounds delicious 🙂 The layers are pretty soft, but i’ve added simple syrup to them before and they held their shape just fine. Hope that helps, happy baking!
Really great recipe. Thank you so much! Made for my husband’s 50th birthday, and he said it’s the best cake I’ve ever made (and, I’ve made a lot of good cakes). He is NOT a big cake guy but had two pieces! Few notes. Only had two 8 inch pans, so used two 9 instead, and it was fine. Checked it at 22 min cuz oven is hot but ended up cooking it another 3. Perfect. Very moist. Added some extra espresso powder and cold coffee to both cake and icing to kick up the flavor, and it was very good. Used sour cream for buttermilk. Melted the chocolate chips (for icing) using double boiler. Love the ganache recipe. Heating up the cream and pouring it over the chocolate is genius. Guess I’ve never made ganache before. Wasn’t feeling great, so sort of rushed through frosting it. Did chill between layers but started with the ganache layer first (freezer 10 min), buttercream (freezer 10 min), second layer ganache (freezer 10 min), and then finished with all over buttercream and chocolate jimmies.
Hi Sarah,
Love that!!! That is wonderful to hear 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing!!
Tried this recipe for my boyfriend’s birthday and OH MY GOD … literally everyone likes it so much that I think they love me more ???
It is an absolutely stunning recipe and the ganache turned out so creamy and the cake was so fluffy. I followed the recipe as mention and at this point I just wanna say that the cake was an art.
I made it day before yesterday and it was finished within 20 minutes and I have come back to look at the recipe as my friends and family wants me to make more again …. Thank you so much ?
@Sakshi, those question marks are hearts btw 🙂
Hi Sakshi,
I am so happy to hear that, and that you love this recipe as much as I do!! 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
I had a Baileys German choc. cake,but I could not get the recipe.It was awesome!!How can I incorporate the coconut and nuts in to this?I am thinking it will make the frosting thicker,so how to adjust?I even thought about just making a layer of nuts& coconut between layers then sprinkle on top.Help!!
Hi Melissa,
I think making the caramel / nut filling separately and then adding it between the layers would be delish! I have a German chocolate bundt cake recipe that you can use for the filling, here’s the link: https://chelsweets.com/german-chocolate-pound-cake/
Hope that helps, happy baking!
Hi Chelsea,
I have 9-inch cake pans. Should I still split it into 3 or would it be better to spit the batter into two pans?
Great question Rebekah! I would recommend making 2, 9-inch cake layers, but the bake time might be a few minutes longer and I’d recommend testing the center with a toothpick to make sure it’s done! Hope that helps, happy baking!
Hello Chelsey, I’m in Australia & about to make your BI cream choc cake for my friends surprise 70th birthday lunch party. She has has breast cancer twice, & two lots of chemo.
She adores Baileys Irish Cream, so what better birthday prezzy.
Is the coffee liquid as in made up espresso or teaspoons of granular/ powered?
Thanks Chelsey.
hello, this recipe looks fun. can i swap regular whiskey, or scotch for the baileys?
Hi Michelle,
Hi there! I’m so glad you think it looks fun—it really is such a rich, cozy cake!
You can swap the Baileys for regular whiskey or scotch, but just keep in mind it’ll change the flavor a bit since those are much stronger and not creamy like Baileys. If you’re using them in the cake batter, I’d recommend cutting the amount slightly and maybe adding a splash of milk or cream to balance it out. If it’s for the frosting or ganache, you might want to go a little lighter so it doesn’t overpower the chocolate.
Let me know if you give it a try—I’d love to hear how it turns out with the twist!
hii, can i use a homemade Baileys for this cake? made with cream, condensed milk and liquor? because I cannot seem to find small quantities around me
Hi Yegammai,
I haven’t tried it, but I would think that should work great!! Let me know how it turns out if you try it 🙂 Happy baking!