Baileys Chocolate Cake

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This Baileys Chocolate Cake recipe combines two of my favorite things (Baileys and chocolate) in one amazing dessert. Layers of moist Baileys-infused chocolate cake are stacked, filled, and frosted with rich Baileys frosting. It doesn’t get much better, folks.

Why You’ll Love This Baileys Chocolate Cake Recipe

• A beautifully simple recipe. The batter for this cake is so easy to throw together. You won’t need to employ any fancy mixing methods. Just mix everything together in one bowl, transfer the batter to cake pans, and bake! If you’re looking for an even simpler chocolate cake recipe (no layers involved), try my Easy Moist Chocolate Sheet Cake.
• Big Baileys flavor. If you’re going to put “Baileys” in the title of a dessert, it had better be loaded with Baileys flavor. And this cake certainly is. I made sure to include plenty of Bailey’s Irish cream in the cake batter as well as in the frosting.
• Great moisture. I wanted the cake layers themselves to be supremely moist. So I used my Best Chocolate Cake Recipe for inspiration and just added a little kick of Baileys Irish Cream. The result? One of the moistest cakes you’ve ever experienced.

What You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need to bring this Baileys chocolate cake recipe to life. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card below for exact measurements.

For the Baileys chocolate cake

• All-purpose flour – You could easily use a 1:1 gluten-free flour instead.
• Sugar
• Natural unsweetened cocoa powder – You can use Dutch-processed cocoa powder for a richer chocolate flavor.
• Baking soda – The baking soda helps the cake rise so that it’s nice and light and fluffy.
• Salt – You need a little salt to balance out the sweetness of this chocolate cake.
• Eggs
• Milk – I usually go with whole milk but 2% will also work.
• Vegetable oil – The use of vegetable oil in the cake batter makes the cake itself supremely moist. While you can achieve moist cake layers with butter (like in this awesome German Chocolate Cake), vegetable oil usually wins in that department.
• Baileys Irish Cream – I used a generous amount of Baileys Irish Cream in this cake. It adds moisture and, of course, awesome Baileys flavor.
• Boiling water – The hot water helps the chocolate in the cocoa powder bloom for the best chocolate flavor.
• Vanilla

To make the Baileys frosting*

• Butter – The butter should be softened at room temperature. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself with lumpy frosting.
• Shortening – I used roughly half shortening and half butter in this frosting. The shortening helps the buttercream hold its shape.
• Powdered sugar – The powdered sugar not only sweetens the frosting but also helps to stabilize it.
• Baileys Irish Cream

* I went with a baileys-infused frosting here. If you’re looking for chocolate frosting, check out my classic Chocolate Buttercream. You can replace some (or all) of the heavy cream in that recipe with Baileys Irish Cream.

How To Make Baileys Chocolate Cake

Time to tie on your apron and get to baking! Here’s a quick look at how to make chocolate cake with Baileys Irish cream. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.

• Prep. Line the bottom of three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper circles and grease the sides. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
• Make the batter. Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, and then mix the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and Irish cream into the dry ingredients. Finally, combine the hot water and vanilla and mix it into the batter.
• Bake. Divide the batter between the cake pans and bake for 32-34 minutes.
• Cool. Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes and then turn them out onto cooling racks to cool completely.
• Make the frosting. Beat the butter and shortening together until smooth. Mix in half of the powdered sugar followed by 4 tablespoons of Baileys and then the remaining powdered sugar. Add additional Baileys to the frosting (if needed) to get a smooth consistency.
• Assemble. Remove the domes from the cooled cake layers using a serrated knife. Then, place one layer on a cake plate and spread 1 cup of frosting over it. Stack the second cake layer on top and frost with 1 cup of frosting. Repeat with the last cake layer. Frost the outside of the cake.
• Make the chocolate ganache. Microwave the heavy whipping cream until boiling, then pour it over the chocolate chips. Cover and let sit for a few minutes and then whisk until smooth.
• Decorate the cake. Drizzle the chocolate ganache down the sides of the cake and pipe dollops of frosting around the border. Spread the remaining ganache into the center of the frosting border.

Tips for Success

I have a few tips and tricks that will help you make your dream of the perfect Baileys chocolate cake come true. Check ’em out before you start baking.

• Don’t over-mix. When combining the wet and dry ingredients for the cake batter, mix just until everything is combined. Over-mixing the batter can cause the glutens in the flour to overdevelop, which can result in tough, dense cake layers.
• Cool completely. Allow the cake layers to cool completely before stacking, filling, and frosting. If they are still warm, the frosting will slide off.
• Room temperature butter. Before making the frosting, allow the butter to soften at room temperature. If it is too cold, your frosting will turn out lumpy.
• Get the frosting right. When it comes to the frosting, it’s important to get the consistency right. Don’t be afraid to add a little extra Bailey’s to make it more spreadable/pipeable. Check out my post on how to get the right frosting consistency for more information.
• Resources for elegant presentation. Stacking, filling, and frosting a layer cake can feel intimidating but anyone can do it. Just check out my tutorials on how to level a cake, how to stack a cake, and how to frost a smooth cake with buttercream. You’ll be a pro in no time. This one on how to make a chocolate drip cake is helpful as well.

Proper Storage

• Counter/Refrigerator. Store the cake in an airtight cake carrier or wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap. I like using toothpicks to prop the plastic away from the decorative frosting. You can also arrange slices in a single layer in an airtight container. This dessert will stay good at room temperature for up to 24 hours or in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Freezer. Pop the cake in the freezer for a couple of hours to firm up before wrapping it in a double layer of plastic wrap. Alternatively, arrange slices in a single layer in an airtight container. You can store leftover Baileys chocolate cake in the freezer for up to 3 months.

More Desserts With Baileys

• No Bake Baileys Chocolate Cheesecake
• Baileys Chocolate Mousse Brownie Cake
• Baileys Chocolate Cupcakes
• Mini Baileys Chocolate Cheesecakes
• Baileys Chocolate Cookies
• Baileys Chocolate Roll

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