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This Caramel Baileys Pound Cake is so good, it just about melts in your mouth. The soft, moist Baileys pound cake with the caramel icing is a match made in heaven!
So this cake was actually born out of another cake. One of my very best friends since forever has been battling cancer since last summer. At the age of 31, she has cancer for the second time. Let’s not even go into how I just can’t even on that one. Instead let’s talk about the fact that this girl is still one of the spunkiest, most fabulous women alive!
Unfortunately, she lives about 4 hours from me so I haven’t been able to see her as often as I’d like. However a few weeks ago her family was out of town, so I went to spend the weekend with her. The only thing she’d been requesting for weeks was a pound cake. For a person who barely has an appetite and really hasn’t eaten many sweets, it was big that she wanted anything – let alone a pound cake. Naturally, I had to come through for her.
Not having any pound cakes on the blog as of yet, I went to the master of pound cakes – my friend Jocelyn over at Grandbaby Cakes. My friend wanted nothing to do with crazy fun versions of pound cake (I was SO tempted to make the Cinnamon Roll Pound Cake in Jocelyn’s cookbook), so I made her the Brown Sugar Pound Cake.
Not only was she thrilled to have a pound cake, she LOVED this one! She got her first stomach ache in a loooonnnggg time. 🙂 #worthit
So of course once I got home I had to make it again – but with alcohol. Apparently that’s what I do. 🙂 For someone who really doesn’t drink often, it was pointed out to me that I bake with alcohol a lot. What can I say? I happen to like the flavor it gives baked goods. Baileys in particular is a fave!
And the Baileys is amazing in this pound cake! The pound cake itself is so easy to put together. Like many cakes, it starts with the creaming of the butter and sugars. Don’t skimp on this step! There’s no leavener in this pound cake so any lift in the cake is coming from the air added to the batter through the creaming. Important step, my friends.
Next are the eggs and then the dry ingredients. Pretty standard stuff.
Then the Baileys! While I can’t say I sit around drinking Baileys much, I LOVE it in this cake! Yum, yum, yum! I even brushed a little more Baileys on top after it baked. Extra moisture, extra Baileys – what’s not to love? You could leave it off though, if you prefer. And then the caramel icing is an added bonus! Two of my very favorite flavors in one cake. Of course I had to freeze some for my friend.
I also took some to our church group and it was hit there as well! I can’t even describe how good it is. You just have to trust me – you want to make this cake.
Watch How To Make It
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Caramel Baileys Pound Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 82 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 52 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 Slices
- Category: Cake
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Caramel Baileys Pound Cake is so good it almost melts in your mouth. Soft, moist Baileys pound cake with the caramel icing is a match made in heaven!
Ingredients
BAILEYS POUND CAKE
- 1 1/2 cups (336g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups (450g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup (207g) sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 3 cups (390g) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup (240ml) Baileys Irish Cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
CARAMEL ICING
- 2 tbsp (28g) salted butter
- 1/3 cup (75g) light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp corn syrup
- 1 1/4 – 2 cups (144g-230g) powdered sugar
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C) and prepare a 10-14 cup bundt pan with non-stick baking spray.
2. In a large mixer bowl, cream butter and both sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy, for about 5 minutes.
3. Add eggs one at a time, mixing until well incorporated after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to make sure things are well combined.
4. With the mixer on low, carefully add the flour and salt and mix until just combined.
5. Add the Baileys and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
6. Spread the batter evenly into bundt pan and bake for 78-82 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out moist but mostly clean.
7. Allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes, then invert cake onto cooling rack to cool to room temperature. Brush the top of the cake with Baileys, if desired.
8. To make the icing, combine all ingredients except for the powdered sugar in a small sauce pan.
9. Heat on low until sugar is melted, then turn heat to medium to bring to a boil.
10. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat and immediately pour into a heat-proof glass bowl.
11. Whisk in 1 1/4 cups of the powdered sugar and allow to cool slightly and thicken. If your icing is too thin, add additional powdered sugar until it’s the right consistency to drizzle it. If you find your icing to be a little thick, just add a touch more water to thin it back out.
12. Drizzle the icing over the cake while the icing is still a little warm. It will be too firm to pour and get a nice drizzle if it cools completely.
Recipe modified from Grandbaby Cakes’ Brown Sugar Pound Cake recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 617
- Sugar: 59.7 g
- Sodium: 234.9 mg
- Fat: 28.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 81.5 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 139.5 mg
Categories
Enjoy!
Dear Lindsay,
I love your recipes, i have just a question about icing. When a made it, it didn’t look like on your photo, it was like transparent and it didn’t thicken up. The same experience like Kelly wrote. Is it possible that it was caused by not using a corn sirup? Is the corn sirup important in this recipe? Thank you for your reply
Lot of regards from Czech republic ????
Magda
It shouldn’t be the corn syrup. It’s the amount of powdered sugar used to thicken it. If it seems too thin, you can add more powdered sugar. I’m sorry it wasn’t quite as thick.
What is Baileys irish cream?
It’s a liqueur.
Lindsay, do you have a recommendation for Bundt pan? The one I am currently using is drying out my cakes.
So looking forward to trying this recipe!!
I have been using this one recently and like it.
Oh now this is a ‘must try’ Lindsey!!
Thanks for sharing, it sounds delicious!
This looks delicious!! I was just wondering if there is anything I could substitute the Bailey’s with?!? Thanks so much!
You can just use milk.
Fantastic recipe. We actually used our Baileys Salted Caramel in place of the regular baileys, so perfect! thank you 🙂
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it!
Is the amount of powdered sugar correct? When I made it, it did not thicken up even when cooled. It was more like a glaze and I had to keep spooning back on the cake. It did not look anything like the photo.
It should be correct. You can definitely add more powdered sugar though if it’s too thin.
I made your cake and it was delicious. However, i had the same problem with the icing. I followed the directions exactly. It did not thicken up and was more like a glaze. Any ideas as to adusting rather than just keep adding xxx sugar? thank you.
It really shouldn’t be terribly thin. You could try cooking the mixture a little longer or reducing the cream. But honestly, the best way to thicken an icing or frosting is with powdered sugar.
Should the eggs be at room temperature like the butter?
Can’t wait to try it. Thanks in advance
Either way is fine.
Omg! I took it and it didnt last an hour. It was a hit!
Awesome! So glad it was enjoyed by all!
I made this, so yummy! The taste of the bailey’s comes through so nicely. I had a little trouble with my icing, but that is like because I substituted half and half for the heavy cream because that was what I had on hand.
So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Delicious cake! So moist and recipe was easy to follow. Total hit with everyone:-) the icing came out a brown colour and did not show on the cake like in your picture. I used maple syrup instead of corn syrup – do you think that was the reason?
So glad you enjoyed it! It’s possible – the maple syrup would have a dark color than the clear corn syrup.
How did you freeze? Could you freeze the entire cake and does it taste like it was frozen once it is defrosted? I have a bake sale coming up and I’m trying to bake some items ahead of time!
Whenever I freeze cakes, it’s after the fact and already sliced. I haven’t frozen the entire cake.
Would love to see more Bundt Cake recipes. I, not only, love their shape, but they usually don’t require lots of frosting….a plus for us diabetics!
Great feedback, thanks Lin! I definitely want to do more.
I love Baileys, pound cake and Caramel. All 3 together?!! YUM!!!
YES! Me too! Thanks Sara! 🙂
Made it, and it is delicious!
Can you use the Bailey’s Irish Cream Creamer instead of the alcohol?
Yes, that should be fine. 🙂
I never met a pound cake I didn’t like and I look forward to trying this one. Jocelyn has some great recipes and you chose a great one. Sending best wishes to your friend.
Thanks so much Sandra!
Tried this one and everyone loved it! Thank u so much for sharing the recipe
I’m glad it was a hit!