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Coffee and Bailey's Cake
Those classic cocktails are classics for a reason - and this Coffee and Bailey's Cake captures those delicious flavors in a layer cake!
Equipment
- Squeeze bottle (or piping bag or spoon; to add cake drip)
- 2 small Bailey's Irish Cream bottles (empty) (I used 2 50mL bottles)
Ingredients
Coffee & Baileys Cake layers
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter or 2 sticks room temperature
- 5 eggs
- ¾ cup buttermilk room temperature
- ¾ cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
- 3 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp Instant espresso powder
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Bailey’s Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese (one package, softened)
- 1 cup butter (two sticks, softened)
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter)
Coffee Cake Drip & Decorations
- 1 cup white chocolate chips
- ¼ cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
- 4 Tablespoons Instant espresso powder (I recommend powder as regular instant coffee granules may not dissolve completely)
- 1 cup chocolate-covered espresso beans (I found these at Trader Joe's, or you can buy them online)
Instructions
Coffee & Baileys Cake layers
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare three 8-inch cake pans with baker's floured cooking spray, or grease and line with parchment rounds.
- Cream butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then beat in buttermilk and Bailey's Irish cream. Combine dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt) in separate bowl, then add half the dry ingredients at a time, beating 20 seconds after each addition.
- Add vanilla, espresso powder, and vegetable oil. Mix at a low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, then beat on medium speed for about 30 seconds.
- Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans (I find a kitchen scale helpful for this part). This guarantees your layers will bake to be the same height.
- Bake for 33-37 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean). Allow cake layers to cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire cooling rack before removing from pans. Cool completely before frosting. Set in the fridge or freezer to accelerate the cooling process if desired.
- Once the layers have fully cooled, they can be leveled and any caramelized bits can be trimmed from the sides / top of the cake using a serrated knife if desired. Be sure the layers are completely cooled or chilled before trimming. If you try to trim the layers while they’re still warm, they will crumble and break.
Bailey’s Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting
- Beat together softened cream cheese and butter; slowly add in powdered sugar alternating with Bailey's until frosting reaches desired consistency. Add salt if needed and beat until well combined.
Bailey’s Cake Filling
- (This step is optional, but to add a little bit more flavor to the filling, combine ¾ cup of frosting with ¼ cup of Bailey’s and another tablespoon of instant espresso powder. Drizzle between cake layers on top of the frosting (the mixture will be fairly thin).)
Assembly
- Place a smear of frosting on your cake circle (to keep the cake from sliding while you decorate it) and center your first cake layer in the center of the circle. Spread the layer with frosting, and drizzle with Bailey’s filling. Sprinkle a few chopped chocolate-covered espresso beans over the filling, and add your next cake layer on top. Repeat the process with your remaining cake layer.
- Now you're ready to crumb-coat . If you're unfamiliar with crumb-coating, it's just what it sounds like - a thin layer of frosting over the entire outside of the cake to keep crumbs out of your final layer.
- Once your crumb coat has set (this takes about 5-10 minutes in the fridge), add your final layer of frosting and smooth. I like to use an offset spatula and bench scraper for this part. Once your cake is covered, place it into the fridge to set the frosting.
Cake drip
- Place Bailey's and white chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on 50% power in 30-second intervals until smooth, stirring in between.
- Allow ganache has cooled to a moderate temperature – it should feel slightly warm and still be fairly liquid.
- Now the fun part! Drizzle ganache over the top of the cake, allowing it to run in drips down the side. It should set fairly quickly if your cake is well chilled. (I used a spoon and added my drips to just one side; you could use a piping bag and add them to the whole cake if desired.)
Decorating
- Okay! Time to decorate! Add 2 small Bailey's bottles to the top of the cake - I laid one down on its side and left the other standing, pressing them into the white chocolate ganache to hold them in place.
- Add 4 Tablespoons instant espresso to remaining frosting - I had to beat the frosting for 2-3 minutes to get the granules to dissolve completely. Decorate the cake top and base with frosting swirls and chocolate-covered espresso beans.
- And you’re done! Cut in and enjoy!
Video
Notes
(Please note nutrition information is an estimate and may not be exactly accurate.)
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice (1/16th cake)Calories: 745kcalCarbohydrates: 99gProtein: 8gFat: 38g
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Love your recipes, I just have a question with this one, you don´t use de egg yolks at all right?