With St. Patty's Day just around the corner, it was only fitting that I made this Baileys Chocolate cake! It also means that warmer weather is slowly making its way back to Wisconsin. A girl can only wish, right?
A chocolate three layer moist cake that is infused with Bailey's Irish cream liquor and Bailey's chocolate chips. In addition, I frosted the cake with a Bailey's buttercream.
Can you tell that I am a lover of all things Bailey's? There is just something about that flavor that I can't get enough of. However, I don't drink it too much as my metabolism and thighs don't like the calories like they tolerated in my twenties! Oh, how I miss those days of drinking or eating whatever I wanted and not gaining an ounce.
Nevertheless, back to reality and my 40 yr old mom body that I rock now. Make this for a St. Patty's Day get together or just because you want a high calorie dessert to soak up all the alcohol you drink!

What is Baileys Irish cream?
Baileys Irish cream is an Irish cream liqueur flavored with cream, cocoa and Irish Whiskey. It is made by Diageo located in Dublin and Northern Ireland.
It is used in a variety of different desserts, especially ones with cocoa. In addition, it really enhances the chocolate flavor in the cake I made!
I have tried other Irish creams on the market and they just don't do Baileys justice!
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Bailey's chocolate baking chips
- Bailey's Irish cream
- Unsalted butter
- Canola oil
- Confectioner's sugar
Step by Step instructions
- Prepare oven and 8 inch cake pans: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease and layer cake pans with parchment circles. Set aside.
- Make chocolate cake batter: Whisk all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add wet ingredients and chocolate chips to dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Combine water and vanilla extract and pour oven batter.
- Pour and divide batter into cake pans and bake: Pour into prepared cake pans and bake for 32-35 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Make Baileys buttercream frosting: Add ingredients into bowl on a stand mixer and mix until well combined and frosting has reached desired consistency.
- Assemble and garnish cake: Put first layer of cake on cake board. Frost and repeat process of frosting until entire cake is covered. Around the entire cake put on Baileys chocolate chips. Serve and enjoy!

Substitutions and variations
- Make a Baileys soaked sponge cake
- Use a different size cake pan such as a 9 inch round or 9x13 pan. Or even make cupcakes from this cake batter. Baking times will vary.
- Add in additional chocolate chips or even some walnuts
- Use a different flavor of Baileys
- Substitute with a Baileys infused Swiss meringue buttercream
Tips and tricks
- Don't substitute other Irish creams for Baileys. The taste will not be the same at all.
- You can add more or less Baileys Irish cream to your cake batter or buttercream depending on how boozy you like your cake to taste.
- Crush or chop up Baileys chocolate chips before adding to the side of your cake.
- Store in an airtight container for 1 day at room temperature. If wanting to keep the cake fresh longer, put in the fridge. It will be good for up to 3 days.
FAQ's
Yes, wrap slices or the whole thing in an airtight container and put in freezer for up to 3 months.
In an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days.

Baileys Irish cream layer cake
Equipment
- Electric hand mixer
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Silicon Spatula
- Whisk
- 8 inch round cake pans
Ingredients
Baileys chocolate cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup chocolate chips Baileys chips
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup canola oil
- ¾ cup milk room temperature
- ¾ cup boiling water
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup Bailey's Irish cream liquor
Baileys buttercream frosting
- 1½ cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 8 cups confectioner's sugar sifted
- ⅓ cup whipping cream
- 5 tablespoon bailey's irish cream liquor
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Baileys chocolate cake
- Preheat oven to 300°. Prepare three 8 inch round cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom and spray the sides with non stick spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add in the milk, boiling water, canola oil, eggs, irish cream liquor and baileys chocolate chips and mix until well combined.
- Divide the batter between each 8 inch cake pan and bake between 32-35 minutes or until knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool for about 10 minutes in the pan. Transfer to wire cooling rack to cool completely. During the cooling process, make the buttercream frosting.
Baileys buttercream frosting
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth. Add in the confectioner's sugar, bailey's irish cream, whipping cream, vanilla and salt and beat until desired consistency is reached.
Assembly of the cake
- Place the first cake layer on a cake board. Spread 1 cup of frosting into the even layer. Add a second layer of cake and another cup of frosting. Top the cake with the last layer of cake.
- Frost the tops and sides of the cake to have a crumb coat. Put in fridge for 15 minutes. Remove from fridge and frost the rest of the cake until completely covered. Garnish the sides with bailey's chocolate chips. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Festive desserts
- Mint chocolate chess bars
- Brownie Donuts with Baileys glaze
- Red white and blue cheesecake
- Lucky charms ice cream cupcakes
Fun fact of the day!
Worcestershire sauce is essentially an Anchovy ketchup. Yuck!
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