Baileys Cake
Infused with Baileys Irish Cream, this amazing Baileys Cake is a family recipe. Handed down through my husband’s Irish family, it’s a special occasion cake that we make often. It’s moist, nutty, and has a kiss of creamy whiskey flavor from the Irish cream. It’s an amazing cake, and it’s easier to make than you might think!
Like many of my favorite cake recipes, Baileys Cake is made with a few shortcuts. This really cuts down on the prep time and lets you focus on other things, like catching up with family and friends while it bakes.
Baileys Cake
This cake is Irish through and through. My inlaws are from Dublin, and they’d serve this cake at special events and holidays, and now we carry on the tradition. You’ll need about 1 ¼ cups of Baileys Irish Cream for this recipe, so get a small bottle. Or a large one – you all know how delicious this liqueur is and if your house is anything like mine, the extra won’t go to waste!
Read more: Baileys Cake
This cake is made in a bundt pan because, as you’ll see, you add the glaze to the bottom of the bundt pan and set the cake back in the pan to soak up all that yummy Baileys glaze.
Easy, delicious, and with plenty of Baileys, this is my kind of Irish dessert and I just know you’ll love it, too!
Why I love this recipe
- It’s infused with the hallmark flavors of whiskey and chocolate from the Baileys Irish Cream liqueur. What’s not to love about that?
- Baileys Cake is easy to make thanks to starting with a box cake mix and pudding mix.
- Worried about having too much cake? Freeze the leftovers! This cake freezes beautifully!
Gather these ingredients
- Pecans – Chopped and divided. Toast them first for extra nutty flavor.
- Yellow cake mix – 1 15.25-ounce box.
- Instant vanilla pudding mix – 1 3.4-ounce box.
- Eggs – You’ll need 4 large eggs.
- Baileys Irish Cream – You need 1 cup for the cake, and ¼ cup for the glaze.
- Vegetable oil
- White sugar
- Butter
- Water
- Vanilla extract – Pure or artificial vanilla is fine.
How to make Baileys Cake
- Preheat your oven to 325-F and grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan with cooking spray.
- Sprinkle ½ cup of the chopped pecans evenly over the bottom of the bundt pan and set it aside.
- Combine the cake mix and pudding mix in a large bowl.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the Baileys Irish Cream, oil, and water until well combined. Mix for 5 minutes.
- Pour the cake batter over the nuts in the prepared bundt pan.
- Bake the cake at 325-F for about 1 hour or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip the pan over onto a clean cake plate or cutting board, and set the bundt pan aside. Let the cake rest, inverted, for 10 more minutes then poke about 6 holes in the top of the cake using the small end of a wooden spoon. Prick the top and sides of the cake all over with a toothpick to create smaller holes.
- While the cake rests, make the glaze by combining the sugar, butter, and water in a small saucepan. Bring this to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove the glaze from the heat and stir in the remaining Baileys Irish Cream and vanilla extract.
- Pour the glaze into the bottom of the bundt can and carefully transfer the cake back into the pan. Let it sit in the glaze for 20 minutes.
- Invert the cake onto a cake plate or serving pan, top with the remaining pecans, and serve!
Tips & substitutions
- If your bundt pan is on the small side, place the pan on a baking sheet to catch any spillover.
- Let the cake cool enough to handle with a kitchen towel before trying to invert it and take it out of the bundt pan.
- Don’t care for pecans? You can make this Baileys Cake recipe with walnuts or your favorite nuts. Or, skip them completely but I do love the crunch they give the cake.
- Worries about the alcohol in this cake? When you bake the cake for an hour, only 25% of the alcohol volume remains, and when you cut the cake into 12 slices, that’s hardly any alcohol per slice.
Serving suggestions
Serve this Irish cake after a classic Irish meal of Bangers and Mash, Irish Beef and Lamb Stew, or hearty Shepherd’s Pie.
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze leftover cake. Wrap it tightly in foil and then put it into a zipper-top bag and seal it shut. Freeze slices or chunks of cake for up to 3 months. Simply thaw and serve.
Check out these awesome Irish dessert recipes while you’re here
Get the Recipe:
Baileys Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped pecans, divided
- 1 15.25 ounce yellow cake mix
- 1 3.4 ounce instant vanilla pudding mix
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup Bailey’s Irish cream liqueur
- ½ cup vegetable oil
Glaze:
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup butter
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup Bailey’s Irish cream liqueur
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle ½ cup chopped nuts evenly over the bottom of the pan.
- Combine cake mix and pudding mix in a large bowl. Beat in eggs, Bailey’s Irish cream, oil, and water with an electric mixer on high speed (or stand mixer on medium) for 5 minutes. Pour batter over nuts in the bottom of the pan.
- Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip the cake over. Allow to rest for 10 more minutes, and then poke about 6 holes in the top of the cake using the end of a wooden spoon. Last step, prick the top and sides of the cake with a toothpick, all over the cake to add more (small) holes.
To make the glaze:
- Next make the glaze by combining sugar, butter, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the Bailey’s Irish cream and vanilla extract.
- Pour the glaze into the bottom of the bundt pan and put the cake back into the pan. Allow to sit for another 20 minutes and then flip it over, inverting the cake onto a serving plate. All the glaze will be absorbed into the cake.
- Top with remaining ¼ cup of chopped pecans and serve!
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
Omg 😱. Delish and moist as moist can get