Bailey’s Irish Cream Cake
Rich, decadent, and loaded with big chocolate flavor AND Bailey’s, this amazing Bailey’s Irish Cream Cake uses a few shortcuts to make baking even easier! This cake is so good – watch how fast it disappears!
I love Bailey’s Irish Cream. I love how thick, rich, and delicious it is. There are a few times per year that I buy a bottle to share with friends and family – in March around St. Patrick’s Day and around Christmas. Of course, it’s delicious any time of the year, but a special liqueur calls for special occasions.
Bailey’s Irish Cream Cake
Let me tell you about this cake! There’s Irish cream IN the cake and creamy icing, so you get great flavor in every bite! This cake is super easy to make, and with a few pantry staples, it is ready in a jiffy and always turns out perfectly.
What is Bailey’s Irish Cream?
Created in Ireland, this liqueur is a combination of cream, cocoa, and Irish whiskey. It has a smooth, creamy texture and light chocolate flavor. The whiskey flavor is not very strong, but with 17% alcohol by volume, it packs a punch.
Is Bailey’s Cake Safe for Kids?
There’s actually very little Irish cream per serving of this Bailey’s cake recipe. You’ll use less than a cup of Bailey’s in the whole cake. If you divide that by 12 servings, that’s only 1 tablespoon of Bailey’s per serving. It’s up to you if your kids should have a serving of this cake.
Why I love this recipe
- It’s a super easy cake to make and is so moist and flavorful!
- It makes enough to serve a small gathering.
- Who doesn’t love Bailey’s?
Gather these ingredients
All you need for this cake is your trusty 9 x 13 baking pan. Spray it well with cooking spray or line the bottom with parchment paper to help turn the cake out more easily. Mix, bake, poke, frost, and eat – that’s it!
- Dark chocolate cake mix box – And whatever ingredients it calls for to make the cake mix. Usually, eggs, oil, and water.
- Instant pistachio pudding mix
- Milk – Whatever kind of milk you have on hand is fine.
- Bailey’s Irish Cream
- Heavy whipping cream
- Powdered sugar
- Shaved chocolate – To garnish the cake.
- Pistachio nuts – Finely chopped; to garnish the cake.
How to Make Bailey’s Irish Cream Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350-F degrees and spray a 9×13 baking pan with cooking spray.
- Prepare the cake mix according to the package instructions, then transfer the batter to the cake pan.
- Bake the cake then remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly.
- Poke holes in the cake with the long end of a wooden spoon. You want about 80 holes in total (8 across, 10 down).
- Whisk the pudding mix, milk, and Bailey’s Irish Cream in a small bowl.
- Pour the pudding mixture over the cake, pressing the mixture into the holes with a spatula.
- Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours to set the pudding.
- Whip the heavy cream and as it thickens, add the remaining Bailey’s and powdered sugar, then continue whipping until stiff peaks form.
- Spread the whipped cream topping over the cooled cake and top with chocolate shavings and chopped pistachio nuts.
- Cut into squares and serve!
Tips & substitutions
- You can make chocolate shavings by grating good quality chocolate on a microplane or regular grater.
- Save yourself some chopping and purchase already-chopped pistachios.
- No chocolate for grating? Sprinkle the top with chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips.
Serving suggestions
This is a fun and tasty cake to serve after a meal of Irish Beef & Lamb Stew, or Shepherd’s Pie. Or, serve this tasty chocolate poke cake recipe along with other Irish eats and invite some friends! Irish Guinness Cupcakes and Irish Dark and White Bread Pudding are real crowd-pleasers!
Any other time of the year, this Bailey’s cake goes really well after a meal of Pistachio Lime Baked Salmon or even cabbage rolls.
Storage
Because of the milk and cream, leftover Bailey’s Irish Cream Cake is best stored in the fridge. Put the cake into an airtight container.
Check out these awesome cake recipes while you’re here
- Chocolate Coffee Cake
- Vanilla Texas Sheet Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake
- No Bake Bailey’s Chocolate Cheesecake
Get the Recipe:
Bailey’s Irish Cream Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 15.25 ounce box dark chocolate cake mix, plus ingredients needed to make cake: eggs, oil and water
- 3.4 ounce box instant pistachio pudding
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ½ cup Baileys Irish Cream
For the topping:
- 1 ¾ cups heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup Baileys Irish cream
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup chocolate, shaved
- ¼ pistachio nuts, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spray a 9x13 baking pan.
- Prepare and the cake mix according to package directions (add eggs, water, and oil). Pour into the prepared 9x13 pan.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes and remove from the oven. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- With a wooden spoon, poke holes in the cake evenly, about 80 holes (8 across, 10 down).
- In a small bowl whisk together the pudding mix, milk and Baileys Irish Cream.
- Pour pudding mixture over cake, pressing into the holes using a spatula. Place the cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to let the pudding mixture set up.
- To make the whipped topping, in a medium bowl beat the heavy cream. As it thickens, add the Baileys and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
- Spread the whipped cream mixture over cooled cake and top with chocolate shavings and finely chopped pistachio nuts. [Using a cheese grater, you can grate the chocolate for the topping.]
- Cut into squares 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...
