Baileys Chocolate Cake

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This Baileys Chocolate Cake recipe combines two of my favorite things – Baileys and chocolate – in one amazing, moist and fun layer cake!

Looking for more chocolate cake recipes? Try this easy chocolate cake recipe!

Slice of moist baileys chocolate cake on a white plate

Baileys Chocolate Cake

So this weekend, I recalled the time when the hubs and I were hanging ceiling fans in the bedrooms in our house. We’d had a few guests get kind of hot in one of the rooms that seems to get hotter than other rooms. To help alleviate the problem, we decided to get fans for all the rooms. The rooms were already wired for them, they just needed the fixtures.

Of course it may seem simple to get fans for bedrooms, but then there are so many choices to choose from. The color, size, design – we all have opinions. While I was ok with having a darker fan in our bedroom, I wanted white in the quest rooms. It just made sense to me for many reasons. It took several discussions since we didn’t agree, but eventually we went with the white.

When visiting my parents over the weekend, the hubs was about to help my dad hang a new fan when my mom stopped them for the same reason – the color. My dad had bought a dark one for a guest room and she wanted white. I couldn’t help but laugh.

There are moments in marriage where you think you must be the only couple that could possibly disagree so much over fans only to realize that everyone has the same or similar things going on all the time. It’s so funny – and normal. 🙂

Baileys cake on a cake stand with white frosting and chocolate ganache
Baileys Chocolate Cake - layers of chocolate cake flavored with Baileys Irish Cream and Baileys frosting! So good!

A One Bowl Chocolate Cake with Baileys Frosting

One thing none of us would disagree on though is the awesome flavor of this cake. Baileys is one of those liqueurs that you can easily sip over ice. I wouldn’t say that’s a normal thing for me, but I totally could. The hubs definitely went through a phase where that was a favorite drink of his.

Baileys with chocolate is a combination that I fell in love with years ago when I had Baileys in my hot chocolate for the first time. It was a revelation in awesome-ness. Hot chocolate has never been the same since. And now I am a huge fan of Baileys and chocolate desserts. I’ve made several, and now I’ve got this lovely layer cake for you.

The chocolate cake is super moist and easy to make. It’s one bowl only and no creaming needed, making it easier to mix together and to clean up. Score! When combined with the Baileys frosting, it’s pure heaven. To top it off, it’s got chocolate ganache dripping down the sides. While not entirely necessary, it makes for a fun presentation and even more chocolate. Can you go wrong with more chocolate? I think not.

This cake is the jam. Moan-inducing for sure. So moist, so chocolatey, so full of smooth Irish cream flavor!

Baileys Chocolate Cake - layers of chocolate cake flavored with Baileys Irish Cream and Baileys frosting! So good!
Baileys Chocolate Cake - layers of chocolate cake flavored with Baileys Irish Cream and Baileys frosting! So good!

You might also like these chocolate recipes:

No Bake Baileys Chocolate Cheesecake
Baileys Chocolate Mousse Brownie Cake
Baileys Chocolate Cupcakes
Mini Baileys Chocolate Cheesecakes
Baileys Chocolate Cookies
Mini Baileys Chocolate Cheesecake Trifles
Baileys Chocolate Roll

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slice of Baileys Chocolate Layer Cake
Recipe

Baileys Chocolate Cake

  • Author: Life, Love and Sugar
  • Prep Time: 45 minutes
  • Cook Time: 34 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 19 minutes
  • Yield: 12-14 Slices
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This Baileys Chocolate Cake combines two of my favorite things – Baileys and chocolate – in one amazing, moist and fun layer cake!


Ingredients

BAILEYS CHOCOLATE CAKE

  • 2 cups (260g) all purpose flour
  • 2 cups (414g) sugar
  • 3/4 cup (85g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup (180ml) milk
  • 1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) Baileys Irish Cream
  • 3/4 cup (180ml) boiling water
  • 1 tsp vanilla

BAILEYS FROSTING

  • 1 1/2 cups (336g) butter
  • 1 1/4 cups (236g) shortening
  • 10 1/4 cups (1208g) powdered sugar
  • 5 tbsp (75ml) Baileys Irish Cream

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

  • 4.5 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
  • 6 tbsp (90ml) heavy whipping cream

Instructions

1. Prepare three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom and grease the sides. Preheat oven to 300°F (148°C).
2. Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and combine.
3. Add eggs, milk, vegetable oil and Irish cream to the dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Combine the water and vanilla extract and slowly pour into the batter. Mix well.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the cakes pans and bake for about 32-34 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
6. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.
7. White the cake cools, make the frosting. Beat the butter and shortening together until smooth.
8. Slowly add about 1/2 of the powdered sugar, mixing until smooth between each addition of powdered sugar.
9. Add 4 tablespoons of Baileys to the frosting and mix until smooth.
10. Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar, mixing until smooth between each addition of powdered sugar.
11. Add additional Baileys to the frosting, as needed to get a smooth consistency.
12. To put the cake together, use a large serrated knife to remove the domes from the tops of the cake layers so that they are flat. See my tips on how to level a cake and how to stack a cake.
13. Place the first layer of cake on your serving plate or on a cardboard cake circle.
14. Spread 1 cup (240g) of frosting into an even layer.
15. Add the second layer of cake, then another cup (240g) of frosting.
16. Top the cake with the third layer of cake.
17. Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining frosting. For help getting a smooth finish, refer to my tutorial on how to frost a smooth cake with buttercream.
18. Set the cake aside and make the chocolate ganache (see my tips on making chocolate ganache). Add the chocolate chips to a metal or glass bowl.
19. Microwave the heavy whipping cream until boiling, then pour over the chocolate chips. Cover the bowl with clear wrap for about 5 minutes.
20. Whisk chocolate until smooth.
21. Use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate ganache down the sides of the cake. See my tips on making a chocolate drip cake.
22. Pipe dollops of frosting around the border of the cake. I used Ateco tip 808.
23. Spread the remaining ganache into the center the of the piped border.
24. You can store the cake in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours. If setting out for longer than 24 hours, you may want to refrigerate the cake because of the chocolate ganache. Cake is best served at room temperature. Cake is best for 2-3 days.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Slice
  • Calories: 1120
  • Sugar: 121.9 g
  • Sodium: 381.2 mg
  • Fat: 61.8 g
  • Carbohydrates: 141.2 g
  • Protein: 5.5 g
  • Cholesterol: 92 mg

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Enjoy!

Baileys Chocolate Cake - layers of chocolate cake flavored with Baileys Irish Cream and Baileys frosting! So good!

Baileys-Chocolate-Layer-Cake-Collage

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94 Comments
  1. Linda

    This sounds amazing. Can buttermilk replace the milk and coffee replace the boiling water without changing the taste of the cake? TIA

  2. Estelle

    Hello, I’m in the UK..you say use baking soda…

    In the UK we have baking powder or bicarbonate of soda…

    Which shall I use.

    Also what type of sugar are you using please?

    Thank you

  3. Cheryl Green

    Just going to attempt this cake. Converting the cooking temperature as I have a fan oven – it says 129 degrees. Surely this is far too low to cook the sponges in 32-34 minutes?

  4. Kelsie

    Hi Lindsay,
    This cake sounds delish! How do you think it was fare if I swapped the Bailey’s for Whiskey instead?

  5. Krem

    Hi,Lovely cake recipe.Highly recommended!I don’t really fancy the butter frosting that’s why I made it with whipping cream(300 ml whipping cream+50ml Baileys+1tbs cocoa powder+1 1/2 icing sugar).I didn’t use Baileys original Irish cream I swap it with Baileys orange truffle flavour.Definitely will do it again!Thanks!






  6. Kim Atkinson

    I’m planning on making this cake at the weekend but just with two layers (as I only have two cake tins), I can divide the recipe by 3 to work out the amount a need for each layer but what do I do with the eggs? Would you recommend I use one egg or two?

    Thanks!

  7. Kathy

    Outstanding!
    Before frosting, I brushed the 2 lower layers with Baileys. I did not have any whipping cream, so I just used Baileys in the frosting. And the ganache, I just added 2 tablespoons butter and milk with 4 ounces of 72% dark chocolate squares. It was a perfect dessert for my friend’s birthday. Thank you. 






  8. Kari

    I made this last year for my MIL’s birthday. I am making it today for my husband’s birthday.  It is a wonderful cake and I am the first to recommend it.  However, the shortening in the frosting gives it a weird texture and the taste is quite apparent.  I realize it makes it more stable, but it’s not worth the taste or texture.  Stick with a traditional, butter based frosting.  






  9. Sabrina

    Love how this cake is very moist and tasty! However the frosting I find too sweet.. I am an amateur and would love to make this cake as a Christmas gift for a special friend.. my question is if I reduce the amount of powdered sugar in the frosting recipe, will it change the consistency and ruin the frosting itself? Thank you in advance x






    1. Lindsay

      You won’t necessarily ruin it, but as far as consistency, the amount you reduce it can have an effect. You’ll want to keep this consistency for frosting if you’re following my tutorial for frosting a smooth cake. It can be a little thinner for piping and frosting cupcakes. Thinner than that is ok, but it really depends on your preference for consistency on a cake.

    1. Lindsay

      I imagine you could, but you’d need more baking powder than soda and I’m not sure of the amount. Plus, it greatly changes the texture of the cake so I wouldn’t actually recommend it.

  10. Kitty

    I made this for an Easter/double birthday party yesterday.  I will say it is the BEST chocolate cake I have ever made.  And I have made a lot of cake.  Several people said it was like nothing they have had, and loved it!  It will be my go to chocolate cake from now on, with or without the Baileys.  I did use buttermilk and coffee instead.  However, the frosting is way off.  I only used 4 cups  powdered sugar and at least twice as much Baileys.  It had that shortening flavor that was hard to overcome.  It also had that shortening texture and residue that wa a turn off.  I think the cake would be even better with a basic buttercream with no shortening. That is just my personal opinion.  Everyone at the party absolutely LOVED it.  I am sure it will be requested for our next celebration.  Thanks for a great recipe.

  11. K

    Hi there, I baked this cake last night and when I took them out of the pan, the edges were crumbly and falling off. I made two batches and I tried reducing the time the second time (I had already reduced the time the first time too) and it was still crumbly. Any idea what I might have done wrong?
    Thank you.

    1. Lindsay

      It’s hard for me to know exactly what you mean about the edges being crumbly. Is it just like the very edge on the top of the cakes? Or like the whole side of the cake is coming off? I don’t know why that would happen, I’m sorry.

  12. Suzanne

    I just made this cake.  It was delish!  I do agree that the amount of frosting was generous, but didn’t think it was too much, especially if you want to pipe some decorations on the cake.  I did think that the ganache was a bit tight, so next time I would add an extra tablespoon of cream so it would be a little more drippy.

  13. Moberg

    I made this cake. The cake came out great, but the frosting recipe makes WAY TOO MUCH. I could literally frost 2 more cakes. And because of the huge amount of powdered sugar, you can’t taste any flavor. I would cut the recipe in half if I make it again.

    1. Lindsay

      I’m glad you enjoyed the cake. I definitely use a fair amount of frosting on my cakes, so you could certainly cut it down.

  14. Kara

    I want to make this cake suitable for carving (friend wanting me to make a purse cake for his daughter’s 21st birthday) how can i make it a more dense cake? i know there is a way to alter the egg content etc, but i’m not sure how. can you please help me with this???

    1. Lindsay

      I’m not sure without testing it, but you could try this cake. It’s more dense. But I have never made a carved cake, so I can’t say I know the exact texture you’re looking for.

  15. Intan Juliana

    Hi Lindsay!! Thank you so much for this recipe.. I tried for half the recipe and it turned out yummy.. One question, why are you using boiling water? It makes the batter very runny. Or is it what it suppose to be? I’m planning to make it again for my Dad’s birthday. Thank you and looking forwars for your reply 🙂

  16. Adeola

    Hello!
    Thank you for this recipe.
    Can I replace the milk with buttermilk ad the boiling hot water with espresso instead? 

    1. Lindsay

      No, it’s correct. It’s a standard decorator’s buttercream, which does have a large amount of powdered sugar. Feel free to reduce it though.

  17. david

    Made this, great cake, great directions! Im pretty much a beginner but even mine looked pretty close to the picture. Of course getting every one of the chocolate drips the same size was not perfect. that’s about the hardest part of the cake, you only get to do it once 🙂

      1. Sophie

        Error in the grams measurement for sugar – im from the UK so don’t use cups – could have been a drama if I hadn’t ran out of sugar before I’d actually thought about it!
        Lovely recipe, will definitely be making again!






      2. Lindsay

        Are you referring to the sugar in the cake layers? No error there. That’s exactly what I use. Glad you enjoyed the cake!

  18. Winnie Lee

    Hi! I do not have 8 inch cake tins but two 9 inch ones instead. Can this recipe go into two 9 inch tins nicely? To replace the shortening, do I use an equivalent amount of butter? Am looking forward to making this cake for my dad 😉

  19. Claire

    This cake came out Great! Took it to Book Club and they loved it! Glad I found your blog. Since then I made your Guinness Chocolate Mousse Cake from your cookbook. That was a big hit as well! 

  20. Kiah

    I used a bunt pan to make this cake for my husbands 40 th birthday. This is such a great recipe. Super moist and everyone loved it. Thank you for sharing. This one is for keeps for sure ????

  21. tj

    Me again..just wondering if you’ve ever tried making the baileys cake with a 10 in and an 8 inch pan..the cake I’m planning on making for my bf birthday is going to hav a plain white cake on top(since there will be kids and people that don’t drink at the party)…any thoughts?

    1. Lindsay

      I haven’t made the cake in a 10 inch pan. The recipes does call for an 8 inch though, so hopefully that helps.

  22. TJ

    Hi Lyndsay,

    Thank you so much for having this cake on your web site. My boyfriend will be 55 this year and I just found out that this is his favorite cake so naturally I want to make it for him but I have one small problem.

    The party I am throwing for him is a surprise…not a big deal but since I will be with him the day before his party (which is on a Saturday); I will have to make the cake on a Thursday night. I know in your blog it says the cake is good for 2-3 days and obviously I don’t want people eating “bad cake”. So that being said, my question to you is…can I freeze this cake and if so how does it fair when it is defrosted?

    Kind regards,
    TJ Crawford

    1. Lindsay

      Would you be freezing just the layers or the full cake? If you freeze the layers, they should be fine if they are well wrapped. I’d suggest defrosting them in the fridge. If you are freezing the full cake, I’m not sure since I haven’t tried it. I’d suggest the same things though as far as freezing and defrosting.

      1. Veronica

        Thanks for reply…
        so the quantity that you’ve indicated of shortening (236gr) I’ve sostitute whit the same quantity of butter in addition at the 336gr of butter already in recipe?
        Do you think i can use this recipe, as it stands (except that with ganache I would use to put at the outside of the cake), for a cake to cover and decorate with sugar paste?

  23. Anna

    This looks amazing! I defenetly will make it! Just I wonder if there is any way I can replace the shortening with smth else.. Not even sure what it is. Thanks in advance! ❤️????

      1. Vanessa

        Made a Tia Maria version and it was delicious! Can’t wait to make some more when I stock up with Bailey’s. Just in time for Christmas, will be going in the favourites list!






      1. T

        Lol, Lindsay! I meant a plain cake in the bundt pan without the layers in it!! I should have made that more clear! Sorry!!

  24. Mir

    We disagree about ceiling fans too, but in a different way. My husband wants to run one all night long and it makes me cold!
    This in incredible. Bailey’s is the best!

    1. Li

      Hi Lindsay

      I made this cake for someone but they said they wanted to taste more of the baileys . is it possible to replace all the milk with baileys? btw the cake is so moist and light






      1. Lindsay

        If memory serves correctly, the cake fell in the center if too much Bailey’s was added. But when you’re layering the cake, you could try brushing some additional baileys on the cake layers.

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I'm a wife and a mom to twin boys and a baby girl! And I've got a serious sweets addiction! Bring on the treats!

Scripture I’m Loving

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29