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This Baileys Chocolate Poke Cake uses my best chocolate cake recipe as a base and is topped with Baileys whipped cream! The chocolate cake is soaked in even more chocolate and Baileys Irish Cream. You won’t be able to stop eating this one!
Baileys Chocolate Poke Cake
This is a cake that I will definitely need to make again. As with everything else you are seeing pop up on the blog since the twins were born, this recipe was created while I was pregnant. While I did take a little taste (naturally, I have to know just how good it is), because of the alcohol I wasn’t able to indulge as I would’ve liked. And believe me, I really wanted to indulge!
Not only is this cake full of chocolate, it’s full of one of my other favorite things – Baileys! You may have noticed that I’ve shared quite a few Baileys desserts over the years like this Baileys chocolate mousse cake, caramel Baileys pound cake, Baileys chocolate cupcakes, Baileys fudge brownies, cake and mini Baileys chocolate cheesecakes. It’s a love affair, I must say. So to not be able to eat even one full piece was a bummer because it’s SO SO good! Not only is there Baileys baked into the cake, it’s also soaked with more Baileys and then topped with it. Go big or go home, right? 😉
How to Make Chocolate Poke Cake
So to make this cake, you start with a chocolate cake from scratch. I used my very favorite chocolate cake, modified to include Baileys. If you’ve ever had that chocolate cake, you know how amazing and moist it is. If you haven’t made it, don’t be alarmed by the thin batter and lower baking temperature. It’s all normal and makes one amazing cake.
Once the cake is baked, it’s poked with holes (hence a “poke” cake) and covered with a mixture of melted chocolate, Baileys and sweetened condensed milk. Are you drooling yet?!
The mixture should soak into the holes of the cake, but be sure that the cake is still warm and that the Baileys and chocolate mixture is still warm. The mixture will thicken as it cools, making it harder to soak into the holes. I also would recommend Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk in this cake. I’ve tried a few others and some are thicker than others. Eagle Brand is thinner, which is ideal for soaking into the cake. If you use another brand or have trouble, just add some additional milk (or Baileys) to thin it out a bit. You may still have a thin layer of the mixture on top of the cake, but that’s fine.
The final step is the delicious Baileys chocolate whipped cream. With such a rich cake, the light whipped cream topping is the perfect way to finish it off! The whole combination is pure heaven and a cake I’ll definitely be making again and again – when I can drink alcohol again. 🙂
Watch How To Make It
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Baileys Chocolate Poke Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 12-15 Slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Baileys Chocolate Poke Cake uses my best chocolate cake recipe as a base and is topped with Baileys whipped cream! The chocolate cake is soaked in even more chocolate and Baileys Irish Cream. You won’t be able to stop eating this one!
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 cup (240ml) Baileys Irish Cream, divided
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup (180ml) boiling water
- 1 cup (240ml) sweetened condensed milk
- 3/4 cup (127g) semi sweet chocolate chips
WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING
- 2 cups (480) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 3/4 cup (86g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup (29g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp (30ml) Baileys Irish Cream, optional
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
ADDITIONAL
- Mini chocolate chips
- Chocolate sauce
Instructions
1. Prepare a 9×13 inch cake pan by greasing 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, 1/2 cup of Irish cream and vanilla to the dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Slowly pour the water into the batter, mixing well and being careful of splashing.
5. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for about 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
6. Remove the cake from the oven and poke holes all over. I use a knife sharpening rod, but you could also use a straw.
7. While the cake is still warm, add the chocolate chips to a medium sized bowl. Set aside.
8. Add the sweetened condensed milk and remaining 1/2 cup of Irish cream to a microwave safe measuring cup. Heat heat the milk and cream until they begin to boil, then pour over the chocolate chips.
9. Whisk the chocolate until smooth, then immediately pour over the cake, spreading it into the holes. Don’t let the mixture sit before pouring it over the cake or it’ll start to thicken and not soak in the holes as well.
10. Set the cake in the fridge to cool and soak.
11. When the cake has cooled, add the ingredients for the whipped cream topping to a large mixer bowl. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
12. Spread the whipped cream evenly over the cake. Top the cake with mini chocolate chips and a drizzle of chocolate sauce, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Cake is best if eaten within 4-5 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 634
- Sugar: 54.3 g
- Sodium: 233.1 mg
- Fat: 35.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 72 g
- Protein: 8.8 g
- Cholesterol: 76.6 mg
Categories
Enjoy!
Best cake ever. I’ve made it a couple of times. Question being, can the cake itself be made a day ahead of time and put overnight in the fridge. If so, I would make the topping the day after
I’m glad you enjoy it! Yes, the cake can definitely be made ahead and the topping would be fine to add a day ahead too.
Can it be frozen? I love your website!
Any suggestions as to how to make it gluten free? I made it this weekend and it was excellent. I would like to see if I can make it gluten free to bring to a party on Sunday.
I’m sorry, I don’t work with gluten free really. I would think a gluten free all purpose flour would be fine. I’m not sure if there are any other changes you’d need to make.
Put some green food coloring in the whipped cream for St. Paddy’s Day!
Can I double this recipe?
Sure, but you’d want to bake it in two pans, unless you’re using a pan that’s large than 9×13.
I just made this for a small get-together with friends and everyone raved about it! Your recipes never fail me! I did do a couple things differently: I used Baileys Salted Caramel flavor and drizzled the top with caramel sauce, and I added a teaspoon of espresso powder to the boiling water to intensify the chocolate flavor. Sometime I want to try making this pepperminty by using a peppermint cream liqueur and topping it with crushed peppermint candies and a chocolate drizzle. It doesn’t need to be Christmas time for me to enjoy my chocolate/peppermint flavor profile:). Thanks for another amazing recipe!!
Awesome! Sounds like some fun flavor options! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it!
Loved the recipe. How can I save it on my phone?
I’m glad you enjoyed it! How is it that you would like to save it? You could save it to Pinterest or perhaps hit the print button and save a PDF of it.
This looks delicious! I’m wondering, do you know of a good substitution for the Bailey’s, something non-alcoholic? I know it won’t be quite the same, but just wondering if something else can be used. Thanks in advance!
If you’re looking to make a cake that’s basically identical to this one, but without the Baileys, try my chocolate poke cake. That would be what is it. 🙂
I tend to make homemade baileys. A friend of mine can’t have alcohol, so I make it without. A couple tbsp of strong brewed espresso, some heavy cream, a can of condensed milk.
Looks amazingly delish. I can’t wait to make it. 🤩🤩🙏🏻🙏🏻💕💖💖
Sound really good – can you make it for 8 inch pan as there are only two of us
Sure, you could cut the recipe in half.
If using a glass baking dish would I need to adjust the oven temp or baking time at all?
I haven’t made it in a glass pan. It already bakes at a lower temp, so I wouldn’t reduce that more. You just may need a longer bake time – by maybe 5-15 minutes.
This recipe was delicious, however I believe the conversions to metric units may be off, as my cake turned out very dense and the condensed milk soak was way too thick even though it was still hot. For the cake I believe it would be far more fluffy if the eggs were whipped first using the hot water and sugar and everything else were to be slowly incorporated instead of all at once like the recipe said. I only used 1/4 of the sugar in total and it turned out just right. I will make this again but the recipe needs adjustment.