Happy Saint Patrick’s Day, friends! Can we just dig in right now and call it a day? It’s time to get the party started with Baileys Cookies & Cream Cake, and I have to tell you I think this might be one of my best and booziest cake to date! I’ve been itching to share this one with you all week, and if you’ve been looking for a fantastic party cake, get ready to bust out the Baileys and the sprinkles!
I started this gem off with my favorite chocolate whiskey cake – always a good place to start! Then I kicked it up with a Baileys cookies and cream filling.
Boozy cookies and cream filling! Why have I waited so long to share this with you? I mean if all else fails, make the filling, grab a spoon and to hell with the rest of it.
And then I put Baileys in the buttercream, because I’m no quitter.
Yes, I am a firm believer in more is more. More cake, more Baileys, more buttercream, and more sprinkles – always more sprinkles! But can I tell you something? It totally works. Even though I managed to squeeze whiskey into all three components, it’s still light and just floats around, mingling beautifully with the cake. Mingling even more beautifully with each bite you take.
And doesn’t it just look like a happy cake? Yeah, we’re all going to be pretty happy after a piece of this one!
The chocolate whiskey cake is lovely and light, and the perfect setting for our cookies and cream filling. Speaking of cookies and cream filling, the one ingredient that makes it is the coffee extract. A small amount of coffee extract really adds a great depth of flavor and cutes the sweetness, as well as balance the Baileys!
I usually add coffee extract to my Baileys buttercream, but I wanted to keep the color as light as possible so I could get a bright green when decorating. If you’re not going green, or want to make this gem throughout the year (YES!), feel free to add coffee extract.
For the decorating, I wanted something really fun and I also wanted to use that shamrock sprinkle mix again! It’s very important that your party cake coordinates with your shamrock cookies!
I wasn’t sure how much I’d love the green, but I’m all about it now and I think it screams party! The best part about using a million sprinkles to decorate this one is that the sprinkles hide the flaws! Press them all along the bottom of the cake so you don’t have to worry about clean edges and the top gets completely covered so you’re good.
Sprinkles everywhere!
The best part of this cake though is when you cut into it! It’s so light and so satisfying all at the same time. I think it’s a really cozy cake, but I guess when you put that much whiskey in a cake, it’s bound to make you feel super cozy 😉
Thanks so much for reading and baking! I hope you guys make this one for your celebrations this weekend! Actually, I hope this is a cake you make throughout the year, I know I will! Thank you to everyone who has already made the Shamrock Cookies, Baileys Brownies and Irish Coffee Cheesecake! I am so happy you guys are enjoying the desserts and remember to share your bakes with me on Instagram! I love seeing them!
Happy baking!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp. espresso powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup Irish cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot coffee
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. coffee extract
- 2 Tbsp. Irish cream
- 12 Oreos, crushed
- 16 ounces (2 cups) unsalted butter, room temp.
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup Irish cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Shamrock Sprinkle Mix
- Leaf green food coloring
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottoms of 3 (8") cake pans with parchment rounds and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl sift together cocoa powder, flour, espresso powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whip eggs and vegetable oil on medium speed for about 3 minutes until combined.
- Slowly add in sugar, continuing to mix on medium speed for about 4-5 minutes until mixture gets pale in color.
- Reduce speed to low and mix in milk, Irish cream and vanilla extract.
- Add in dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Pour in coffee and stir to combine.
- Divide batter evenly into prepared pans. This is approximately 1# of batter in each pan.
- Bake cakes for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and cakes start to pull away from the sides.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip heavy cream and powdered sugar until it gets some body.
- Add vanilla, coffee extract and Baileys and continue to whip until stiff.
- Gently fold in crushed Oreos and refrigerate until ready to use.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix butter on medium high speed for about 3-4 minutes.
- Start adding powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time so you don't have a sugar shower.
- Add salt.
- Add Irish cream, 1 Tbsp. at a time.
- Continue to mix buttercream on medium high speed until it is light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as necessary.
- Level chocolate cakes if necessary.
- Fill a piping bag, fitted with a round tip such as #805, with Baileys buttercream.
- Place first cake layer on a cake stand or cake cardboard and pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge of the cake.
- Spoon half the cookies and cream filling in the center of the cake and spread evenly.
- Repeat this process again and top with third layer of chocolate cake.
- Crumb coat cake and refrigerate for at least an hour so cake can set up.
- When ready to decorate, color remaining buttercream green. I used a few drops of leaf green coloring.
- Frost cake and then immediately press shamrock sprinkle mix all along the bottom of the cake, coming up about 1/3 of the sides.
- Sprinkle remaining sprinkles on top of the cake, leaving about 1/4 inch around the edges of the cake.
- Fill a piping bag, fitted with a star tip (I used #825), with remaining green buttercream and pipe a border around the edge of the cake.
- Refrigerate cake.
Notes
If you want to make a naked or semi-naked cake, a half batch of buttercream will be enough.
I always make 2 separate half batches of buttercream. It's not necessary, I just find it easier. I use the first batch for ringing and crumb coating and the second for decorating.
Natalie Stark says
I’m making this cake this weekend for a friends birthday, Do you think I could use Fireball brand whisky in the cake instead? He loves it and I think the spice may be nice.
Maria says
Hi
Baileys Chocolate Cake
3/4 cocoa powder what excatly is the measurement used?
Thanks
bblondie says
Hi Maria, It’s 3/4 cup. Hope you enjoy it!
Maria says
thanks, Baileys chocolate cake got to try it.
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake says
Ah this looks perfect! Love the cookies ‘n’ cream filling, so deliciously decadent 🙂 And bailey’s always helps!!
bblondie says
Thanks, June!
Liz says
Definitely layer cake perfection! And boozy is always a bonus 🙂
bblondie says
I like the way you think! Thanks, Liz!
Katrina says
Baileys Chocolate Cake on its own sounds lovely!! This is AWESOME!
bblondie says
Thanks, Katrina!