This cake is what you get when you combine Irish Cream / Bailey’s liqueur, chocolate cake, buttercream frosting, and chocolate ganache. I was invited to an Easter potluck by a friend who came across something like this and was trying to find a professional baker in town who could make it, without success, so my spouse raised my hand and suggested I could do it. And, because it looked delicious, I rose to the challenge. I’m glad I did, because this was as delicious as the original recipe promised!

I’m sure there could be some sacrilegious Easter humor about death by chocolate and rising from the dead with Irish coffee, but suffice to say, the flavor combination works. It’s very rich and decadent, and perfect for anyone who loves chocolate and Irish cream liqueur.

I already have a recipe for making a homemade version of Bailey’s Irish Cream, which is quick and easy to throw together. Since this cake calls for cream in the batter, buttercream, and ganache, it made sense to get a little more cream and make the liqueur myself rather than buying a bottle. I bought a quart of heavy whipping cream and had more than enough for the liqueur, cake batter, buttercream, and ganache, with some leftover for a future purpose.

As a side benefit, if you make your own Irish cream, you’ll have leftover liqueur to share with the cake, and maybe sip while you contemplate your questionable cake-decorating skills.* The more you sip, the more confident you’ll feel about saying those decorating skills are good enough, too!

*Hey, at least this occasion gave me some more practice in that department! I’ve still got a long way to go, but maybe it looks better than the Blueberry Sekanjabin Cake I made a couple years ago…? Leave a comment if you have an opinion on this.

Cake Batter:
2 cups cake flour
¾ cup cocoa powder (jet black if you can find it)
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
½ cup cream (or buttermilk, whole milk, or sour cream)
¾ cup Irish Cream or Baileys
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup hot freshly brewed coffee (not grounds)

Irish Cream Buttercream:
1 ½ cups unsalted butter softened (or use salted and reduce the salt to 1/2 tsp.)
9 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons Irish Cream or Baileys
4 Tablespoons milk or cream

Chocolate Ganache:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup heavy whipping cream
Optional: chocolate and/or colored sprinkles for garnish

To make the cake layers:
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 6-inch or two 8-inch round baking pans.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, milk, Irish Cream, oil, and vanilla; whisk until wet ingredients are incorporated into the dry ingredients.

Stir in hot coffee; whisk until smooth. Batter will be runny. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 25-27 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool cakes for 10 minutes then remove from pans and transfer to wire racks. Cool completely. To make the frosting easier to apply, freeze the cakes.

To make the frosting:
Cream butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth and fluffy.

Gradually beat in powdered sugar until fully incorporated.

Beat in vanilla extract and Irish cream. Add milk and beat for an additional 3-4 minutes, or until light and fluffy.

Assembly:
Place the first cake layer on a serving plate or cardboard cake board. Spread about ½ cup of frosting into an even layer on top of the cake.

Top the frosting with the second layer of cake, then repeat another layer of frosting. If you have a pastry/frosting bag and applicator tip, that can make it easier to get an even application, especially in the gaps on the sides between layers.

To make the ganache:
Heat cream in a microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute. Once hot, add chocolate chips and let sit for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth.

Drizzle cake with ganache. If it looks too drippy, you can try to smooth it into an even coating with a spatula, then fuss with it over and over until you get sick of it and give up.

Top with sprinkles, if desired.