Coffee with chocolate is always a winning combination, but adding Baileys Irish Cream to the mix and it puts it over the edge. This 6-inch indulgent chocolate cake is super moist and surprisingly light when paired with a whipped cream frosting. I had to make it twice in a row because it was so good!
So one day, I was craving cake. Not just any cake, but chocolate cake. BUT I don’t want a basic one because it’s me, haha. My husband, bless his heart, immediately started spouting ideas for a good pair with chocolate based on what we already had in the fridge. He reminded me that we had leftover Baileys Irish Cream. We don’t really drink, and the only reason I had Baileys was because I use it to make my mocha Oreo ice cream. So I got inspired and started on the chocolate cake.
Please note that this recipe is for a 6-inch two-tier cake. I think a 6-inch cake is the perfect size for a cake for our household. Alternatively, you don’t have to stack them and you can just separate it into two single-tier chocolate cakes.
Tools you’ll need
Ingredients
Cake batter
- 1 egg
- 80 g vegetable oil
- 165 g buttermilk
- 40 g Baileys Irish Cream
- 127 g already-made coffee (instant is fine)
- 190 g all-purpose flour
- 240 g sugar
- 62 g cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp baking soda
Whipped cream frosting
- 218 g heavy cream
- 25 g powdered sugar
- 35 g Baileys Irish Cream
- 1 tsp unflavored gelatin (dissolved in 1 tbsp water)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.
- In a medium mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to whisk egg with the oil and buttermilk on low, just enough that the egg is fully incorporated. Add the buttermilk, Baileys, and coffee. Continue whisking until everything is mixed together.
- Sift all your dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda) to your wet ingredients. Mix on low just enough that you don't see spots of flour or dry ingredient. Don't overmix, otherwise your cake will be tough and dense.
- Divide your batter into two greased 6-inch round cake pans. Once you've poured your batter in, slightly tap the cake pans on the counter to release some air bubbles. Bake for 30 minutes.
- While your cake bakes, you can work on your whipped cream frosting. It would be easier for you to use a stand mixer, but a hand mixer will work just fine; it just may take longer. In a mixing bowl, mix your heavy cream, powdered sugar, and Baileys.
- Once you have some soft peaks, you can slowly pour your liquid gelatin* while mixing. If your gelatin is no longer liquidy, just pop it in the microwave for 3 seconds and stir. Don't add your gelatin if it's not liquidy! It won't properly incorporate with your whipped cream. Keep whisking until you get stiff peaks. Set aside in the fridge.
- After your cake bakes, let it cool for at least an hour. It's very important that you let your cakes cool completely otherwise your whipped cream might melt when you start frosting. I usually cool for 30 minutes then I transfer the cakes onto a cooling rack and continue cooling for another 30 minutes.
- Level your cakes! You can just slice the "domed" part of the cake to make sure you have flat tops. But definitely keep these scraps! You can eat them already, OR you can kinda crumble them a bit and use them to top off your cake, if you'd like.
- Assemble your cake! I'm not worried about my cake being ugly, as long as it's delicious. I basically just put half of the frosting on top of each cake and then stack one on top of the other.
- Enjoy! You can store the finished cake in the fridge for up to 3 days. However, make sure to let it sit on the counter for at least 15 minutes when you take it out the fridge and before serving. This will ensure the texture of the cake relaxes a bit.
Notes
*The gelatin is used to stabilize your whipped cream frosting. Otherwise, you may end up with liquidy goop and it'll just leak off your cake.
// ON THE SCENE
- Back backdrop: Replica Surfaces — White Brick
- Bottom backdrop: Replica Surfaces — Cement
- Props: matte black plates