Irish Cream Chocolate Cake

I've been on a Bailey's kick lately that coincides nicely with St. Paddy's Day. I knew I wanted to make a cake with Bailey's but couldn't find quite what I was looking for. I settled on an Irish cream chocolate cake. I sat with that idea for a few days before I inspiration struck on exactly what I wanted to do with it and I was so pleased when it finally did. Irish Cream chocolate cake with a coffee cream filling and Irish Cream Dark Chocolate ganache. Yes, please!

You'll need:  Printable recipe

For the cake:
2 1/4 cups cake flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup irish cream liquor


For the filling:
8 oz heavy cream
4 oz cream cheese
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup strong cold coffee


For the ganache:
2 oz heavy cream
6 oz dark chocolate
1/3 irish cream liquor


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two parchment lined cake rounds.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, vanilla, oil, milk and liquor. At medium speed, pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Beat for 3 minutes until well combined. 

Divide between prepared pans and bake 20-30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the rack, remove parchment and cool completely.

For the filling, whip heavy cream and 1 tablespoon sugar at high speed until stiff. I store my whipped cream in the refrigerator while I do the next step.

In a separate bowl, beat together cream cheese, remaining sugar and coffee until smooth. Fold into whipped cream. 

Place bottom cake layer on a serving plate or cardboard round. Spoon filling onto center of cake layer leaving an 1 1/2" boarder. Gently place second cake layer on filling and press down slightly until filling reaches the edge, but doesn't spill over. You can smooth it out if you'd like. When my cakes bake up nice and flat, I don't usually smooth it. When they're more domed, I think it looks better with the cream smoothed out. It's all a matter of preference. Refrigerate 1 hour.

For the ganache, chop chocolate and place in a heat proof bowl. Heat cream and liquor in a sauce pan over medium low heat just until it boils. Do not allow to come to a roiling boil or boil over pan. Pour cream over chocolate stirring constantly until fully melted and smooth. Allow to cool. The ganache will thicken as it cools.  You want it cool, but pourable. Too hot and it runs all over and melts the cream. Too cool and it doesn't run beautifully down the sides. Pour ganache over the center of the cake allowing it to drip down the sides. I like to pour the ganache with the cake on a wire rack over parchment or over the sink so that it doesn't pool too much on your serving plate. 

Allow the ganache to set before serving.

I am really pleased with how this cake turned out. The flavors are all great together, although it is very rich. Truth be told, I ran out of cream, so my ganache for the cake in the pictures was made with milk and turned out thinner than it should be. It's nice and thick and shiny when made with whole cream. I hope you guys enjoy this cake as much I do.