This Irish coffee cake is an absolute doddle to make. It has an intense coffee flavour, a delightfully soft texture and it’s topped with pillowy whipped cream spiked with Irish cream liqueur. Expect to fall deeply in love with this Baileys coffee cake.
What a treat this Irish coffee cake topped with Baileys cream is. The coffee sponge cake is robustly flavoured and the creamy topping is the perfect complement to this. They are sweet partners in crime, in fact.
If you are partial to either coffee or Baileys (or both), then this Baileys coffee cake is going to make your heart sing. Try a slice alongside an Irish hot chocolate or an Irish mocha latte for an undeniably indulgent treat.
Why you should make this Baileys coffee cake
This Irish coffee cake has been a long time in the making and has gone through significant iterations of sampling amongst my network of eager taste-testers. This final version has so many alluring attributes:
- It’s an easy one bowl recipe – so there’s minimal washing up
- The coffee flavour is pronounced
- And the colour is fantastic
- The sponge is soft and velvety
- It’s really easy to decorate
- The creamy topping is not too sweet
- And of course, it’s spiked with Baileys Irish cream
This decidedly grown-up Irish coffee cake might have an understated appearance but it’s impressive on the tastebuds. My taste testers agree!
Ingredients notes
I opted to use light brown muscovado sugar to lend both colour and flavour to this Irish coffee cake but also to help produce a sponge cake with a sensational texture. It holds together well and it has a delicious crumb with a soft and bouncy consistency.
A little Soured cream also helps deliver the perfect texture to this coffee sponge cake too. Greek yoghurt could alternatively be used in its place.
As for the coffee, it has to be instant coffee granules (I used Gold Blend) for this recipe. I’ve used 4 tablespoons, dissolved in just 40ml of very hot water. It’s a lot of coffee, but this is the key to delivering the intense flavour and colour in this Irish coffee cake.
Baileys is always my top choice of Irish cream liqueur. In my opinion, it cannot be rivalled in terms of flavour. That bundle of notes comprising whisky, chocolate and vanilla is spot on and the liqueur is not overly sweet. It works a treat in the cream on top of this Baileys coffee cake.
Step-by-step instructions
- Dissolve the coffee granules in very hot water and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar together using electric beaters, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition (don’t worry if the mixture curdles).
- Mix in the soured cream, vanilla extract and coffee.
- Sieve the flour and baking powder into the bowl and fold in.
- Spoon into a baking tin and cook for around 35 minutes until a cocktail stick comes out clean when poked into the centre.
- Cool in the tin then remove and peal off the baking parchment.
- Put the cream and Baileys into a bowl. Sieve the icing sugar in and then beat until the cream reaches soft peaks.
- Spread the cream over the top of the cake and scatter grated chocolate over it.
Expert tips
This Baileys Irish coffee cake is very quick and easy to make. Regardless, here are a few tips to help you get the best out of this recipe:
- Always use digital scales when baking – they give far more accurate results than usings cups or scales with weights.
- Ensure your oven is preheated to the correct temperature before baking commences. Putting a cake into an oven that is still heating up will lead to a less superior bake.
- Pay attention to the size of the baking tin. This recipe calls for a deep 7-inch (18cm) circular tin. Using a smaller/ larger tin will affect the depth of the cake and the cooking times.
- Ensure that you use very hot water to dissolve the coffee granules – from a kettle that has recently boiled. Warm water won’t quite dissolve it fully. Boil the kettle and let it stand for 5 minutes before using the water to dissolve the coffee.
- Keep stirring the granules in the water until dissolved. It may take a minute – there’s a lot of coffee involved.
- Diehard coffee fans should use the full amount of coffee specified in the recipe card.
- But those looking for a slightly more subtle coffee taste should dissolve 3 tablespoons of coffee in 2 tablespoons hot water.
Frequently asked questions
I’m afraid for this Irish coffee cake, only instant coffee granules will do. A high amount of granules are dissolved in just a small amount of water to create an intense coffee flavour. It would be difficult to replicate this same level of intensity using espresso powder in such a small amount of water.
It’s fine to store this cake at room temperature for a couple of hours. However, if it needs to be stored for longer, cover and transfer to the fridge to keep the Baileys whipped cream in tip-top condition. Remember to take the cake out of the fridge 1-2 hours before eating to allow the sponge cake to come back to room temperature and the coffee flavour to shine.
By all means, yes. Try adding 2 tablespoons of sieved cocoa powder in with the flour.
Yes, you can. It’s best to add in small amounts and taste before committing to adding too much more. Aim for a decent boozy flavour but avoid going over the top. Less is often more, as the saying goes…
Variation
Early renditions of this Irish coffee cake involved whisky rather than Baileys. I was keen to replicate an actual Irish coffee as closely as I could.
However, multiple taste testings later I concluded that it was better to forego the whisky in the sponge cake and go with a just buzz of Baileys in the topping to provide an Irish edge to this cake.
If you do, however, want to add a hit of alcohol to the coffee sponge cake then try mixing in 1 tablespoon of whisky or 2 tablespoons of Baileys. Any more and the alcohol will dominate the coffee flavour in the cake – especially if whisky is used.
Stick with the Baileys in the creamy topping though – whisky would be too harsh here.
More recipes including Baileys Irish cream
If you have tried this Baileys Irish coffee cake recipe then please give it a rating or comment. I love to hear how you get along with my creations.
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Baileys Irish Coffee Cake
Equipment
- 1 Deep 7-inch (18cm) circular cake tin loose bottomed
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons Instant coffee granules
- 125 g Butter softened
- 170 g Light muscovado sugar
- 2 Eggs large, free range
- 180 g Plain flour all-purpose
- 1½ teaspoons Baking powder
- 60 ml Soured cream
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
Topping
- 125 ml Double cream
- 1 tablespoon Icing sugar
- 3 tablespoons Baileys Irish cream
- 1 tablespoon Grated chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/ 350F/ GM 4 and prepare a deep 7-inch (18cm) loose-bottomed circular cake tin by greasing it with butter and lining the base and sides with baking parchment.
- Put the kettle on to boil then let stand for 5 minutes.
- Use 40ml of the water from the kettle to dissolve the coffee granules. Keep stirring for 1-2 minutes until they eventually dissolve.
- Cream the butter and sugar together using electric beaters until light and fluffy, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition (don't worry if the mixture curdles).
- Mix in the soured cream, vanilla extract and coffee.
- Sieve the flour and baking powder into the bowl and fold in using a large metal spoon until no streaks of flour remain.
- Spoon into a baking tin, use a blunt knife to spread it out, then bake for around 35 minutes until a cocktail stick comes out clean when poked into the centre.
- Let cool completely in the tin then remove and peal off the baking parchment.
- Put the cream and Baileys into a bowl. Sieve the icing sugar in and then beat until the cream reaches soft peaks.
- Spread the cream over the top of the cake and scatter grated chocolate over it.
Notes
- Always use digital scales when baking – they give far more accurate results than using cups or scales with weights.
- Ensure your oven is preheated to the correct temperature before baking commences. Putting a cake into an oven that is still heating up will lead to a less superior bake.
- Pay attention to the size of the baking tin. This recipe calls for a deep 7-inch (18cm) circular tin. Using a smaller/ large tin will affect the depth of the cake and the cooking times.
- Let the kettle stand for 5 minutes after it has boiled and use this to dissolve the coffee.
- Keep stirring the granules in the water until dissolved. It may take a minute – there’s a lot of coffee involved.
- Diehard coffee fans should use the full amount of coffee specified in the recipe card.
- But those looking for a slightly more subtle coffee taste should dissolve 3 tablespoons of coffee in 2 tablespoons hot water.
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